Supporters rally for college after vandalism
Following statements of support from Cincinnati’s mayor and a U.S. senator, a group gathered Wednesday on the campus of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in front of a sign that was painted with a large white swastika earlier this week.
In freezing temperatures, about 25 people held signs and cheered honking drivers on Clifton Avenue. The group was largely made up of people with Call to Action, a progressive Catholic organization.
Faith Kemper of Fort Wright, who organized the event, said she was sick to her stomach when she learned what had happened.
Faculty arrived on campus on Tuesday to find the Nazi symbol painted on a school sign.
College officials said a police report was filed. By noon, the symbol had been removed from the sign. The Enquirer has requested the police report from the Cincinnati Police Department.
“It’s become detached,” Kemper said of the swastika. “To those who have relatives who fought for this country’s freedom, we know that it’s a symbol of evil.”
Kemper said her father fought in World War II and said to her the swastika is symbol of the power hungry and hateful. She was joined by several members of her St. Monica-St. George Parish, whose church is on nearby McMillan Avenue. One carried a sign that said, “We support our Jewish neighbors.”
Margaret Quinn of Hyde Park held a sign that read, “Love Always Wins.” She said she thinks public racism is becoming more common.
“They feel emboldened,” Quinn said. “I think the (presidential) campaign gave people the idea that it’s alright to discriminate.”
The incident at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute for Religion comes on the heels of similar incidents throughout the country following November’s election, and the alleged vandalism of an interracial couple’s home in East Price Hill on Thanksgiving weekend.