CHARLOTTE — If you drive down Providence Road, you may pass Shalom Park — a place of gathering for many members of the Charlotte Jewish community. It houses a day school, preschool, temple and much more, but that community has been shaken after officials say someone spray painted Nazi imagery on the grounds Monday night.
“When it hits your daughter’s school, where your family works, where friends are, it just hits differently,” one parent, who didn’t want to be identified, told Channel 9’s Eli Brand. “You start to wonder, at what point are people going to take this seriously?”
The Jewish Federation of Greater Charlotte’s CEO, Adam Kolett, says the situation is being taken seriously and is being investigated by local and federal authorities.
“The Jewish community will not be erased,” he said. “It will not be intimidated, and we cannot be threatened.”
Channel 9 obtained an email sent to parents from the Charlotte Jewish Preschool with additional details. In it, school officials say a single person put the images in an area of the park as well as on an exterior door of the Charlotte Jewish Day School. The letter goes on to say the person did not enter any buildings.
“This is something that we must stand strong against, and we invite our entire Charlotte community to stand with us against hate,” Kolett said.
He says hate crimes against Jews have seen a drastic increase in recent years, especially since the October 2023 attack on Israel. Many parents say they are having conversations at home about safety.
The Jewish Federation of Greater Charlotte says security is constantly in Shalom Park keeping it safe. The federation has also launched a new initiative, called “Outshine Hate,” aimed at educating the younger generation and their teachers about antisemitism.
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