From JTA, staff reports
The Chabad Jewish student center at Texas A&M plans to replace this sign, which was vandalized and stolen this past weekend.
Submitted photo
A sign identifying the Chabad Jewish student center at Texas A&M University was vandalized and then stolen this past weekend.
An unknown vandal was caught on a surveillance camera kicking and knocking down the sign, and then returning to steal it, the local media reported. The incident occurred between 3 a.m. and 7:30 a.m. Sunday.
The incident is not being investigated as a hate crime, but the head of the Chabad center, Rabbi Yossi Lazaroff, told the local news station KBTX that he believes the Jewish center was targeted.
“This is the first time something like this has happened in the 10 years since we have been here,” Lazaroff said to the TJP. “I do not believe there is a campus community in the nation that is more respectful towards the Jewish people and Israel. Texas A&M University is a top-tier university with students that are some of the most respectful people I have ever met.”
A crowdfunding page was launched Sunday to raise money for what Lazaroff said will be a bigger and better-lit sign. At press deadline, almost $6,000 of the $10,000 goal had been raised.
