A visitor at Newman Poses Preserve discovered a snowman depicting Adolf Hitler with a swastika engraved on it on Sunday, Feb. 9, and immediately notified the police. Someone built the snowman after Westport received several inches of snow on Saturday night into Sunday. The Westport Police Department is currently investigating the matter.
“There has been a lot of conversation and consternation among members of the Jewish community about this incident,” Rabbi Michael Friedman, senior Rabbi of Temple Israel said.“This is understandable, as no one would want to think that a neighbor would do something like this.”
Antisematism has been on the rise in the United States and around the world since the Oct. 7 attack on Israel and the war that followed. The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) reported more than 3200 antisemitic incidents since then. Impersonations of Hitler and glorifying of Nazi Germany have been included in the antisemetic incidents that have taken place. While there have been many perpetrators of antisemitism, Friedman also believes that there are many allies outside of the Jewish community.
“Our interfaith clergy partners have likewise been very concerned,” Friedman said. “They have reached out to us to discuss how they can help address the problem of antisemitism. We are likewise grateful for their friendship and partnership.”
