A school in Glen Rock, New Jersey was targeted with anti-Semitic graffiti on the eve of Yom Kippur.
Glen Rock High School officials said that a swastika was found carved into a classroom desk on Wednesday morning, reported Patch.
The desk was immediately removed from the classroom.
The incident was reported to the police, with the fact that the defacement occurred during the High Holy Days noted.
Local officials were quick to condemn the incident.
Glen Rock Mayor Kristine Morieko and the city council released a joint statement condemning the incident.
“The mayor and council were saddened, angered, and embarrassed to hear about the bias incident that occurred today at Glen Rock High School,” they wrote.
“Hate and intolerance have no home in our Borough. We stand with the Glen Rock Public Schools in condemning this behavior and any action that makes a person feel less safe, less welcome, and less protected in our community.”
They added that they stood “proudly” with the Jewish community during Yom Kippur.
“These are our friends, our neighbors, and often the first to stand up for others when they are under duress… We stand with you always. An attack on one is an attack on us all,” they said.
New Jersey Congressman Josh Gottheimer, who represents the area, called the incident “unacceptable.”
"It is deeply upsetting that such a horrible display of anti-Semitism occurred just before Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish calendar," said Gottheimer. "Students deserve to be able to feel safe at school, not fearful of acts of hate.”
The school district released a statement saying that they are attempting to identify the vandal by interviewing students and reviewing security camera footage.
(Arutz Sheva’s North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Arutz Sheva articles, however, is Israeli time.)