Photo credit: JCGC
By Melissa Hunter
Assistant Editor
On Monday morning, July 1, 176 gravestones were discovered vandalized in two sections of the Covedale Cemetery on the West Side of town. Headstones in the Tifereth Israel Cemetery (once owned by the North Avondale Synagogue, which closed in 1997) and Beth Hamedrash Hagadol Cemetery (Golf Manor), some dating as far back as the late 1800s, were tipped over and lying face down. A number of them were cracked in half.
An investigation is underway by the Cincinnati Police Department, FBI, Green Township authorities, and SAFE Cincinnati. To maintain the integrity of their investigation, law enforcement officials have advised that the affected markers not be moved. This makes it hard for the Jewish Cemeteries of Greater Cincinnati (JCGC), a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation operating 23 of the 26 Jewish cemeteries in the Greater Cincinnati area, to contact the families of those whose gravestones were defaced. The gravestones will be turned over once cleared by authorities, at which time the JCGC can contact living relatives.
“We are cooperating fully with local law enforcement to bring the perpetrators of this crime to justice,” JCGC said in a statement. “We urge anyone with information about this incident to come forward and assist in the investigation.”
It is believed the vandalism occurred sometime between June 25 and July 1, as no damage was seen when the groundskeeper mowed the cemetery’s lawn last Tuesday.
JCGC attributed this incident to “an act of antisemitic vandalism.”
Currently, there are no suspects in this case, but the investigation is ongoing. The American Israelite will continue to cover this story and update our website as we receive more information.
