House resolution condemns desecration of Hebrew cemetery

State House – The House of Representatives today unanimously approved a resolution condemning the recent desecration of a Hebrew cemetery in Fall River.

The House resolution (2019-H 5927) was sponsored by the three Jewish members of the House, Rep. Jason Knight (D-Dist. 67, Barrington, Warren), Rep. Rebecca Kislak (D-Dist. 4, Providence) and Rep. Mia Ackerman (D-Dist. 45, Cumberland, Lincoln).

During the night of March 16, 59 gravestones at the 300-plot cemetery on McMahon Street were defaced with swastikas and vile, threatening anti-Semitic graffiti, or toppled. Many of those whose gravestones were defaced were immigrants who came to this country to escape persecution and to seek a better life, and many have descendants who now live in Rhode Island, including Representative Kislak.

The sponsors said they sought passage of the resolution to stand up publicly against anti-Semitism, bigotry and violence against minority populations at a time when anti-Semitic attacks and hate crimes have been on the rise nationwide.

The resolution calls the attack “not only an affront on the memories of the families of those buried at the cemetery, but was a hate crime perpetrated against all Jewish people, and an assault to humanity.” It states that the House of Representatives “honors the memory of those at the Hebrew Cemetery and stands united in rejecting and condemning these vile and intolerable acts of anti-Semitism and hatred.”

Hundreds of people from many faiths took part in a vigil held Tuesday at the cemetery. Police are treating the vandalism as a hate crime, and a reward for information leading to the arrest or conviction of the person or persons responsible has reached at least $16,000.