The shocking desecration of 57 gravestones at Westlawn Jewish Cemetery in Norridge with swastikas and other common neo-Nazi slogans offers a stark reminder of the power of hate symbols and their ability, through even a simple act of vandalism, to sow a deep sense of fear within a community.

Hate symbols have long been an essential weapon in the arsenal of anti-Semites and white supremacists.

The messages conveyed by symbols such as the Nazi swastika are obvious and well known, and their impact is visceral.  Many other symbols, however, including the various cryptic messages painted on the gravestones in Norridge, are less well known except within extremist circles, giving those who use and understand them a sense of power and belonging within their narrowly circumscribed community.

On some of the graves, the perpetrators used the ancient Runic alphabet of pre-Roman Europe, later appropriated by the Nazis to convey hate-filled messages.  These include the Othala Rune and Wolfsangel, two ancient symbols currently used globally by neo-Nazis and white supremacists.  The Nazis equated Jews with wolves.  The Wolfsangel was adopted by units of the Waffen SS during World War II and was believed to ward off wolves and, by extension, Jews.

The vandals also used "88," symbolizing the eighth letter of the alphabet and shorthand for "Heil Hitler."  Other graves were daubed with the number 14, which symbolizes the 14-word slogan adopted by the notorious white supremacist David Lane: "We must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children."

These and other symbols have become an essential part of the lexicon of anti-Semites and other extremists.  Their appearance in an unprotected cemetery is hardly surprising, since similar incidents are reported every year within the United States, and dozens of Jewish cemeteries are targeted annually across Europe.  Cemeteries are easy targets.  Yet every attack on a Jewish community is a reminder that anti-Semitism still exists, even in America, and that we must remain vigilant in response to the threat.

It is also important to understand, from the perspective of this risk, the potential message being telegraphed through these symbols by the anti-Semites who use them to likeminded bigots, and its implicit dangers.

Any time we see the emergence of hate on a scale like this, efforts must be redoubled to ensure that the haters do not get the upper hand.  This requires a vigilance at every level of society, from the law enforcement officials investigating the crime, to the public officials speaking out against the act and to religious and community leaders of every faith making clear that anti-Semitism has no place in our community.  In this case, we were blessed with a response that was exemplary at every level.

We are fortunate to live in a tolerant and open community that rejects bigotry, that our community leaders will not hesitate to speak out when called upon, and that our law enforcement officials have taken the investigation seriously.  All together, this sends a powerful message to the bigots that their brand of anti-Semitism is not wanted here.

We must now use this isolated act as an opportunity to become better aware of hate symbols – their message, appearance, and meaning.  They can tell us a lot about the people who use them.  Parole officers, law enforcement officials, community leaders, educators and others who deal with young people prone to criminal behavior should have a working understanding of and familiarity with hate symbols in order to better identify those in our society who are infected with hate, and to intervene before it is too late.

Hate symbols serve as an ideological tool for racists.  Their use of symbols proves to themselves and others that they are not powerless and helps to telegraph a message to their fellow haters that this behavior is a necessary, and even desirable, means to promote their beliefs.  Some bigots may even see it as a way for young recruits to earn their stripes into the hate movement.

We must now be on the watch for copycat incidents, not just locally but across the country.  We cannot rule out the possibility that the haters who committed this attack were motivated by other recent acts, such as the well-publicized desecration of a Jewish cemetery in New Brunswick, New Jersey, in which nearly 500 gravestones were toppled and smashed.  That unconscionable act, like the attack in Norridge, was widely celebrated by white supremacists and other extremists on the Internet and could inspire others to act in a similar vein.

Attacks such as these, if left unpunished, can inspire others to commit more violent expressions of hate.

We know from recent history that it takes only one individual with hate in his or her heart to have terrible and deadly consequences.

The horrific July 4, 1999 attack in which hate-group activist Benjamin Smith went on a racially motivated shooting spree, killing two and seriously injuring eight other people in Indiana and Illinois, including six Chicago-area Jews leaving Sabbath evening synagogue services, is still fresh in our memories.  So, too, is the 2006 shooting attack at the Seattle Jewish Federation that left one woman dead and several others wounded.  These attacks were carried out without warning by individuals who were inspired by a similar message of hate.

Yet in the aftermath of hate we also must be realistic.  One attack on an open area with identifiably Jewish markers should not cause us to panic.  These acts do not represent the views of the majority of Chicagoans, and in fact most reject this kind of hate as anathema to the values of our community.

The Anti-Defamation League, founded in 1913, is the world's leading organization fighting anti-Semitism through programs and services that counteract hatred, prejudice and bigotry.