A public menorah erected for Chanukah celebrations in a Queens park was vandalized over the weekend, deepening concerns in a New York City neighborhood that local officials and Jewish leaders say has been repeatedly targeted by antisemitic graffiti over the past year.
The incident occurred in Travers Park in Jackson Heights, where a large menorah had been installed ahead of a public Chanukah lighting ceremony. Rabbi Meir Pape of Chabad of Jackson Heights said he discovered on Shabbos that the menorah’s central support beam had been sprayed with expanding foam, just one day before the scheduled event.
“It looked disgusting,” Pape said, describing the damage. While the menorah remained functional, he said the act appeared deliberate and symbolic rather than random vandalism.
“The menorah is a Jewish symbol,” Pape said. “Whoever did this was targeting a Jewish symbol.”
Members of a local beautification group removed the foam in time for the public lighting, which went ahead Sunday night despite freezing and icy conditions. Pape said residents still turned out in large numbers to show support.
The New York Police Department confirmed that its Hate Crimes Task Force is investigating the incident. Police said there have been at least two reported antisemitic graffiti incidents in the neighborhood over the past year.
Hiram Monserrate, the Democratic Party leader for the 35th Assembly District and a former state senator and city councilman, said the menorah vandalism fits into a broader pattern of antisemitic activity in Jackson Heights.
“Beyond the vandalizing of the menorah, we have uncovered a steady pattern of violent antisemitic messages throughout Jackson Heights,” Monserrate said. He cited graffiti and stickers appearing for more than a year near Jewish institutions and public spaces, including the Jackson Heights Jewish Center, Travers Park, and Paseo Park.
Monserrate shared images documenting swastikas drawn inside a Star of David, as well as graffiti reading “Heil Hitler” and “Death Zionists.” He said the length of time such messages have appeared without arrests is deeply concerning.
“How these culprits have operated freely as long as they have throughout Jackson Heights is alarming,” he said.
Despite the vandalism, local Jewish leaders said they plan to move forward with additional Chanukah programming. Pape said a second menorah lighting is planned for this coming Sunday.
“The worst thing we can do is stop the celebration,” he said. “This is not going to get in our way from adding more goodness, kindness, and positivity.”
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2 Responses
Oy vey…a little foam insulation on the support of the Lubab menorah. Maybe they wanted to insulate it from the fire. But Chabad doesn’t miss the opportunity to make a big stink about it, to seize an opportunity for more PR. If you go to the domain on the sign on the menorah (chabadyq.com), you see that it is openly messianic, promoting their late Rebbuh as Moshiach, linking to another website where people can write to get “your answer from the King Messiah”. Caveat emptor.
“The menorah is a Jewish symbol,” Pape said. “Whoever did this was targeting a Jewish symbol.”
Unfortunately, like much of Judaism including its very name, the Zionists have usurped that symbol and made it their symbol instead. So, it’s not only a Jewish symbol. Therefore, the hater(s) who did this deplorable deed might (or might not) have been targeting a Zionist symbol and not a Jewish symbol.