The Nashville Holocaust Memorial on the grounds of the Gordon Jewish Community Center was vandalized with an anti-Semitic message over the weekend.
White-supremacist-oriented graffiti was discovered on Saturday.
The words were spray-painted in black on a white bed sheet that hung on the walls of the memorial, which includes names of Holocaust victims who were killed and survivors who are deceased, a symbolic sculpture, eternal flame and chairs forming in a half circle where visitors can sit and reflect.
In a statement, Gordon JCC executive director Leslie Sax and board president Raymond Jacobs wrote that their institution “is deeply shocked and saddened” by the incident.
“We condemn such bigotry and violence, which has no place in Nashville or anywhere in America,” said the Gordon JCC.
Sax and Jacobs went on to state that “we are working with local authorities in their investigation, and the Jewish community security network was immediately informed of this incident. We are fortunate to have an excellent security team in place to protect us. They work hand in hand with local and national authorities to keep us and our campus safe.
“At a time when our nation is confronting racism and anti-Semitic attacks are rising, our JCC community continues to stand united with those who condemn discrimination in all its forms.”
It wasn’t the first time that the JCC was threatened. Back in early 2017, the center received bomb threats, as did other Jewish institutions throughout North America, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand.
The calls were eventually pinpointed to an Israeli teen with dual U.S. citizenship.
