Hate crime mars Pride of Lynn

LYNN – A local rabbi called the dumping of three pieces of pork Wednesday onto the Holocaust memorial at Pride of Lynn Cemetery – a Jewish cemetery – “a vile gesture of hatred.”And Lynn Police said Thursday that the vandalism was being investigated as a hate crime.Rabbi Yossi Lipsker, co-director of Chabad Lubavitch of the North Shore, said the incident is highly offensive to the Jewish tradition.?The Jewish community is understandably horrified at this vile gesture of hatred,” he said. “Placing large chunks of pork at the foot of our local Holocaust memorial is a twisted gesture, calculated to cause deep shock. The local community (will gather) to send a clear message of zero tolerance to these kinds of acts. Not here. Not now. Not ever!”Members of the Jewish community, as well as clergy from all faiths, will be holding a peace rally at the cemetery at 10 a.m. today.?We will simply not tolerate hatred in our community,” Lipsker said. “I think it?s important for people to stand together and make a very clear message about that.”Lt. Rick Donnelly met with detectives Thursday afternoon to investigate the case further.?I can tell you that there is an active investigation being conducted by the Lynn Police Department,” he said, “and we are treating this incident as a hate crime.”Millie Naseck Madoff of Lynnfield visited Pride of Lynn Thursday afternoon with her husband, Irwin. Three of her grandparents as well as other family members are buried in the cemetery located at the end of Lake Shore Road. She said she visits the cemetery often for the sense of peace it gives her to be near family members.She called the report of pork placed at the foot of the Holocaust memorial located in the cemetery?s center “beneath thinking” and called it a gesture of disrespect to all the deceased buried in the cemetery who followed their religious tenets and kept kosher all their lives.?It?s a shame something like this had to happen,” added Irwin Madoff.Millie Madoff thinks anti-Semitism is on the rise.?It?s dismaying: There is more intolerance in every strata of society.” Mille Madoff said.The memorial is a small obelisk reachable up a short set of stone stairs. Carvings on it include a Star of David and an inscription, “Erected to the memory of our people, victims of Nazi atrocities 1933-1945, who did not find their final resting place.”John Walsh, assistant executive director of the Catholic Cemetery Association, Inc., was also saddened by the news.?I feel badly for the people involved,” he said. “I wish it had never happened. It?s awful.”The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) strongly condemned the vandalism.?We are appalled by this apparent act of hate on a religious community burial ground and Holocaust memorial,” said Robert O. Trestan, ADL New England Regional Director. “Cemeteries represent sacred ground in every community and an attack like this inflicts pain on everyone, warranting people of all faiths to denounce and speak out against this disgusting act. We commend Lynn Police Chief Kevin Coppinger for his commitment to thoroughly investigate this senseless crime and make it clear that these acts will not be tolerated or ignored.”Thor Jourgensen contributed to this report.