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Posted: May 9, 2002
The Anti-Defamation League and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms have jointly offered a $10,000 reward for any individual supplying information that leads to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the arson attack against a synagogue in Oakland, California. Police have described the May 4 attack as an apparent hate crime.
The suspicious fire was set at the Beth Jacob Congregation. The fire, which damaged a 20-by-10 foot section of the back wall of the congregation, comes on the heels of a recent dramatic increase in anti-Semitic incidents in the Bay Area. Since the start of this year, ADL's San Francisco Office has tracked more than 50 incidents and crimes against Jewish individuals and institutions.
ADL is urging the community to speak out against this act targeting a religious institution. "It is important that the entire community send a strong message to those who advocate hatred," said Jonathan Bernstein, ADL Regional Director. "Acts of religious intimidation will backfire by uniting the entire community against hatred."
At a May 7 news conference at the synagogue, city leaders and community representatives, including Oakland City Attorney John Russo, City Councilman Danny Wan and Police Capt. Ralph Lacer, called on the community to report all hate crimes and to speak out against attacks against houses of worship.
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