Community shocked by anti-Semitic vandalism

An IU student experienced feelings of anger, shock and disbelief as he learned exactly what it felt like to become the target of a hate crime. \nSometime between 7:30 and 10 p.m. Monday, his car was vandalized -- covered in red spray-painted swastikas and the word "Jew" splashed on the side.\nThe student, who is an active member of the Helene G. Simon Hillel Center, was advised by his roommate that someone had spray painted his car, and he later reported the incident to the Bloomington Police Department. The victim asked that his name be withheld. \n"My first thought was 'who would do such a thing,'" he said. "After thinking about what it actually symbolized and how I really felt, I was just pissed and angry that someone would be this distasteful and inhumane in their hatred. It's just sickening." \nThe student said the incident has left him and those he knows in shock.\n"The word that everyone uses is 'disgusting,'" he said. "People at Hillel, from what I understand, are beside themselves. My friends and peers are disgusted at this. There's no other reaction besides how horrific it is."\nThe student said he cannot understand the reasoning behind the hate. \n"You know it doesn't surprise me. There are some sick, sick individuals out there who need some serious help," he said. \nThe student said while events like this may happen frequently, he never believed it could happen to him.\n"This is the type of thing you see in a newspaper, Web site or TV and radio," he said. "This is not something that happens in Bloomington and especially not something that I thought happened to a regular Jewish kid from Maryland. I haven't done anything to deserve this."\nHillel Assistant Director Jessie Mallor said the incident might have been isolated but it has affected a wide variety of people.\n"I, personally, am shaken by the event, and I think we all feel shaken," Mallor said. "Everyone in the community feels affected because we know that it could have been any of us, and that's definitely a scary feeling."\nHillel is holding an event to decry the hate crime and promote solidarity today at 5:30 p.m.\nThe student said he has no understanding of why he became a targeted victim.\n"If someone has that big of a problem with me, confront me," he said. "Don't do something like this. Six million people didn't die for you to throw a swastika on my car." \nHillel Program Director Andy Gitelson said the incident might make students quite uneasy.\n"I think it makes some people in the Jewish community very nervous, but the bigger effect is on the campus community as a whole," Gitelson said. "I think more than anything, it's a sad commentary on the fact that there are still people out there that feel this is the way to get their beliefs across. I think it's sad that things like this are still happening today in the year 2004 -- post-Holocaust."\nAs word spread, members of the community offered their support to the IU Hillel Center as well as to the Bloomington Jewish community as a whole.\n"The incident is very upsetting, but to see the outpouring of community support, it definitely strengthens our community to have so many people who are standing up and saying this isn't right," said Hillel Director Rabbi Sue Shifron. "There was a statement from the religious leaders of support and a statement from the University as well. Everybody across the board was really concerned and really trying to voice their support for Jewish students, and it's been extremely appreciated."\nRabbi Shifron said though she has been in Bloomington for about 15 years, it has been a long time since she has seen an incident like this.\n"There have been occasional swastikas on campus," she said. "There has even been hate messages on bulletin boards, which are all horrible, but it's been a long time since this type of vicious targeted hate crime has occurred."\nMallor said she hopes, despite the impact of the incident, students remain strong.\n"I wouldn't want students to be scared," she said. "I understand the reaction, but that's exactly the type of reaction they want you to have -- they want you to be afraid. The best thing we can do as a community is show them that we will respond and they don't have to be afraid."\nShifron said she hopes to see a positive solution.\n"It's a horrible incident, but I think the outpouring of support shows there are many people in Bloomington that are good, willing supporters, friends, colleagues and who really understand," Shifron said. "We should take this as a real opportunity for people to build community out of a bad situation."\n-- Contact staff writer Mallory Simon at mgsimon@indiana.edu.