Swastikas Painted at Entrance to Quaker Graveyard in NJ

Police in Haddonfield, New Jersey, are investigating after two swastikas were spray painted on trees at the entrance of a Quaker graveyard. The incident occurred at the site of the Haddonfield Friends Meeting, a Religious Society of Friends congregation.

The graveyard faces the meetinghouse of the Haddonfield Friends Meeting, according to Linda Lotz, the group’s spokeswoman. She confirmed the vandalism likely took place between Monday and Friday of this week.

Quakers are a Christian group that emphasizes peace, justice, and simplicity. In a written statement, Dave Austin, the group’s clerk, highlighted the importance of standing against hate, particularly in light of rising antisemitic incidents.

“No matter what the possible motivation for this sad incident might have been, we must as a community come together to stand against it,” Austin said. “Intolerance festers and metastasizes in silence: it depends and feeds upon apathy and indifference. Each of us can play a part in preventing that from happening.”

The Religious Society of Friends, also known as the Quakers, has a long history of advocating for social justice and human rights. The group’s commitment to these values was evident in its response to the vandalism, which it described as a troubling act of intolerance.

The Haddonfield Police Department has taken the matter seriously and is conducting an investigation. No arrests have been made, and the motive behind the act remains under review. The Quakers have not commented further on the incident beyond their public statement.

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