WJC stands with Estonian Jewish Community in condemning cemetery vandalism

The World Jewish Congress stands with our affiliate, the Jewish Community of Estonia, in expressing its strong concern over the vandalism of the Rahumäe Jewish Cemetery, at which five tombstones were found toppled overnight on Sunday. Police have begun investigations into the matter.

Alla Jakobson, President of the Estonian Jewish Community, underscored the fact that the vandalism took place on the very day in which the country was celebrating the 100^th anniversary of the victory of Estonian troops over the Landesveer near Võnnu, and expressed her hope that the incident was not in fact an antisemitic hate crime.

“We honor the memory of the deceased and would like society to show understanding and mutual respect for the memory of the people who lost their ancestors in that country. I am convinced that the investigation will identify those whose behavior calls for sorrow and pain,” Jakobson said.

In the cemetery there is a monument dedicated to the victims of the 1941 deportation, as well as a monument dedicated to the victims of the Holocaust stacked in a separate stack, in which each stone symbolizes a single victim.

The cemetery in Tallinn has never been defiled before, even during the Nazi occupation.

The Jewish Community of Estonia and the representatives of the Jewish people living in Estonia are an integral part of our multi-ethnic, multicultural society, as are all other minorities with their own roots and heritage in our common country, the community wrote in its statement. “Such acts of vandalism in public places are a direct reference for us to the tragic events that we hope will never happen again. We cannot let this be repeated in Estonia, or in any other country,” the community said.