North Shore rallies against hate

LYNN – The good feeling and gratitude that came out of Friday morning’s unity rally at the Pride of Lynn Cemetery in the wake of the desecration of a World War II Holocaust memorial earlier this week may have taken away some of the sting from the incident in the eyes of area Jews, but the emotional wounds are still raw.”I feel that it was just disgusting,” Rhonda Gilberg, chair of the North Shore Advisory Committee of the New England Anti-Defamation League, said of Wednesday’s incident in which vandals put pieces of pork on the memorial. “I’m appalled at what occurred. I think that the people who committed this act were clearly committing a hateful crime. The ramifications of it are clearly something that’s intolerable and disrespectful. (The people who did this) are clearly ignorant.”The discovery occurred Tuesday evening as Natasha Soolkin of Swampscott and her daughter, Liz, visited their mother-in-law’s and grandmother’s grave. Julia Soolkin’s gravesite is located near the memorial standing in Pride of Lynn’s center.”My mother said, ?What are those stones doing on the memorial?’ When we looked closer, we had an immediate feeling of disgust. It was a defilement,” Liz Soolkin said.The 22-year-old Boston public relations representative said coming across anti-Semitism “in her own backyard” left her shaken and horrified.”Our first thought was to call the police and then the rabbi (Yossi Lipsker of Swampscott). He said, ?Don’t worry, I’m going to handle it,'” Liz Soolkin said.Almost immediately after the incident was reported, Friday’s rally was organized. And it included officials from several faiths and a crowd of more than 100.”(Friday), I thought, was an awesome gathering of community leaders, communities of different faiths and local clergy,” Gilberg said. “They all came out. It was very impressive.”They showed that these acts will not be tolerated,” she said, “and that if they do occur, the Lynn Police – in this case – will respond. Chief (Kevin) Coppinger was excellent. He understands the issue. (The police) came out and sent a message that if anyone commits an act that involves hate, they will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.”Lipsker, who Thursday termed the desecration “a vile gesture of hatred,” began the rally, and several people, including Mayor Judith Flanagan Kennedy and Richard Jakious of U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton’s staff, spoke. Jakious told the crowd that Moulton, who has been outspoken in his support of the Anti-Defamation League – which has offered a $1,500 reward for anything that leads to the arrest of those involved in the vandalism – and its objectives, was unable to attend, but that the congressman pretty much ordered him to be there.Also in attendance was state Rep. Lori Ehrlich of Marblehead, who did not speak. However, she said that she found the vandalism “puzzling and disgusting.””Clearly,” she said, “this was designed to offend. This (the memorial) is supposed to be a place of quiet reflection and respect for those who lost their lives. And of the survivors, there are so few of them who are still alive.”She was heartened, though by the response.”For such short notice,” she said, “I was thrilled to see such a huge interfaith turnout to condemn the desecration of the Holocaust Memorial. The huge crowd sent a clear message that intolerance is not what Lynn is about.”Gilberg said that those who may dismiss the incident have to look at the bigger picture.”Anti-Semitic acts have risen, globally and significantly over the past year,” she said. “We have to show the world that these things are reprehensible ? to send a message that if these acts are committed, they won’t be tolerated.”Lipsker said he felt dismayed and puzzled when he learned about the desecration.”I couldn’t believe that somebody had gone so far out of their way to hurt; to cause hate,” Lipsker said Friday. He noted the incident was particularly hurtful to the local Russian Jewish community whose ancestors were buried in the cemete