Oakland, CA – The largest menorah in Oakland has been destroyed and tossed into Lake Merritt in the middle of Hanukkah, setting off a search on Wednesday for the person behind this possible hate crime.
Authorities say the vandalism happened overnight and it comes as cases of antisemitism rise across the United States.
City crews cleaned up the debris and broken glass of the menorah. The base of the menorah has been thrown into the lake.
Police showed up Wednesday morning and started a police report of the incident.
The rabbi from the Chabad Center in Oakland says he received a text about the damage early Wednesday morning.
The menorah went up Sunday evening during big event from the city honoring Hanukkah.
Mayor Sheng Thao was there, as well as other city leaders, and many from the Oakland Jewish community.
The rabbi says there were some protesters chanting “Free Palestine” during the event, but they were still able to hold the ceremony.
But on Wednesday, the menorah is damaged, and the rabbi says he was distraught to hear the news.
“I would never imagine that the menorah, which is a symbol of light, would be something that someone would want to destroy it. I don’t know why. I know the air is toxic these days and it shouldn’t be that way,” said Rabbi Dovid Labkowski with the Chabad Jewish Center of Oakland.
Rabbi Labkowski was talking with Oakland police when the report was being filed.
He didn’t say if he knows of any suspects yet.
ABC7 News translated the Arabic words that were spray-painted around the edges of the amphitheater, which read “Free Palestine.”
Mayor Thao released a statement on X.
“Oakland’s Jewish community is an essential part of Oakland’s diversity and strength and the city of Oakland takes incidents like the vandalism of the Lake Merritt Menorah very seriously.”
