Jewish cemetery in Romania vandalized, gravestones toppled

The attack drew a response from Benny Gantz, whose own great-grandfather is buried in the cemetery.

By Abe Mermelstien, Jewish Breaking News

Another act of antisemitism has taken place after a historic Jewish cemetery in Romania was vandalized, with at least 14 gravestones deliberately knocked over.

The incident took place in the city of Reghin, located in the Transylvania region, where unknown violators entered the cemetery overnight and desecrated multiple gravestones.

Authorities confirmed that while the gravestones were not smashed, they were intentionally overturned.

Among those buried at the site is Rabbi Hillel Pollak, a student of the esteemed rabbi Chasam Sofer, adding an additional layer of historical and spiritual significance to this antisemitic attack.

The attack drew a response from MK Benny Gantz, whose own great-grandfather is buried in the cemetery.

“Romanian Ambassador to Israel Radu Ioanid called me this evening, on Holocaust Memorial Day of all days, about the disturbing desecration of a Jewish cemetery in Northern Romania, where none other than my great grandfather is buried,” Gantz said.

He continued: “The desecration of a Jewish cemetery is a stark reminder that even when it comes to Holocaust Memorial Day, antisemitism knows no bounds nor has faded with time.”

Gantz concluded with a broader warning: “This Holocaust Memorial Day, particularly with growing antisemitism in Europe, I call on the international community to be uncompromising in its crackdown on Holocaust denial and modern-day antisemitism.”

Romanian authorities have launched an investigation under the supervision of local prosecutors, though no suspects have been identified yet.

The timing of the attack, coinciding with Holocaust Memorial Day, only intensifies the outrage.