Progressive Manhattan synagogue vandalized with antisemitic symbols

The door of a progressive Jewish synagogue in Manhattan was defaced with antisemitic drawings and text, according to a post by one of its former members. Romemu, a unique Jewish community, is part of the Jewish Renewal movement in the Upper West Side, saw swastikas, a Star of David, and the letter K, many times, symbolizing the KKK, the Ku Klux Klan, an extreme-right wing antisemitic and racist movement. 

Benjamin Ryan Nathan, a film producer, published the photo on his Facebook page. "The synagogue I called home when I lived in NYC. For anyone still managing to question whether there’s really antisemitism occurring right now. Here it is.   May we all only know peace," he concluded.

The Jewish movement impacted by the hate

Romemu is a Jewish prayer community founded by Rabbi David Ingber in 2006 on the UWS of Manhattan. This intergenerational community, with over 1,500 members, focuses on spiritual engagement and is part of the Jewish Renewal movement. They offer Shabbat services, education courses, and a unique summer yeshiva program combining spirituality, mysticism, and traditional text study.

On Tuesday, the Romemu Facebook page updated that they hosted the father of one of Israel's abducted children. "On Friday night, the Romemu community had the zechut [privilege] to share Shabbat with Thomas Hand, the father of Emily Hand who was kidnapped from their home on October 7 and is currently being held hostage by Hamas. Friday was Emily's ninth birthday. Thomas generously shared some words with the community and joined the community for Shabbat dinner. "