Pasadena leaders through the weekend decried the hateful vandalism left on the Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center’s community mural, as temple officials vowed to restore the piece – a piece in itself made in the first place to celebrate a community’s resilience and hope.
Back in May, it was a bright, tangible image meant to show a community at its best: A golden orange poppy, a yellow butterfly and a peacock standing tall. The new mural celebrated the community rebuilding after the Eaton fire, even as one part of it continued to face anonymous hate.
Then, on Friday, July 24, spray-painted swastikas and anti-Zionist messaging was found on the mural on Altadena Drive, north of Washington Boulevard.
“I have no doubt that the intended purpose of the vandals, to sow division and distrust, will backfire, as messages of hate always inspire a community to unity and solidarity,” Pasadena Mayor Victor Gordo said in a written statement. “The immediate response of our community, that of love and compassion and inclusiveness, has already shown our quality.”
The defaced mural was created in May after a previous incident of anti-Zionist graffiti defaced one of the synagogue’s walls in January.
In a Monday, July 27, statement the Greater Los Angeles Area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations condemned the antisemitic vandalism.
“An attack on the Jewish community and its right to safety is an attack on all of us.” Executive Director Hussam Ayloush said in the statement. “Defacing a mural that symbolizes healing and resilience after devastating loss is an act of hatred that seeks to spread fear and deepen pain. Bigotry exploiting political events should be unequivocally condemned and rejected. Blaming and harassing Jewish community members for the actions of the Israeli government is antisemitic, immoral, and ignorant.”
Earlier this year, the temple marked the one-year anniversary of the Eaton fire, which destroyed the temple and center.
“It is truly disturbing and particularly cruel to spread hate and inflict fresh pain on the congregation of the Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center,” State Sen. Sasha Renée Pérez, D-Pasadena, said in a statement.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department is investigating the vandalism as a hate-motivated incident.
“The community mural is a representation of the strength of our community and our ability to overcome the many challenges and obstacles we have faced in the recent past, and it is distressing and disturbing to see a local symbol of hope and perseverance desecrated with hateful messaging,” Gordo said. “The sheriff’s department is conducting an investigation into this hate crime, and the perpetrators will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
Temple member Julia Grinblat said it was heartbreaking to see the new mural defaced.
Her 13-year-old daughter helped paint the mural and Grinblat said she doesn’t know how to answer her daughter’s questions about “why these people hate us.”
“As a community, we are stronger than this hate,” Grinblat said. “We will continue to gather together, celebrate, worship, and teach our children. We will continue to pray for peace and unity with all of our neighbors, just like we have for centuries.”
On Monday, there were clear signs of the blackened remnants of a hate-filled message.
But even with the blackened lettering diluted, resilience was concentrated and focused.
Theresa Brekan, operations manager at the temple, said the artist will return to do a full restoration of the mural.
“We tried cleaning most of it off yesterday, just us trying to clean it as best we could,” Brekan said Monday.