The doors of St. Paul & St. Andrew. The swastika was covered by a piece of white paper on the left side of the photo.
A swastika, apparently drawn with a felt-tip pen, was found next to the door at the Church of St. Paul & St. Andrew, a progressive Methodist church at 263 West 86th Street on West End Avenue late on Wednesday.
It was found just as two pastors from the church were attending an interfaith service meant to express solidarity in the wake of a white supremacist march and violence in Charlottesville.
The swastika.
This isn’t the first time this year that a local church was defaced. Swastikas and a Nazi phrase were also drawn on the The Fourth Universalist Society at 160 Central Park West earlier this year.
St. Paul & St. Andrew’s senior pastor Rev. K Karpen sent us a note explaining more about what happened:
“Wednesday around 5 p.m. a staff member alerted us that a very small swastika had been found, drawn by what looks to be a felt-tip pen, on the wall of a door alcove on the south side of the church, under our Hate Has No Home Here banner. The drawing has been covered up, but not yet painted over, at the request of the police, who are looking into this. Our building has shared space with Congregation B’nai Jeshurun since 1991, along with congregations of many other faiths. We obviously don’t know what motivated this, but we will continue to speak out against hate, hate speech and anti-Semitism, particularly in light of the recent events in Charlottesville and the approaching Jewish High Holy Days. At the time we got this news, two of our pastors were taking part in the Yes to Love, No to Hate: NYC Interfaith Gathering of Solidarity service and that continues to be our message: Hate Has No Home Here.”
The paper over the swastika.
Photos by Carol Tannenhauser.
Try doing THAT on the culprit’s home.
Disgusting and disturbing.
Glad to read of the resolve of Rev. Karpin and the other clergy.
“Yes to Love; No to Hate!”
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It’s a litte strange how low to the ground this hate graffiti was placed…almost as if someone sitting or sleeping on the step drew it. Maybe its time to install cameras?
I love SPs. My famiky was deeply involved
in the begiining s of BJ and I go back to visit when I can. Its a beautiful place where so much love and faith have been shared. Bless you.
Please continue your much needed ministry. We give thanks for folk like you and your congregation. Our thoughts and prayers are with you
While this symbol is vile, this incident may or may not be hate graffiti at all. On several occasions the 24 ha mentioned that there is a man that is known to them with a history of “mental issues” the has gone around writing this symbol and others around the area. He doesn’t know the symbols import. as well as the others he scribbles. Hopefully there is some sort of camera footage of the event
Robert, When I see a swastika on any surface, be it a building or a flag, it is there to express hate. The doors to hell have been opened and all of the haters are flying out! What is happening to our country … just horrible!!!
The person that I mention as possibly having done this before doesn’t even know what this symbol is. He draws them as well as other symbols all over the uws. He has know major mental issues. He has repeatedly been picked up by NYPD to try and get him the pysch help he needs but he is back out of the hospital before the paperwork is done. Unfortunately this is what happens when all these programs are concentrated into one area. Think the cities “fair share laws”