Close Menu
  • Entertainment
  • Lifestyle
  • Relationships
  • Tips & Tricks
  • Celebrity Kids
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
  • Disclaimer
  • About us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contribute & Advertise with Us
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest Vimeo
GistFestGistFest
  • Entertainment

    Cause of Death Revealed for Kylie Jenner’s Hairstylist Jesús Guerrero

    June 5, 2025

    Taylor Swift Celebrates Masters Victory with Selena Gomez During NYC Dinner Night Out

    June 4, 2025

    JoJo Siwa and Chris Hughes Are Officially a Couple

    June 4, 2025

    Inside the Wedding Drama: Victoria Beckham’s Surprise Action Upset Nicola Peltz on Her Big Day

    June 3, 2025

    Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s Divorce Timeline

    June 2, 2025
  • Lifestyle

    Cause of Death Revealed for Kylie Jenner’s Hairstylist Jesús Guerrero

    June 5, 2025

    Taylor Swift Celebrates Masters Victory with Selena Gomez During NYC Dinner Night Out

    June 4, 2025

    JoJo Siwa and Chris Hughes Are Officially a Couple

    June 4, 2025

    Inside the Wedding Drama: Victoria Beckham’s Surprise Action Upset Nicola Peltz on Her Big Day

    June 3, 2025

    Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s Divorce Timeline

    June 2, 2025
  • Relationships

    Cause of Death Revealed for Kylie Jenner’s Hairstylist Jesús Guerrero

    June 5, 2025

    Taylor Swift Celebrates Masters Victory with Selena Gomez During NYC Dinner Night Out

    June 4, 2025

    JoJo Siwa and Chris Hughes Are Officially a Couple

    June 4, 2025

    Inside the Wedding Drama: Victoria Beckham’s Surprise Action Upset Nicola Peltz on Her Big Day

    June 3, 2025

    Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s Divorce Timeline

    June 2, 2025
  • Tips & Tricks

    Cause of Death Revealed for Kylie Jenner’s Hairstylist Jesús Guerrero

    June 5, 2025

    Taylor Swift Celebrates Masters Victory with Selena Gomez During NYC Dinner Night Out

    June 4, 2025

    JoJo Siwa and Chris Hughes Are Officially a Couple

    June 4, 2025

    Inside the Wedding Drama: Victoria Beckham’s Surprise Action Upset Nicola Peltz on Her Big Day

    June 3, 2025

    Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s Divorce Timeline

    June 2, 2025
  • Celebrity Kids

    Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s Divorce Timeline

    June 2, 2025

    Meryl Streep’s Daughter Louisa Jacobson Shares Her and Partner, Anna Blundell’s Plans for Valentine’s Day

    February 14, 2025

    Brenda Song and Macaulay Culkin’s Son’s Name Revealed

    January 12, 2025

    Travis Barker Daughter, Alabama Barker Hospitalized for Nicotine Withdrawal After Quitting Vaping

    January 2, 2025

    Who Are Madonna’s Children? Everything You Need To Know About Them

    December 10, 2024
Subscribe
GistFestGistFest
Home » Oakland Mayor Calls for Hate Crime Investigation Over Destruction of City Menorah During Hanukkah
General

Oakland Mayor Calls for Hate Crime Investigation Over Destruction of City Menorah During Hanukkah

OlamideBy OlamideDecember 20, 20234 Mins Read
Share Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Reddit Telegram Email
A picture of the Oakland Lake Merritt Menorah
Source: Pinterest
Share
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email
A picture of the Oakland Lake Merritt Menorah
Source: Pinterest

The mayor of Oakland, California, has called for a hate crime investigation after unknown suspects vandalized a sizeable public menorah. In addition, the unknown suspects threw pieces of it into Lake Merritt as Jewish communities around the world celebrate Hanukkah.

The Jewish Community Relations Council Bay Area showed images and videos of pieces of the menorah strewn across the waterfront. Also, the damage threatened the graffiti painted where the menorah stood. According to the videos and images, menorah pieces lay nearby in shallow water. 

While the suspects remain unknown, reposts suggest the vandalism occurred overnight. KGO reported that it happened on the sixth night of Hanukkah, a celebration known as the “Festival of Lights.” 

Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, who attended the lighting of the menorah, expressed her displeasure at the incident. She said she asked Oakland Police Department Interim Chief Darren Allison “to investigate this incident as a hate crime.”

ALSO READ: Democrats Turn on Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s Administration Over Immigrant Crisis

Also, Thao said the desecration and act of vandalism outraged her. In addition, she called the menorah a “long-standing and important symbol” for the local Jewish community. “I want to be very clear that what happened was not just an attack on Oakland’s Jewish Community,” Thao stated. 

“It’s an attack on our entire city and shared values.” She added that the city stands together against hate, antisemitism, and bigotry in any form. “And when someone commits such a crime, they are attacking the foundation of our City,” she concluded. 

Before the incident, the Chabad Jewish Center of Oakland lit the Lake Merritt menorah. The center’s rabbi, Dovid Labkowski, revealed that he received a text Wednesday morning that they had destroyed the menorah.

He added that he never imagined someone would want to vandalize the menorah, a symbol of light. “I don’t know why,” Labkowski said. “I know the air is toxic these days, and it shouldn’t be that way.”

POLL — Is Systemic Racism a Significant Problem That Requires Reform in Policing and Other Areas?

News of the menorah’s vandalism comes amid a spike in reported antisemitic incidents following the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. According to reports, Oakland documented over 2,000 such incidents since the October 7 attack. Consequently, Oakland called for a heated city council meeting, which included hours of debate over a resolution.

However, there has been a surge in biased incidents against Muslims and Arabs, according to the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR). CAIR reported more than 2,000 requests for help and reports of bias in the month following October 7.

Nonetheless, CAIR’s San Francisco Bay Area chapter condemned the vandalism of the Oakland menorah. They said it was “not only an attack on the Jewish community but an affront to all who stand for religious freedom.” The group took to X to express that the incident calls for a “collective response against all forms of bigotry.”

ALSO READ: Police Arrest a Troubled Man For Firing Shots Outside a Jewish Temple

The group also wrote, “We stand in solidarity with our Jewish neighbors against antisemitism, just as we fight against Islamophobia.” They said, “Hatred against one community is a threat to all.”

Following the incident, the Oakland community mobilized to install a new menorah. According to reports, many people, including California Attorney General Rob Bonta, attended to show their support. Bonta decried the rise of hate-motivated crimes, saying targeting people for their religion “is wrong.”

As the Oakland community struggles with the growing hate crime, many people are speaking out against it. However, several states have reported similar cases in recent months. 

You Might Also Like:

Lawyers for Atlanta Ask Federal Appeals Court to Kill ‘Stop Cop City’ Petition

California Gov. Gavin Newsom Defends San Francisco’s Homeless Woes in Late-Night Interview

Social Media Users Hail Laura Ingraham for Accusing Democrats of “Slow Death of Urban America”

Critics Have a Field Day as Democratic DC Mayor Appears Clueless About Where Her City’s Metro Lines Go

Gov. Kevin Stitt Gives DEI the Boots in Oklahoma Universities

Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
Previous ArticleOklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt Removes DEI Offices From State Agencies and Universities
Next Article California City Voters Unanimously Elect Black Woman as Mayor for the First Time

Related Posts

Entertainment

Justin Bieber Tweaks Instagram Post After Revealing Argument Amid Hailey’s Vogue Moment

May 26, 2025
Entertainment

Singer Chris Brown Arrested in the UK for an Alleged Assault Incident From 2023

May 20, 2025
General

Pastor TD Jakes Steps Down Months After Having a Heart Attack During Sermon

April 29, 2025
Latest Posts

Cause of Death Revealed for Kylie Jenner’s Hairstylist Jesús Guerrero

June 5, 2025

Taylor Swift Celebrates Masters Victory with Selena Gomez During NYC Dinner Night Out

June 4, 2025

JoJo Siwa and Chris Hughes Are Officially a Couple

June 4, 2025

Inside the Wedding Drama: Victoria Beckham’s Surprise Action Upset Nicola Peltz on Her Big Day

June 3, 2025

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s Divorce Timeline

June 2, 2025

Heidi Montag’s Wig at AMAs 2025 Sparks Online Criticism: Called ‘World’s Worst’ by Fans

May 30, 2025

JoJo Siwa, Chris Hughes Romance Gossip Debunked with Single-Word Comment

May 29, 2025

All You Need To Know About Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez’s Mega Summer Wedding

May 28, 2025
About
About

We’re a news, entertainment and lifestyle hub that is dedicated to giving you quality insight on the latest lifestyle news, movie and TV news, celebrity news and lots more.

Contact us: [email protected]

MOST POPULAR

Jennifer Rauchet: Inside the Life of Pete Hegseth’s Wife

August 30, 2023

Alina Nikitina: Everything We Know About the Russian Model

October 4, 2023

Amanda Kate Lambert: Meet Nancy Sinatra’s Daughter

August 30, 2023

Subscribe to Updates

Get the latest news delivered straight to your inbox!

Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
  • Disclaimer
  • About us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contribute & Advertise with Us
© 2025 GistFest. All Rights Reserved.

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.