Vandalism in the Mount Carmel Cemetery in Philadelphia
Vandalism in the Mount Carmel Cemetery in PhiladelphiaReuters

Hundreds of people turned out on Thursday for a "Stand Against Hate" rally at Independence Mall in Philadelphia, following the recent vandalism of a Jewish cemetery and hate crimes around the country.

The local Jewish federation said it organized the rally to "restore a sense of security and peace to our community", reported The Associated Press.

More than 100 headstones were damaged over the weekend at the Mount Carmel Cemetery in Philadelphia, the second such incident against a Jewish cemetery in less than two weeks.

Last week, more than 100 headstones at the Chesed Shel Emeth Cemetery near St. Louis were vandalized in a similar incident.

In addition, Jewish community centers and schools have been targeted with false bomb threats.

On Monday, at least 10 Jewish community centers and Jewish day schools across the United States received bomb threats, the fifth wave of such threats in less than two months.

At Thursday’s rally, Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf called the cemetery vandalism the "the desecration of the values we all hold dear" and the bomb scares "threats against each and every one of us and our common humanity."