Swastikas turned up at a park in Charlotte, and a local rabbi weighed in alongside a student video.
A local rabbi weighed in alongside a student video as swastikas appeared at a Charlotte park, according to WCNC.
A Pattern Playing Out Across Charlotte
This is not the only recent instance of antisemitic imagery surfacing in Charlotte. In January, antisemitic signage containing Nazi imagery was discovered on the property of Shalom Park, according to WFAE. Shalom Park is home to Temple Beth-El, Charlotte Jewish Day School and Temple Israel, among other institutions, the station noted.
Qnotes reported that signs displaying a swastika and a noose were found at Shalom Park on the morning of January 20, and that the signs threatened to hang people and urged people to join the Nazi party. The signage and imagery were removed, and Shalom Park was working with law enforcement to investigate, per WFAE's reporting. Charlotte-Mecklenburg police said they would increase patrols in the area, Qnotes reported.
The Jewish Federation of Greater Charlotte said at the time that the imagery was intended to unsettle, threaten, and dehumanize members of the community, according to WFAE. Federation CEO Adam Kolett said it was important to respond to the hate message with education and support for one another, Qnotes reported.
Separately, Swastikas Reported Near a Charlotte Elementary School
Possible hate crimes are also being investigated after swastikas were found outside Polo Ridge Elementary School in Charlotte, wcnc.com reported separately. It is not established whether that incident is connected to the swastikas found at the park Wolk addressed.
National Antisemitic Incident Count
Nationally, the ADL recorded 9,354 antisemitic incidents in 2024, according to Qnotes.
Local Jewish leaders called for education and support for one another after the Shalom Park incident earlier this year.
