By GREGG MONTGOMERY
WISH-TV | wishtv.com
The Indianapolis Jewish Community Relations Council says it’s been working with the Carmel city government after it received antisemitic comments on a social media post Thursday, March 12 about an upcoming Holocaust remembrance event.
A statement from the Jewish relations council said it worked with the city government to understand the First Amendment constraints it is under.
The Jewish relations council’s statement continued, “Carmel has decided it will not give into hate and will continue to promote and uplift survivor voices and this year’s observance. We also agree that we cannot give in to hate. These comments exemplify why it is more important than ever that they continue to promote this program and draws further attention to the desperate need for continued Holocaust education. We appreciate Carmel’s engagement with us on this issue.”
The Jewish relations council said the Carmel government’s social media post and the comments it generated came amid Thursday’s shooting at a West Bloomfield, Mich., synagogue. An attacker armed with a rifle rammed his vehicle into one of the nation’s largest reform synagogues, driving through a hallway as security opened fire, fatally shooting him, The Associated Press said.
The Indianapolis council’s statement said it’s monitoring events at Temple Israel while working with the Jewish Federation of Greater Indianapolis on security measures for local synagogues and schools. The Indianapolis council’s statement said no congregants or visitors were injured at Temple Israel.
The Indianapolis council’s statement read, “We will work to make sure we are always able to come together as a community, attend our Jewish schools and worship at our synagogues and temples free from the fear of these types of violent attacks.”
The Carmel city government’s post made on Facebook, made just before 12:30 p.m. Thursday, March 12, gave details on the city’s event.
Alex Kor, the son of American-Romanian Holocaust survivor Eva Mozes Kor, will speak at the Carmel event at noon April 24 at The Tarkington Theater. Eva Kor and her husband, American citizen Michael Kor, raised their children in Terre Haute. She died July 4, 2019, in Krakow, Poland.
The Carmel city government added this comment to its post: “Some comments made below on the Carmel Holocaust Remembrance Day post have sought to degrade rather than celebrate this important community event. These comments are offensive and do not reflect Carmel. As a public entity, we are constrained in our ability to remove comments. However, we do report comments that violate the terms and conditions of the social media platform.
“These comments remind us that there is still work to do. Please join in on April 24th to do it together.”
This story was originally published by WISH-TV at wishtv.com/news/local-news/carmel-government-condemns-antisemitic-comments-on-post-about-holocaust-event.