While differing in their approaches to Jewish thought and practice, Baltimore Hebrew Congregation and Suburban Orthodox-Toras Chaim share a property line and have been neighbors in good standing for nearly six decades.
Last night, Dec. 28, both synagogues also shared being victims of anti-Israel and antisemitic property destruction.
At Suburban Orthodox at 7504 Seven Mile Lane, a large Israeli flag hung from the scaffolding of a building under construction on the congregation’s property was slashed. Meanwhile, only three weeks after a pair of pro-Israel lawn signs were vandalized and destroyed on BHC’s property, the replacements were also defaced.
Congregational leaders said Baltimore County Police believe that the incidents are likely related.
At a press conference on Friday afternoon, Dec. 29, BHC’s Rabbi Andrew Busch and Howard Libit, executive director of the Baltimore Jewish Council, said a security camera was installed by police and the Shomrim volunteer safety patrol at the corner of Park Heights and Slade avenues to provide surveillance of the signs after the first incident.
But they were not certain if the footage revealed the perpetrators or if there were any leads in the case.
“Our resources are limited and the reality is that it’s more important to protect people than signs,” Libit said. “It’s hard to watch this corner 24/7.”
He and Rabbi Busch said the damaged signs — which proclaim “We Stand with the People of Israel” and “Bring the Hostages Home” — will remain on display on the BHC campus at 7401 Park Heights Avenue until replacements are installed at the start of the new year. They said police will continue to monitor the corner.
BHC’s Cantor Ben Ellerin said congregational leaders knew there was a good probability that the signs would be defaced again but they will not be deterred from their right to express concern about Israel and the hostages in Gaza.
“Someone is trying to communicate to us, someone who has experienced fear and hatred and is externalizing it,” he said. “But [the signs are] a statement of our values to continue to show, outwardly and inwardly, our support and solidarity. Unfortunately, this is a message of violence. I just wish there was a real opportunity to have a dialogue with this individual.”
Meanwhile, Rabbi Shmuel Silber of Suburban Orthodox said congregants found their shul’s Israeli flag slashed while going to morning Torah study and texted him a photo. An American flag above the Israeli flag on the scaffolding was not harmed.
Since the Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attacks and subsequent war in Gaza, Rabbi Silber said a couple of signs on his synagogue’s property were stolen and a few congregants walking to services were called “unsavory slurs” by passersby.
“Unfortunately, we’ve seen an uptick in antisemitism around the country,” he said. “We look at [property destruction] as an act of cowardice. These people sneak in in the middle of the night and don’t have the backbone or courage to face us face-to-face. It hurts and it’s sad because we are proud citizens of this country, and one of the things we value most is the freedom of expression and the freedom of religion. We hang the American flag because we are proud citizens of this great nation, and we hang the Israeli flag because we are proud Jews.
“That someone would be so insecure, so cowardly, to destroy our property and deface the flag of the state of Israel is sad and pathetic, but it strengthens our resolve,” he said. “Whoever did this was a coward. You’ve strengthened our resolve. You’ve achieved nothing.”
Rabbi Silber said he first learned about the second round of sign defacements at BHC through a joint email with police.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if everything is related somehow,” he said. “When the first incident happened at Baltimore Hebrew [on Dec. 10], I was in Israel. Rabbi Busch had emailed me about it, since we have a good relationship and we’re neighbors. I was heartbroken. The perpetrators of these acts think they can scare us and weaken us. What’s incredible is that it has the opposite effect. It galvanizes us. It reinforces our resolve — Baltimore Hebrew, us, we’ve all been combatting this for 2,000 years. Everyone that tried to break us is long gone, but we’re still here.
“Whoever did this will also disappear into the sands of time. We’ll still be here.”
Rabbi Silber said his congregation will replace the slashed Israeli flag as soon as possible.
“A flag this big, you can’t really pick up at a local [store], it’s a special order,” he said. “As soon as it’s in, we’re going to hang it again with a special ceremony around it. … The current war in Israel and in Gaza elicits a whole multiplicity of views. As proud Jews, we obviously stand behind the state of Israel and the actions of the Israel Defense Forces and believe they are waging a just and appropriate war, not just for the state of Israel but for humanity. The war against Hamas is a war against evil in its purest form.”
The remaining 6,000 members of the community are expected to immigrate by 2030.
The Columbia resident worked on the Gemini and Apollo space missions.
Israel is increasingly reliant on foreign workers, hundreds of whom moved into the dilapidated building during the Iran war.
A St. Louis native, Edelman served as ambassador to the central African nation from 1987 to 1989.