Hebrew Discovery Center before the attack Image by @HebrewDiscoveryCenter

A synagogue in Southern California was vandalized with white paint, one of several attacks on the congregation in recent years, the Jewish Journal reported Tuesday.

Rabbi Nathan Louie discovered that vandals had splattered white paint over the entrance of the Hebrew Discovery Center in Woodland Hills on Sunday morning. He said the perpetrators attempted to write something with the paint until passerby called the police and they fled.

Louie described the incident as a “hate crime” that left the community “violated,” and predicted the damages would cost the synagogue $10,000. He vowed to increase security measures, including hiring an extra security guard and only permitting members to enter the space.

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The rabbi also claimed that vandalism had occurred in 2016 and 2018, when someone entered the synagogue and began shouting that they wanted to “kill the Jews.”

Anti-Defamation League official Matthew Friedman told the Jewish Journal that the incident sends “sends an intimidating message to the Jewish community, specifically at synagogue.”

California has seen rising reports of anti-Semitism in recent years, as has the United States in general.

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