Jacob Roitman of East Brunswick, a volunteer with the Chabad Jewish Center, dissembles the damaged menorah as a police officer takes a report on the vandalism. MONROE — Rabbi Eliezer Zaklikovsky of the Chabad Jewish Center of Monroe is hoping that whoever vandalized a menorah on public display will recognize the seriousness of their actions.
According to Monroe Township police, the large menorah, located at the Suburban Plaza Mall on Spotswood Englishtown Road, was damaged sometime between Dec. 24 and Jan. 9, when the incident was reported to authorities.
Several arms of the 7-foottall aluminum menorah were bent over, and all of the bulbs were broken, according to the police report.
Rabbi Zaklikovsky told the Sentinel that he would forgive those responsible and he hopes they realize the message of the menorah.
“If there’s sincere regret and some sort of remorse and understanding of the meaning of this act, and a good resolution to make sure this doesn’t happen again, then of course we would forgive,” he said.
“I think the message of the menorah is just that: Religious freedom and religious tolerance, and light over darkness, and we hope those who did it will think about the message of the very item that they desecrated and try to take it to heart to allow them to live a better life and allow the message to get to others,” he added.
Rabbi Zaklikovsky said his organization had not experienced any form of vandalism in the nine years since it opened in Monroe.
“It’s a sad thing that something that was placed in the community for the purpose of spreading warmth and light would cause a negative response,” he said.
He said the vandalism will not deter public displays of the menorah during future holiday seasons, and they may even have a larger display in the future .
The incident is currently under investigation, and anyone with information is asked to contact the Monroe Township Police Department Detective Bureau at 732-521-0222.