Published: 12/17/2020 6:42:09 PM
Modified: 12/17/2020 6:41:58 PM
HANOVER — In a letter to the Dartmouth College community on Thursday, President Phil Hanlon reported that seven of the nine lights on the menorah set up on the Green for the holiday season were shot out with what appears to have been a pellet gun.
The damage was discovered Wednesday night. Hanover police and campus security are investigating, Hanlon said.
“This appalling act of anti-Semitism, perpetuated during Hannukah in the heart of our campus, is an affront to all,” Hanlon said in a statement.
Hanlon called it much more than “vandalism or a prank, for it seeks to diminish the rich culture and history of the Jewish people.” The menorah is one of the oldest symbols of the Jewish faith.
“We are repairing the menorah as soon as possible,” Hanlon said, indicating that the ritual lighting of the menorah’s eighth candle remained scheduled for Thursday evening.
The vandalism inspired plans for a vigil to show support for the Jewish community, concurrent with the lighting of the final candle, according to a post on the Upper Valley Facebook page.