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Swastika Discovered Etched On Wall Of Fremont Synagogue

FREMONT (CBS SF) -- Worker arriving for a monthly cleaning of Fremont's Temple Beth Torah synagogue discovered a swastika etched into the wall of the structure.

The synagogue has been shut down during the COVID-19 outbreak, forcing officials to conduct services remotely so the maintenance worker only visits the facility every other month.

In an email to members, synagogue officials said the swastika appeared to have been drawn in black marker or thick pen onto a stucco wall. It measured about 5 square inches.

Fremont police were investigating and asked neighbors to check their security cameras to see if they captured images of the vandal.

"It's disturbing," Temple administrator Jill Ziman told the Jewish News of Northern California website . "It's sad that this still happens."

Ro Khanna, who represents California's 17th District including Fremont, in the Congress took to Twitter on Thursday to condemn the act of vandalism.

"It is sad and outrageous to have this act of antisemitism in my hometown of Fremont where a synagogue was defaced with a swastika," he posted. "The perpetrators of this hate crime must be held accountable. I stand with the impacted community during this difficult time."

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