Post by crudo on Feb 21, 2006 12:46:08 GMT -5
Won't wait for a hate attack
Houses of faith take steps for security, pray for culprit
JOAN BARNETT LEE/THE BEE
Laura Biewer is the executive director at Congregation Beth Shalom in Modesto. She stands near a window in the synagogue that was broken by vandals, one of four such incidents at the synagogue in three months.
JOAN BARNETT LEE/THE BEE
Proving motive to gain conviction difficult
JOAN BARNETT LEE/THE BEE
Laura Biewer stands in front of a sign that is missing one Hebrew letter in the message: 'The Lord is our God. The Lord is one.' The synagogue has been vandalized four times in three months.
JOAN BARNETT LEE/THE BEE
By MERRILL BALASSONE and AMY WHITE
BEE STAFF WRITERS
Last Updated: February 21, 2006, 05:59:55 AM PST
Nearly three weeks after vandals defaced three Modesto houses of worship, the investigation has gone nowhere.
"As far as I have been told, we don't have any leads we are checking," said officer Rick Applegate, a Modesto Police Department spokesman. "The investigation is stagnant unless someone gives up some information."
Police believe the same attackers hit the Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation, Congregation Beth Shalom and Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church on Feb. 3 or early Feb. 4, breaking windows and painting anti-religious graffiti.
Police said they are investigating the incidents as hate crimes because the symbols and slurs targeted particular religions.
Although the investigation has come up empty, members of the community — from clerics to neighbors — are coming together. They have planned neighborhood watch meetings and a community event to combat hate.
Some have grown stronger in their faith. Still, many wonder how something like this could happen.
When Laura Biewer stepped into the foyer of Beth Shalom three Fridays ago, what she saw shocked her.
Light shining through the windows of the synagogue's sanctuary illuminated a crossed-out Star of David and a swastika spray-painted on the glass.
Biewer was sickened by the vandalism, which included anti-Semitic messages painted on the outside walls.
"Why would someone want to put those messages on a religious building?" asked Biewer, 45, the executive director at Beth Shalom. "I felt violated."
The incident was the fourth at the synagogue in three months. In early November, congregation members arrived to find gang and anti-Semitic graffiti on an outside wall, Biewer said. Members removed the graffiti, but a few days later, vandals struck again.
Police said the incident was one of five hate crimes investigated last year.
According to the police report, Rabbi Paul Gordon described the event as "a serious threat toward the Jewish community." The case has been suspended because there are no further leads to follow, Applegate said.
In January, a Hebrew letter was removed from a sign on the synagogue and used to crack a nearby window, Biewer said.
But what she found this month — swastikas and "Back 2 the Ovens" spray-painted on the synagogue's brick walls — was the worst yet.
The recent offenses were the first at Beth Shalom in about 10years, said Biewer, who wonders what prompted the attacks, and why there has been a recent uptick in this activity.
"What changed?" she asked.
An open target?
Some Modesto church officials say they expect to be hit by vandalism on occasion because it is a growing problem in the area.
Yet religious hate crimes, specifically those against churches, temples and synagogues, aren't common.
In 2004, the most recent year for which the FBI has compiled statistics, religiously motivated crimes made up 16 percent of the 9,035 hate crimes committed nationwide. Of those, only a small number were acts against the buildings.
Race-related hate crimes ranked No. 1, ahead of religion by a wide margin.
In the six Northern San Joaquin Valley and foothill cities tracked by the FBI, Modesto, Sonora and Stockton each reported one religiously motivated hate crime. Turlock, Manteca and Riverbank reported none.
In April, thieves broke a large statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe from its base outside a Lathrop Catholic church.
"In some ways, the church is a fairly easy target because we don't post heavy security, and a lot of churches aren't heavily alarmed," said the Rev. Dean McFalls of Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church. "If somebody has a complaint about God or with the church hierarchy, or if they don't have the fear of God in their heart, they might choose to do something."
Religious leaders wonder how to find the balance between protecting their properties and congregations and remaining open to the community — between spending money on security and using it to serve others.
"The community needs to know that the house of God awaits them with open arms," McFalls said. "But at the same time, we value the integrity of that building and the images or articles that are inside the building enough to lock it up when the likelihood is greater that someone would enter just to do harm."
Because of the Feb. 3 incidents, Beth Shalom is installing secu-rity cameras and additional lighting at an estimated cost of $7,000, Biewer said. More than $2,000 will be spent to replace a cracked window and for materials to clean off the graffiti.
At the Greek Orthodox Church, where vandals drove across the lawn, painted "666" and splashed a satanic symbol across the tile steps, officials plan to install more lights and get bids on a surveillance system, which could cost $7,000 to $10,000, according to the Rev. Jon Magoulias.
"It's money that could be spent for members or used for ministries or helping people," he said. "But to protect the facility, we will probably have to go (this way)."
At Our Lady of Fatima, next door to Beth Shalom, vandals smashed a 7-foot window and spray-painted satanic symbols on the walls.
Replacing the damaged window cost about $350, said David Springer, the church's parish administrator. The church plans to install security cameras as well, he said.
Officials with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Stockton, to which Our Lady of Fatima belongs, had no general statement about the vandalism.
"It's everyone's hope that it isjust (a one-time event), and not something that is going to bemore widespread," spokeswoman Sister Terry Davis said.
An uncommon act
As police await leads, one Modesto psychologist offered a profile of the vandals.
James Henman said he suspects deep emotional problems, like abuse, are often the root of such behavior by those committing the act.
"It tells you how disturbed the person is and how unaware they are of the problem inside," he said, "because that's not a joke, that's not a prank. You can't write that off as kids being kids. It crosses way too many lines."
Some young people grow accustomed to hateful attitudes and prejudices in their homes, feel above the law, or consider such actions part of their "right to express themselves," Henman said.
Magoulias said he feels the culprit(s) aims are mostly "to make their presence known."
FBI agent John Cauthen said high-profile crimes targeting religious institutions in Northern California have involved members of hate groups.
In 1999, three Sacramento synagogues were torched by two members of the white suprem-acy group World Church of the Creator, who became followers after reading about the group on the Internet.
Two brothers, Benjamin and James Williams, caused more than $3 million in damage. When the brothers were arrested, police found they had created a list of prominent Jewish leaders, who may have been intended targets.
Cauthen said the number of people involved in white supremacy or anti-government militia groups in Northern California has dramatically decreased over 15 years.
While he wouldn't name spe-cific groups, he said hate groups and their members are still active.
"It's still definitely on our radar screen," he said. "These groups are still obviously out there and their members are still out there."
Where do we go from here?
Magoulias said the recent incidents have only strengthened parishioners' faith, and encouraged them not to take their church and faith for granted.
"It's awakened in some people a greater awareness of living the faith in a world that has many distractions and temptations, and in some instances has people doing things that are inappropriate and evil," Magoulias said.
He prays for those who committed the crimes "that they come to some realization of human respect and dignity."
Members of the Greater Modesto Ministerial Association have prayed together for the synagogue and churches targeted. Congregations also are praying on an ongoing basis, said Ross Briles, a member of the ministerial association's leadership team.
"It does impact all of us, not just those particular congregations," said Briles, who is pastor of Modesto's Sherwood Bible Church. "We are asking that there be a change in the climate that would help this sort of thing not happen."
Members of Congregation Beth Shalom and Our Lady of Fatima plan to meet with neighbors and develop plans to help each other keep an eye on the neighborhood.
The synagogue also is using the incidents as a springboard for community unity. It plans tohost a "Unity in the Community" event at the synagogue on March 9.
The event will feature talks by Modesto Police Chief Roy Wasden and members of the targeted congregations, with outreach to the education and business communities. The event is open to the public.
"We think this is not just a Jewish issue, this is a community issue," said Biewer, who received many phone calls from business associates to churches and unaffiliated Jews after the attacks. Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints volunteered to help clean up the graffiti (it had already been cleaned up by then). Other callers expressed their distress over the hate-filled vandalism.
The support is heart-warming, Biewer said.
"It reaffirms what I believe, that this is a good place to live, and Modesto does not want to be a town known for this kind of thing," Biewer said. "We think this is a good place for our families, and we can all live together and appreciate the differences we bring."
The acts of unity, she said, will show "that we all stand together as one force that says, 'Not here, not now, not ever.'"
The "Unity in the Community" event is set for 6:30 to 8:15 p.m. on March 9 at Congregation Beth Shalom, 1705 Sherwood Ave., Modesto. For information, call 571-6070. Bee staff writer Merrill Balassone can be reached at 578-2337 or mbalassone@modbee.com.
Houses of faith take steps for security, pray for culprit
JOAN BARNETT LEE/THE BEE
Laura Biewer is the executive director at Congregation Beth Shalom in Modesto. She stands near a window in the synagogue that was broken by vandals, one of four such incidents at the synagogue in three months.
JOAN BARNETT LEE/THE BEE
Proving motive to gain conviction difficult
JOAN BARNETT LEE/THE BEE
Laura Biewer stands in front of a sign that is missing one Hebrew letter in the message: 'The Lord is our God. The Lord is one.' The synagogue has been vandalized four times in three months.
JOAN BARNETT LEE/THE BEE
By MERRILL BALASSONE and AMY WHITE
BEE STAFF WRITERS
Last Updated: February 21, 2006, 05:59:55 AM PST
Nearly three weeks after vandals defaced three Modesto houses of worship, the investigation has gone nowhere.
"As far as I have been told, we don't have any leads we are checking," said officer Rick Applegate, a Modesto Police Department spokesman. "The investigation is stagnant unless someone gives up some information."
Police believe the same attackers hit the Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation, Congregation Beth Shalom and Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church on Feb. 3 or early Feb. 4, breaking windows and painting anti-religious graffiti.
Police said they are investigating the incidents as hate crimes because the symbols and slurs targeted particular religions.
Although the investigation has come up empty, members of the community — from clerics to neighbors — are coming together. They have planned neighborhood watch meetings and a community event to combat hate.
Some have grown stronger in their faith. Still, many wonder how something like this could happen.
When Laura Biewer stepped into the foyer of Beth Shalom three Fridays ago, what she saw shocked her.
Light shining through the windows of the synagogue's sanctuary illuminated a crossed-out Star of David and a swastika spray-painted on the glass.
Biewer was sickened by the vandalism, which included anti-Semitic messages painted on the outside walls.
"Why would someone want to put those messages on a religious building?" asked Biewer, 45, the executive director at Beth Shalom. "I felt violated."
The incident was the fourth at the synagogue in three months. In early November, congregation members arrived to find gang and anti-Semitic graffiti on an outside wall, Biewer said. Members removed the graffiti, but a few days later, vandals struck again.
Police said the incident was one of five hate crimes investigated last year.
According to the police report, Rabbi Paul Gordon described the event as "a serious threat toward the Jewish community." The case has been suspended because there are no further leads to follow, Applegate said.
In January, a Hebrew letter was removed from a sign on the synagogue and used to crack a nearby window, Biewer said.
But what she found this month — swastikas and "Back 2 the Ovens" spray-painted on the synagogue's brick walls — was the worst yet.
The recent offenses were the first at Beth Shalom in about 10years, said Biewer, who wonders what prompted the attacks, and why there has been a recent uptick in this activity.
"What changed?" she asked.
An open target?
Some Modesto church officials say they expect to be hit by vandalism on occasion because it is a growing problem in the area.
Yet religious hate crimes, specifically those against churches, temples and synagogues, aren't common.
In 2004, the most recent year for which the FBI has compiled statistics, religiously motivated crimes made up 16 percent of the 9,035 hate crimes committed nationwide. Of those, only a small number were acts against the buildings.
Race-related hate crimes ranked No. 1, ahead of religion by a wide margin.
In the six Northern San Joaquin Valley and foothill cities tracked by the FBI, Modesto, Sonora and Stockton each reported one religiously motivated hate crime. Turlock, Manteca and Riverbank reported none.
In April, thieves broke a large statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe from its base outside a Lathrop Catholic church.
"In some ways, the church is a fairly easy target because we don't post heavy security, and a lot of churches aren't heavily alarmed," said the Rev. Dean McFalls of Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church. "If somebody has a complaint about God or with the church hierarchy, or if they don't have the fear of God in their heart, they might choose to do something."
Religious leaders wonder how to find the balance between protecting their properties and congregations and remaining open to the community — between spending money on security and using it to serve others.
"The community needs to know that the house of God awaits them with open arms," McFalls said. "But at the same time, we value the integrity of that building and the images or articles that are inside the building enough to lock it up when the likelihood is greater that someone would enter just to do harm."
Because of the Feb. 3 incidents, Beth Shalom is installing secu-rity cameras and additional lighting at an estimated cost of $7,000, Biewer said. More than $2,000 will be spent to replace a cracked window and for materials to clean off the graffiti.
At the Greek Orthodox Church, where vandals drove across the lawn, painted "666" and splashed a satanic symbol across the tile steps, officials plan to install more lights and get bids on a surveillance system, which could cost $7,000 to $10,000, according to the Rev. Jon Magoulias.
"It's money that could be spent for members or used for ministries or helping people," he said. "But to protect the facility, we will probably have to go (this way)."
At Our Lady of Fatima, next door to Beth Shalom, vandals smashed a 7-foot window and spray-painted satanic symbols on the walls.
Replacing the damaged window cost about $350, said David Springer, the church's parish administrator. The church plans to install security cameras as well, he said.
Officials with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Stockton, to which Our Lady of Fatima belongs, had no general statement about the vandalism.
"It's everyone's hope that it isjust (a one-time event), and not something that is going to bemore widespread," spokeswoman Sister Terry Davis said.
An uncommon act
As police await leads, one Modesto psychologist offered a profile of the vandals.
James Henman said he suspects deep emotional problems, like abuse, are often the root of such behavior by those committing the act.
"It tells you how disturbed the person is and how unaware they are of the problem inside," he said, "because that's not a joke, that's not a prank. You can't write that off as kids being kids. It crosses way too many lines."
Some young people grow accustomed to hateful attitudes and prejudices in their homes, feel above the law, or consider such actions part of their "right to express themselves," Henman said.
Magoulias said he feels the culprit(s) aims are mostly "to make their presence known."
FBI agent John Cauthen said high-profile crimes targeting religious institutions in Northern California have involved members of hate groups.
In 1999, three Sacramento synagogues were torched by two members of the white suprem-acy group World Church of the Creator, who became followers after reading about the group on the Internet.
Two brothers, Benjamin and James Williams, caused more than $3 million in damage. When the brothers were arrested, police found they had created a list of prominent Jewish leaders, who may have been intended targets.
Cauthen said the number of people involved in white supremacy or anti-government militia groups in Northern California has dramatically decreased over 15 years.
While he wouldn't name spe-cific groups, he said hate groups and their members are still active.
"It's still definitely on our radar screen," he said. "These groups are still obviously out there and their members are still out there."
Where do we go from here?
Magoulias said the recent incidents have only strengthened parishioners' faith, and encouraged them not to take their church and faith for granted.
"It's awakened in some people a greater awareness of living the faith in a world that has many distractions and temptations, and in some instances has people doing things that are inappropriate and evil," Magoulias said.
He prays for those who committed the crimes "that they come to some realization of human respect and dignity."
Members of the Greater Modesto Ministerial Association have prayed together for the synagogue and churches targeted. Congregations also are praying on an ongoing basis, said Ross Briles, a member of the ministerial association's leadership team.
"It does impact all of us, not just those particular congregations," said Briles, who is pastor of Modesto's Sherwood Bible Church. "We are asking that there be a change in the climate that would help this sort of thing not happen."
Members of Congregation Beth Shalom and Our Lady of Fatima plan to meet with neighbors and develop plans to help each other keep an eye on the neighborhood.
The synagogue also is using the incidents as a springboard for community unity. It plans tohost a "Unity in the Community" event at the synagogue on March 9.
The event will feature talks by Modesto Police Chief Roy Wasden and members of the targeted congregations, with outreach to the education and business communities. The event is open to the public.
"We think this is not just a Jewish issue, this is a community issue," said Biewer, who received many phone calls from business associates to churches and unaffiliated Jews after the attacks. Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints volunteered to help clean up the graffiti (it had already been cleaned up by then). Other callers expressed their distress over the hate-filled vandalism.
The support is heart-warming, Biewer said.
"It reaffirms what I believe, that this is a good place to live, and Modesto does not want to be a town known for this kind of thing," Biewer said. "We think this is a good place for our families, and we can all live together and appreciate the differences we bring."
The acts of unity, she said, will show "that we all stand together as one force that says, 'Not here, not now, not ever.'"
The "Unity in the Community" event is set for 6:30 to 8:15 p.m. on March 9 at Congregation Beth Shalom, 1705 Sherwood Ave., Modesto. For information, call 571-6070. Bee staff writer Merrill Balassone can be reached at 578-2337 or mbalassone@modbee.com.