THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, June 26, 1994 TAG: 9406250089
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 06 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: Short
DATELINE: 940626 LENGTH:
Who vandalized the menorah and sign announcing the future home of the Beth Chaverim Reform Jewish Congregation, and why, are at the moment unknown. But the vandalism may well be disheartening testimony to a sad fact of humankind: The unfamiliar can be misperceived as a threat, and the reaction can be to threaten in return.
{REST} If that's the case here - let's hope this ugliness comes more from ignorance than prejudice - it is menace as misplaced as can be.
The Beth Chaverim congregation has met for more than eight years at the Ascension Catholic Church, a triumph of heart over history that goes beyond the civility which is the least we strive in America to achieve, that lifts the spirit, and the spirituality, of this community. No spray paint should obscure the mutual respect most of its citizens strive to achieve.
But even this blot of bigotry calls the city to muster against it. City officials and law enforcement are doing their part. Education has its part, too; and it was probably uncoordinated yet fortuitous timing that on the same day other city leaders had gathered to renounce intolerance, School Superintendent Sidney Faucette gathered his thoughts for a last meeting of ``the last appointed board.''
They included a call ``to reduce the distance between religion and schooling,'' to teach ``through our lessons, our actions and our personal behaviors'' the ``traditional, actually universal values'' shared by all the religions, the non-religious and the sort-of religious too. Tolerance is one.
by CNB