Medford Rabbi: Community Strong in Face of Hateful Graffiti

over the weekend came on the occasion of an important memorial for the Jewish community.

As community leaders and clergy gathered Monday at Columbus Elementary School, one of around 20 locations hit by vandalism over the weekend, several remarked Monday was Yom HaShoah, also known as Holocaust and Heroism Remembrance Day.

Swastikas and statements like "Aryan Pride" were included in the graffiti, which were all removed shortly after their discovery over the weekend.

Rabbi Braham David of Temple Shalom in Medford called the instances of graffiti "tragic" but was also heartened by the solidarity of the city's response among officials, clergy and citizens.

"We are a tremendously diverse town and we have tolerance for everyone," David said. "But what we do not have tolerance for is anti-Semitism, for racism, for bigotry, for homophobia and for hatred in general."

David said the strength of the community is "far greater" than of those who perpetrated the graffiti.

Medford Schools Superintendent Roy Belson said Monday was the 70th anniversary of the Warsaw ghetto struggle against the Nazis.

"We celebrate diversity," Belson said. "We marvel at how will it helps us educate our young people. And anything that takes away from that...is unacceptable."

One of the many Medford clergy members in attendance was Pastor John Page of the Shiloh Baptist Church in West Medford. Page said it's possible the perpetrators of the graffiti are unaware of its significance.

"We hope that they hear this press conference," Page said. "We hope they come to realize what their actions actually meant within this community."