The Jewish community of Krakow in Poland recently discovered that the grave of Sarah Schenirer, the founder of the Bais Yaakov religious school system for girls, had been desecrated.
Schenirer was a haredi schoolteacher who founded the first Bais Yaakov in Poland. She passed away in 1935.
The vandalism was discovered by residents of the city visiting the grave, who reported it to local authorities.
Meir Bolke, head of the J-nerations organization that works to preserve Jewish heritage in eastern Europe, said that the time has come to protect Jewish heritage sites in Poland.
He said that the place has been at risk for some time, but, “unfortunately, this spot in Płaszów is at risk, as people from the area like to come to meditate here.”
“We are working right now to restore the site and demand the police protect the area and bring the perpetrators to justice.”
This is not the first time the grave has been vandalized. In March 2010, antisemitic graffiti was sprayed on the Holocaust memorial monument at the nearby concentration camp of Płaszów. Among other things, the graffiti read "Hitler was good" and "Juden Raus" in red paint, along with swastikas and comments against Israel.