Community Rallies Around Graffitied Chabad Center

As police investigate what they call a “hate crime” at a Jewish center in Boise, Idaho, others in the community are trying to right the wrong.

“Obviously when we arrived, we were appalled,” said Rabbi Mendel Lifshitz, Director of the Chabad Jewish Center.

When the rabbi arrived at the center Saturday morning, he found graffiti on the outside reading, “Zionism = Racism“. Zionism is the movement toward creating a Jewish state in Israel.

”We’ve never had any type of anti-Semitic incidents like this in our past here in Idaho,“ Lifshitz said.

Boise Police agreed with Lifshitz that this is atypical of Boise and also that it’s graffiti. So they’re investigating it as a hate crime.

”In their words, less than 1 percent of the type of vandalism that they see is this type,“ said Lifshitz. ”So it’s really the exception. Which is, in a way, encouraging.“

What’s also been encouraging is the response, not just from his congregation and the Jewish community, but also from complete strangers.

”I’ve gotten calls from pastors of other churches here in the Valley, and from just people on the street,“ Lifshitz said. ”People stop by the door, and offer to help out. Jewish tradition teaches us that everything that happens in life must serve as a lesson. So, how can we gain from this? As the entire Boise and Idaho community, I think we can grow by coming together, and by standing strong against such type of atrocities.”

The location of the Chabad Jewish Center is off State, right near Veterans Memorial Parkway. Boise Police are currently investigating the incident, but they have not said if they have any leads or suspects at this time.