J Street Boston released the following statement in response to the vandalism of the New England Holocaust Memorial on August 14. All or part of this statement can be attributed to Shaina Wasserman, J Street New England Regional Director:

J Street Boston is outraged and horrified by yesterday’s act of vandalism at the New England Holocaust Memorial. A 17 year-old teenager has been accused of smashing a glass panel on one of the memorial’s six towers.

This is the second time that the memorial has been vandalized this summer, and follows on the heels of the defacement of headstones at a Jewish cemetery in Melrose a few weeks ago. This incident also comes just after the horrifying and violent display of hatred and anti-Semitism in Charlottesville this past weekend.

Taken together, these acts constitute a disturbing pattern. The singling out of Jewish sites for acts of destruction is unacceptable and our community cannot let it stand. We refuse to be cowed by these vile acts and are committed to working with the Greater Boston Jewish community to formulate a broader response and action plan. We thank Massachusetts’s elected officials, including Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey, for speaking out quickly and unequivocally in condemnation of this latest incident.

The heartening response by our allies in the city makes clear that we will come together to face down these acts of hatred and prejudice. We will do so with resolve and a commitment to our fundamental, Jewish and democratic values of tolerance and equality.