MILLBURN, NJ — Police have launched an investigation after a graffiti swastika was found at the Millburn Public Library earlier this week, authorities announced Thursday.
Mayor Frank Saccomandi released a statement about the incident, emphasizing that “hate in any form has no place in Millburn.” The mayor also reassured the Jewish residents that the town “stands with you – without reservation.”
Saccomandi’s full message follows below:
“On June 23, as a member of the Millburn Public Library Board of Trustees, I was notified by the Library Director that a swastika had been discovered near the library's rear service entrance. The incident was immediately reported to the Millburn Police Department, which is actively investigating and treating it with the full seriousness it demands.
“We want to be unambiguous: this is antisemitism, and it is an act of hate directed at our Jewish community.
“A swastika is not ordinary vandalism. It is the symbol of a regime that systematically murdered six million Jews. Placing it on a public building in Millburn is not a prank or a provocation: it is an attempt to make Jewish residents feel unwelcome in our community.
“Whoever drew it does not define this community.
“To our Jewish neighbors and friends: this township stands with you, without reservation. You are part of the fabric of this community. An attack on any member of our community is an attack on all of us. Antisemitism — like all forms of hate — has no home here, and this administration will treat this serious threat with the gravity it deserves.
“Millburn is a community where every resident is valued and every resident belongs. That is not something we take for granted. It is something we are called to defend, in moments like this one, with clarity and without hesitation.
“We will continue monitoring this investigation as it develops. I urge any resident who has information related to this incident, or who witnesses hateful acts or symbols anywhere in our township, to contact the Millburn Police Department immediately.
“Antisemitism has no place in Millburn. Hate in any form has no place in Millburn. On behalf of the entire Township Committee and Millburn Community, we stand united with all of our residents.”
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