Reply
Thu 29 Dec, 2005 09:02 am
Santa Fe New Mexico 12/29/05
A local rabbi says anti-Semitism is behind the vandalism of a large Hanukkah menorah on Santa Fe's Plaza.
Branches on the menorah were twisted and bent Tuesday night, the glass tops on the candelabrum were thrown to the ground, and electrical wires were yanked out, said Rabbi Berel Levertov of Chabad Jewish Center .
The traditional Jewish symbol is salvageable , Levertov said, "but there was quite a bit of damage."
The $1,000 menorah ?- which measures about 6 1 /2 feet wide and 8 feet tall ?- could not be lighted Wednesday, though Levertov said he planned to repair and light it today. Hanukkah runs through Monday night.
A menorah has stood on the Plaza for the last six Hanukkahs with no problem, Levertov said. He believes the vandalism was an anti-Semitic act, he said, because the perpetrators could have chosen to rip down other holiday decorations in the area.
"I would hope the general public would condemn this along with the Jewish community," he said.
Two other menorahs in the city have been damaged in recent days, Levertov said. However, one that fell over a railing at the Genoveva Chavez Community Center was almost certainly an accident while the other, in the 600 block of Canyon Road, might have been caused by the wind, he said.
Santa Fe Mayor Larry Delgado, who helped light the menorah recently, condemned the vandalism Wednesday. "It's very disappointing that someone would do something like that in our city," he said. "It's just out-and-out vandalism, and it makes our town look bad."
Re: A christian nation
dyslexia wrote:
"I would hope the general public would condemn this along with the Jewish community," he said.
Sounds like they have their man.
Seconded here Phoenix. The thread's title would lead one to believe that Dys is attempting to link Christians to the act of vandalism against a jewish symbol. Just one more example of his (and others here) attempt to smear Christianity.
The vandals may well have been atheists or agnostics or Hindu or Buddhists or martians for that matter, but hey, why not try to connect them to Christians. You know, just for fun.
Anyway, hopefully they will be caught and fully prosecuted. Of course, I wonder why Dys did not rail about a religious symbol being on Santa Fe's plaza to begin with (I assume the plaza is government property). Just curious. Personally, I see no problem with it being there, but then, I'm not a liberal fearing that its being there is a sign that government is establishing a national religion. I'm just wondering is all.
CoastalRat wrote:Seconded here Phoenix. The thread's title would lead one to believe that Dys is attempting to link Christians to the act of vandalism against a jewish symbol. Just one more example of his (and others here) attempt to smear Christianity.
The vandals may well have been atheists or agnostics or Hindu or Buddhists or martians for that matter, but hey, why not try to connect them to Christians. You know, just for fun.
Anyway, hopefully they will be caught and fully prosecuted. Of course, I wonder why Dys did not rail about a religious symbol being on Santa Fe's plaza to begin with (I assume the plaza is government property). Just curious. Personally, I see no problem with it being there, but then, I'm not a liberal fearing that its being there is a sign that government is establishing a national religion. I'm just wondering is all.
It's actually unlikely they would be Buddhists, because Buddhists are tolerant of all religons. Hindus, I'm not too sure about. Agnostics definitely wouldn't, because they err on the side of caution.
Atheists, maybe, but it would seem strange that they wouldn't target the other religious symbols.
So that kinda leaves Christians, Muslims and of course anti-Israelis who are falsely conflating Judaism and Israel together (and of course, they can be of any faith). Oh yeah and possibly Hindus, because I'm not too sure about them.
Naw, I think you probably forgot about any number of groups. Plus, I've known one agnostic who vehemently hated jews. Hating a group of people is an irrational thing to do and I would contend has no connection at all to a person's view of whether or not God exists.
I'm guessing they're just idjits (and other, much more colorful words that I don't like repeating in mixed company). Of any stripe or variety.
And no, the menorah shouldn't have been in the town square (and I'm Jewish, as I will say for what seems like the umpteenth time -- sorry for impatience but there seem to be a lot of topics where I talk about my faith these days and, frankly, I find it overkill, but I digress). But since it was, it still shouldn't have been singled out.
Who cares what religion the perps were? Just apprehend 'em.
jespah
Why, pray tell should the manorah not be displayed in the town square along with the religious displays of other religions.
No, I mean that none of 'em should be there. No religious symbols. It has nothing to do with any fear re the gov't establishing religion. Personally, I just don't like the folks responsible for goodies like the Department of Motor Vehicles and New York's West Side Hwy to get their paws on anyone's religious symbols. They might force us to wait in line forever.
the plaza in santa fe is a remnent of the spanish colony days, the center of the town, a market area. Yeah, I think Hindus did this. DOH! I do agree that this was done by idiots and I also believe they are self-defined christians.
dyslexia
Regardless of who did the dirty deed it was undoubtedly an act of Anti-Semitism.
au1929 wrote:dyslexia
Regardless of who did the dirty deed it was undoubtedly an act of Anti-Semitism.
Yes, I think that's obvious.
CoastalRat wrote:Seconded here Phoenix. The thread's title would lead one to believe that Dys is attempting to link Christians to the act of vandalism against a jewish symbol. Just one more example of his (and others here) attempt to smear Christianity.
The vandals may well have been atheists or agnostics or Hindu or Buddhists or martians for that matter, but hey, why not try to connect them to Christians. You know, just for fun.
Anyway, hopefully they will be caught and fully prosecuted. Of course, I wonder why Dys did not rail about a religious symbol being on Santa Fe's plaza to begin with (I assume the plaza is government property). Just curious. Personally, I see no problem with it being there, but then, I'm not a liberal fearing that its being there is a sign that government is establishing a national religion. I'm just wondering is all.
I didn't have to write much. CoastalRat said what I would have said.
"Dys is attempting to link Christians to the act of vandalism against a jewish symbol."
Obviously I was not clear with my post, I am not attempting to link christians to this act of vandalism. I am directly offering that this was an act by christians of vandalism against a jewish symbol. Actually I have no greater feelings against christians than I have against jews or muslims. I just wonder why it is that you all religionists can't play nice with each other.
dyslexia wrote:". I just wonder why it is that you all religionists can't play nice with each other.
Perhaps it is because many of them make unwarranted assumptions and generalizations about tthe others, and often without any real evidence to back it up --- just as you have done in this thread.
And just as Wolf O'Donnel has done in his facile assumptions about what Buddhists, Hindus, Moslems, Christians, Agnostics, and Atheists might or might not do.
So George, we are talking Santa Fe New Mexico, what, honestly, do you think are the odds that this was not done by a self-identified christian?
Santa Fe is a fashionable place, and , as you undoubtedly know, it has grown significantly in the past two decades, mostly with an influx of 'anglos' with little connection to the original population. You can make any assumption you wish, but prejudgement is hardly the mark of the unbiased agnostic that you purport to be.
Geroge I have NEVER claimed "unbiased" or "agnostic"
Then I will retract the comment - noting however that none of us really knows who did the deeds in question, or what motivated them.
Stumble It!
Tweet This
Bookmark on Delicious
Share on Facebook
Share on MySpace