Dolls hanged at Swedish synagogue during Passover investigated as hate crime

Police in Norrkoping, Sweden, are investigating after someone left a hate-filled message and a group of dolls hanging outside a synagogue there on the first day of Passover, March 28.

According to a post from the Anti-Defamation League, the note referred to Passover being a “Jewish celebration of killing thousands of Egyptian children.” The ADL also posted a photo of some of the hanging dolls with what appeared to be red paint or markers on them.

The ADL also noted that the neo-Nazi Nordic Resistance Movement posted the incident, including a photo taken at night that showed even more dolls hanging outside. In its tweet, the ADL said: “We urge the police to take quick action against such intimidation and harassment.”

A local news website reported that police would patrol the synagogue during the remainder of the holiday, which continues through Sunday night.

This week’s incident comes just two months after antisemitic flyers and cans that said “GiftGas! Zyklon” were found in the city; that discovery was made on Jan. 27, International Holocaust Remembrance Day.

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