Jewish, Catholic Headstones Damaged In Rome Cemetery
Image by Flickr: Mishimoto
ROME (JTA) — Unidentified individuals damaged dozens of gravestones and memorials in both the Catholic and Jewish sections of one of Rome’s main cemeteries.
According to the Italian media, the damage was discovered Friday morning during an inspection before the Verano cemetery opened.
The culprits smashed or toppled crosses as well as Stars of David and damaged headstones, tombs, vases and memorial plaques. Newspaper reports said surveillance cameras had filmed what appeared to be several youths entering the cemetery during the night and then running through it smashing tombs.
In a statement, the Rome Jewish Community said it was too soon to determine if anti-Semitism had played a role in the incident.
“We are awaiting developments in the investigation by [law enforcement] to ascertain the causes and responsibility for this act,” it said.
A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.
At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.
Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
