Sarasota, FL — July 28, 2010
Man caught spray-painting swastikas and other antisemitic graffiti at a synagogue in Sarasota, Florida, in July 2020. (Sarasota county sheriff’s office)
The StandWithUs Center for Combating Antisemitism (CCA) in partnership with the Mizel Family Foundation has offered a reward to the individual who supplied information that led the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office to identify the person believed to be responsible for the recent vandalism of Temple Sinai and Temple Emanu-el, provided there is a conviction. The vandalism, which included the spray painting of swastikas and antisemitic messages on the exteriors of the houses of worship, is being investigated and treated as a hate crime.
Carly Gammill, CCA director stated, “If this man is convicted of these antisemitic hate crimes, it will be SWU and the Mizel Family Foundation’s pleasure to offer a monetary reward to the person who exhibited the courage and determination to come forward with information that was instrumental in allowing justice to be served here. It is our hope that if and when other antisemitic hate crimes occur, those who have helpful information will demonstrate the same fortitude and join us as we combat this societal disease.”
We would also like to express our gratitude to the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office for their excellent work in the investigation of this hate crime. “It is a privilege to work in cooperation with law enforcement agents who take such matters seriously and work diligently to ensure the security of their community,” added Sara Gold Rafel, executive director of StandWithUs/Southeast, which includes Florida within the region it serves.
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About StandWithUs
StandWithUs (SWU) is an international, non-profit and non-partisan Israel education organization that works to inspire and educate people of all ages about Israel, as well as challenge misinformation and fight against antisemitism.
Through university fellowships, high school internships, middle school curricula, conferences, materials, social media, educational films and missions to Israel, StandWithUs supports people around the world who want to educate their schools and communities about Israel.
Founded in 2001 and headquartered in Los Angeles, the organization has chapters, and programs on 5 continents, including the U.S., Israel, UK, Canada, South Africa and Brazil.
For the last 7 years, SWU has consistently received the highest possible ratings from Charity Navigator (4 stars) and Guidestar (Platinum).
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