Security services at the Asper Jewish Community Campus found hate graffiti written in chalk on the sidewalk close to the entrance to Gray Academy of Jewish Education on Tuesday September 25, 2012.
The words in chalk said “ F-ck you Jews. Ha Ha Ha Ha.Love SAR ??”
The Winnipeg Jewish Review first learned of this incident about a week ago when a reader phoned in with a tip about this matter.
Someone from Security services of the Campus notified Alan Yusim of B’nai Brith Midwest Region about the graffiti on the morning of September 25. Yusim says he can’t remember who in particular informed him but and then he notified the police. [the photo of the graffiti seen here was sent to Yusim by one of the Campus staff, Yusim says. Yusim didn't see the graffiti itself, but says he was sent the photo by someone who was a Campus employee and he commends them for sending it to him.Editor's note: I want to know who sent Yusim this photo and who in Campus Security was notified]
After the photo was taken, security services immediately wiped off the graffiti such that it was not noticed by parents and children coming to school that day.
Aside from Yusim, the Winnipeg Jewish Review has not been able to locate any other individual who was informed of this matter by campus security.
The Winnipeg Jewish Review has attempted to contact Barry Mcarton, President of the Board of the Asper Campus to see if he was apprised of this matter but as of press time we have not heard back.[McArton is technically no longer President of the Asper Campus].
In an interview with Rory Paul, Head of School, Paul, who was noticeably surprised told the Winnipeg Jewish Review that “This is the first I have heard of it. I know nothing about it.”
Present at the time were Joyce Kerr and Lori Binder who also knew nothing about the incident.
Israel Ludwig, President of the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg also advised the Winnipeg Jewish review that this he had not heard at all about this matter. Ludwig noted that he is also on the Board of the Asper Campus.
Ben-Cohen, incoming President of the Asper Jewish Campus who officially has taken over also as of Nov 29, indicated on Wed Nov 28 that he wasn’t aware that this incident took place.
Yusim told the Winnipeg Jewish Review that he “had no idea who campus security had notified in the campus building about the graffiti.”
A day before press time, the Winnipeg Jewish Review made two calls to Curtis Martin who is in charge of security at the Asper Campus but we have not received a call back as of press time.
Bob Freedman, CEO of the Jewish Federation told the Winnipeg Jewish Review that he first learned of this matter as a result of Ben Cohen telling him about it, as a result of our inquiries.
According to Freedman, “Proper protocol was not followed here. Ben Cohen told me that a maintenance man found the graffiti and wiped it off, without telling his superior Curtis Martin, who didn’t know about it. Had Martin been informed ,then he is to notify the Jewish Federation."
Had the Jewish Federation been notified, Rory Paul of Gray Academy and others would have been notified.
Yusim says that “To the best of my knowledge there has not been any other incidence of antisemitic graffiti like this near Gray Academy.”
An intake report of the incident for B'nai Brith files seen by the Winnipeg Jewish Review says the incident was reported to B'nai Brith by "security services." It does not say "maintneance services." One can infer from this that someone who is security services of the Campus knew about this incident, but the chain of reporting was not followed.
Antisemitic posters began appearing in downtown Winnipeg just before the Jewish New Years, and were reported extensively in the media. A second and third round of the posters have been reported in the media.
On Friday September 21, the Winnipeg Jewish Review received the first of several anti-Semitic emails. and has received three more in October.
The graffiti on the sidewalk of Gray Academy occured between the appearance of the first and second posters.
The graffiti on the Campus sidewalk may well be the work of a juvenile adolescent-On the face of it, that is what it would appear to be unless it is th ework of an adult making it look like that of a child. Given the existence of the posters, and the talk of antisemitic incidents in the media, that is all the more reason for the campus security people to have understood the importance of notifying tenants of the building.
Editor’s comment: In my view, Rory Paul and school administration, as well as other tenants of the Campus ought to have been notified of this graffiti by the Asper Campus. The non-reporting of this to the Jewish Federation, the school and other tenants of the Campus building means that anyone who may have noticed something suspicious or someone hanging around the building would be less likely to bring it to the attention of Campus security. Additionally, someone may have noticed something that would only take on meaning to them once they became aware of the incident.
It is incumbant upon Curtis Martin to indicate when he first learned about this incident and who, if anyone, he reported to about it. If he was not informed by his maintenance or security staff at all of this incident, it is up to him to clarify the proper protocol with his staff and ensure that proper protocol is followed in these matters.
Had Rory Paul been informed of this incident, the question arises whether he would be required to inform parents of the school system. Parents whose children wait for pick-up or drop off near the school may well feel with justification that they have the right to know about this incident.
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