‘Monstrous:’ Sydney synagogue, home hit with anti-Semitic graffiti a day after another was vandalised

Vandals have graffitied a synagogue in Sydney’s inner west overnight, a day after swastikas were sprayed on the Southern Sydney Synagogue in Allawah. Police were called to a home that was covered with graffiti on Henry St in Queens Park about 6.30am on Saturday. It was only an hour later they were notified the Newtown Synagogue on Georgina St had also been vandalised. Offensive comments were also written on a poster at Marrickville Rd in Marrickville, which police allege is a separate incident. A NSW Police spokesman said an investigation into the incidents has commenced. “The NSW Police Force takes hate crimes seriously and encourages anyone who is the victim of a hate crime or witnesses a hate crime to report the matter to police,” a spokesman said. “It is important that the community and police continue to work together to make NSW a safer place for everyone.” Heading up the Anti-Defamation Commission - a civil rights organisation against anti-Semitism and other forms of hatred - Dr Dvir Abramovich described the act as an unforgivable outrage and said immediate action should be taken. “To defile a synagogue—a place of worship, hope, and sanctuary—with the ultimate emblem of genocide and evil is nothing short of an attack on the very heart of our nation,” he said. “It’s an assault on every value we hold dear, and it screams that anti-Semitism is no longer hiding in the shadows — it’s out in the open, brazen and unashamed. “These swastikas, painted in malice, are not just symbols — they are bullets aimed at the soul of the Jewish community.” Dr Dvir said Holocaust survivors who rebuilt their lives in Australia now had to witness the symbols of their tormentors defacing their places of worship. “This isn’t just graffiti — it’s a gut-wrenching reminder that the same hatred that fuelled the extermination camps is still alive and kicking. “And make no mistake: this isn’t just a Jewish issue. This is an Australian issue. Because an attack on one community is an attack on all of us.” In the early hours of Friday, police discovered swastikas and anti-Semitic slurs had been sprayed on a synagogue in Sydney’s south while they were patrolling the area. Police released images of the people they allege spray-painted swastikas on the Southern Sydney Synagogue, which was described as a “monstrous act” by Premier Chris Minns. Southern Sydney Synagogue president George Foster told NewsWire it was distressing, upsetting and created uncertainty in the Jewish community. “The theory is it may not stop with just graffiti, it could move to violence, which has happened in other countries,” Mr Foster said. Premier Chris Minns has extended a $340,000 grant from the Premier’s Discretionary Fund to the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies to contribute towards enhanced security measures for their community. “I am aware that police are currently investigating offensive, antisemitic graffiti that was located on a home in Sydney’s east and on a synagogue in Newtown overnight,” he said. “Police have also released CCTV vision of the person alleged to have graffitied the Southern Sydney Synagogue yesterday. The premier labelled the acts “monstrous and appalling”. “Our message is clear - these acts designed to intimidate and divide will not work,” he said. “These people are determined to divide our community in two. “The Minns Labor government will continue to strengthen the laws protecting people’s right to worship safely as well as ensuring NSW Police have the resources they need to catch the people who commit these bastardly acts. “When parliament resumes this year, we’ll be introducing legislation that protects religious institutions and places of worship to prevents attempts to intimidate or stop religious people from practicing their faith.” Any witnesses are urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.