There has been a slew of recent attacks on Jewish targets at Indiana University.
This past week, there were some fairly serious rock throwing incidents. One was thrown through the window of an apartment above the Chabad Jewish student center, located just off campus. Three women were inside the apartment when the rock came through the upstairs window and hit hard enough to put a hole in the drywall. A rock was thrown through the sanctuary window of the same building a few days ago.
The Hillel center on campus was also a target.
In another incident, a rock smashed the glass display case for the Robert A. and Sandra B. Borns Jewish Studies Program on the University grounds.
Last week, eight religious volumes in Hebrew were removed from the shelves at a University library and urinated on in eight different bathrooms in the library area.
While no students have formally approached his office, Dean of Students Pete Goldsmith said he and his office are reaching out to the Jewish community at the University.
“It’s something that shouldn’t happen in the university community,” Goldsmith told the Indiana Daily Student newspaper. “It’s a place of tolerance.”
Bloomington police reportedly have a description of a suspect, allegedly seen at the site of one of the incidents. He's described as a bearded male aged 40 to 50.
The coordinated rock throwing and the urination incident probably means that there's more than one person involved, and given the nature of the attacks - particularly the urination on Jewish holy texts - I'd start looking here if I were investigating this.
Oh, and the large rock thrown last week through the window of the Chabad House? The Jews used it as part of the foundation for the 12-foot Chabad menorah erected there.
”The very rock that was thrown at us to intimidate, we will use to illuminate,” Rabbi Yehoshua Chincholker from Chabad said.
All in all, a totally appropriate response, I think.
(Graphic cheerfully swiped from Snoopy)
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