The Dallas Jewish community was shocked last week after the car of one of the city’s pulpit rabbis was vandalized with a swastika. 

Dallas, one of the largest cities in the US state of Texas, also has one of the largest Jewish communities in the state, with a presence there for over 150 years. 

Rabbi Yaakov Rich, the leader of Congregation Toras Chaim, found the Nazi symbol spray-painted on the trunk of his car Wednesday evening, along with other anti-Semitic slogans. 

Police called to the scene are investigating the hate crime and have checked the synagogue’s security cameras for clues. 

“I feel completely violated,” Rich said of the incident, in a statement to the press. “As a Jew the swastika is the most offensive symbol that there is. They didn’t just attack me, they attacked every Jews in the city of Dallas.”

“I am very grateful, however, that the members of Congregation Toras Chaim are banding together to ensure that there is no disruption in our activities.”

Community members noted that there have been a number of anti-Semitic incidents in the past six months, including people driving in front of the synagogue, which is housed in a private home, “screaming obscenities at them.”

However, they added, such incidents were nothing compared to vandalizing the car of the community’s rabbi.  

Congregants expressed hope that this is not be the beginning of a new anti-Semitic trend in the city and that law enforcement will be able to prevent the situation from deteriorating. 

Rich himself added in an interview with Breitbart Texas, “We have to be vigilant about what’s going on.”