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The Jewish community center Ohr Avner in Aurora, Colorado, was vandalized by a man who was caught on security cameras throwing rocks at the building’s windows and doors, shattering them. The incident occurred around 8:30 p.m. on Sunday, but authorities have yet to determine whether it was motivated by antisemitism.
Aurora police, who are investigating the case, said this is the most serious act of vandalism at the Jewish center since its founding 20 years ago.
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Vandalism of a Jewish center in Colorado
(Video: Aurora Police)
“The rabbi arrived at 6 a.m., saw the damage, and immediately called the police,” Yehuda Aminov, a representative of the community center, told FOX 31. “Everyone was very surprised. We left Russia, the former Soviet Union, in the 1990s to escape this kind of antisemitism.”
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Repairs at the center are already underway, according to Aminov. Despite the incident, he emphasized the resilience of the Jewish community: “Some people will love us, and some won’t. But if we stay together, strong and united as one people with one heart, we will endure.”
According to reports, the suspect did not enter the building or attempt to steal anything.
"We have a lot of holy books there that are worth a lot of money. They decided to break some windows, they decided to make our lives a little harder, but as a community we are going to go through this period, and we are going to rebuild, hopefully to do it better," Aminov said. "Unfortunately, these things happen. It was a strong reminder from the past."