TORONTO, – B'nai Brith Canada has condemned the desecration of the Jewish cemetery in Victoria, British Columbia that took place this last weekend while Canadians celebrated the new year. Five grave-sites were defaced with swastikas and other symbols of hatred. Congregation Emanu-El is housed in a heritage building and is Canada's oldest continuously operating synagogue. The cemetery associated with this proud congregation opened in the 1860's and was the province's first Jewish cemetery.
Frank Dimant, CEO of B'nai Brith Canada commented, "In May 2010, a Victoria playground was defaced with swastikas and antisemitic slurs shortly after a communal celebration there. Now we learn of this act of desecration at the nearby burial site where in fact many survivors of the Holocaust have been laid to rest. We trust that British Columbia police will investigate this hate crime with all due diligence to identify the perpetrators as the work to clean away this ugliness begins.
