LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Rabbi Shlomo Litvin, the director of Chabad of the Bluegrass, called an act of vandalism at the UK Jewish Center over the weekend an "apparent hate crime."
In a statement issued to media outlets Monday, Litvin said Lexington Police are investigating after the center's sign and Menorah were damaged.
"Unfortunately, this is the fourth time our sign has been defaced," Litvin told LEX 18 in a Zoom interview Monday.
Litvin noted that this incident comes amidst a string of apparent anti-semitic attacks against Jewish centers across the country, including an arson attack against the University of Delaware Chabad Center in August.
"It's coming within the month of the U.S. election," Litvin said. "It's coming on the anniversary of Kristallnacht--the 'Night of Broken Glass'--which began the crackdown of Jews in Nazi Germany. I don't think any of this is a coincidence."
While extremists across the country might feel emboldened to act on their hate, Rabbi Litvin believes the ideologies of hate are a dying breed.
"What they're hoping comes out of this is fear and intimidation," he said. "And it is in no way going to happen."
