Tikvat Israel Congregation in Rockville was vandalized with hate graffiti last weekend, according to Montgomery County Police.
Swastikas and hate-based words were spray painted on the synagogue, which is located on Baltimore Road.
Besides swastikas, the suspect attempted to write Hitler’s name but misspelled it, according to Rabbi Marc Israel. “He spelled Hilter.”
During the early morning hours of March 28, a suspect drove to the synagogue’s parking lot. The suspect can be seen on surveillance cameras vandalizing the property.
In the one-minute-and-19-second video, the suspect, who is wearing a hat, can be seen spray painting several areas of the building.
The spray paint was removed Sunday. “It’s washed off. We were able to get it off,” Israel said.
“It’s horrifying, the level of hate that exists,” he said.
Following the incident, neighbors taped a painting on the synagogue door that reads, “You R Loved.”
That is the kind of community Rockville is, Israel said.
The synagogue is closed due to coronavirus, but some members walked by and noticed the vandalism, Israel said.
“Very few of our members were able to see it. It’s one of the few good things about COVID-19,” he said.
Anyone with information about the 1:28 a.m. March 28 incident should contact the 1st District Investigative Section of the MCPD at 240-773-6089.
For those who wish to be anonymous, Crime Solvers of Montgomery County is offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information that leads to an arrest of the suspect. Their number is 866-411-8477.
Suzanne Pollak is a Washington-area writer.
