Officials: Swastikas found at UConn on Passover

“The UConn community has witnessed a disturbing increase in anti-Semitic incidents this academic year.” The university’s chapter of Hillel

UConn is investigating after anti-Semitic graffiti was found during Passover, officials said.

On Saturday, the first day of Passover, a passerby informed university officials that a swastika had been spray-painted on the side of the chemistry building at UConn’s Storrs campus.

A few days later, another swastika was found spraypainted on the campus’ Philip E. Austin Building, officials said.

“The UConn community has witnessed a disturbing increase in anti-Semitic incidents this academic year,” the university’s chapter of Hillel, a Jewish organization, said in a statement. “Since the beginning of Pesach [Passover] alone, there have been reports of swastikas and ‘SS’ graffiti on two academic buildings near Hillel as well as verbal harassment of a Jewish student.”

“Our campus Jewish community is experiencing outrage, sadness and fear as we respond to these hateful acts,” the statement said.

A university spokesperson said that “UConn Police documented the graffiti in both cases and are actively investigating.”

There were also “deeply offensive comments directed at members of the LGBTQ community, among others,” according to a statement from UConn president Tom Katsouleas, though he did not elaborate about the nature of those comments.

A month earlier, in February, a swastika was found on the wall of a men’s bathroom, along with what university student news site The Daily Campus called “an antiBlack racial slur.”

“In the past academic year, there have been seven anti-Semitic incidents, three of which have happened during the ongoing Jewish holiday, Passover,” said Avital Sutin, vice president of UConn’s Hillel chapter. “Each incident has gotten bolder and caught more attention of the student body and the school administration, but it is not enough.”

Though Sutin said there is not way to know yet if the incidents were connected, she hoped that it was a single individual.

“There’s almost a hope among some people that it’s one student,” she said. “No one wants to believe there is widespread anti-Semitism among their peers.”

Katsouleas’ statement condemned the incidents.

“Our disappointment is matched only by our concern,” Katsouleas said.

“Any such attack on students, faculty or staff members is totally unacceptable and has no place at this university.”

Jewish students on campus have scheduled a “Solidarity Gathering” to fight anti-Semitism 3:30 p.m. on Monday, April 5.

“The best way to combat anti-Semitic incidents on campus is for our community to stand strong and united and to loudly and unequivocally speak out against hate,” the Hillel statement said.