The Barrie Examiner
Wed Dec 9 2009
Page: A5
Section: Editorial/Opinion

I am writing on behalf of the Am Shalom synagogue in regards to the recent episode of vandalism we experienced.

The feelings of shock and disgust that we noted on that Saturday morning in November when we arrived for our service will not soon be forgotten.

A swastika had been spray painted on the front of our building, in the center of a star of David. Ironically, we had just

finished commemorating Holocaust Education Week.

One of our young members already wrote to your newspaper about it, and your paper also reported the incident. Her school also suffered a similar desecration.

Since then, we have been gratified to note an outpouring of concern and support from the Barrie community. We at Am Shalom all agree that anti-Semitism has not yet been a major problem in this multicultural city of ours.

To all who expressed their concern about this unfortunate episode we would like to say ‘thank you’.

Especially at this time of year, we should all hope, pray, and work towards a time when we won’t have to worry about even a small hateful fringe.

We also should give thanks for the priceless gift of being able to live in such an overwhelmingly caring community.

Marc Brenner