OGDEN, Utah — Weber State University officials confirmed a swastika was found carved inside the school's on-campus student union building earlier this week.
A student reported finding the symbol carved into a table at the Shepherd Union Building Monday evening. The table was removed from the building the next morning and all other tables were checked to make sure no other vandalism had occurred.
Weber State police have launched an investigation and are reviewing surveillance footage of the area to help identify any suspects, although it's unclear when the vandalism occurred.
The Nazi symbol associated with anti-semitism was discovered on Yom Kippur, which is considered the holiest day of the year in the Jewish religion.
"Weber State University condemns actions that perpetuate racism or make people feel unsafe, and the symbol scrawled on WSU property is not consistent with the values of the university, which strives to create an inclusive environment where all are welcome," the school wrote. "We are committed to providing a safe and inclusive environment for all of our campus locations."
As a son of a holocaust survivor, Rabbi Benny Zippel says students need to know what a swastika symbol represents.
“My mother was in a concentration camp with her siblings and her parents," he said. "She lost her entire family during the Holocaust. I'm very sensitive to it, and it's just plain and simply inappropriate, and kids should be taught what these symbols mean.”
“This is a very important religious holiday for the Jewish community, and we know that instances like this, even if it's an etching as small as a dime as it was in this instance, can have such a profound impact on our students," said Jessica Oyler, Vice President of Student Access and Success. "We really want all of our students to feel safe and have a sense of belonging when they come to college.”
Many students, like Isaac Brower, were shocked and disappointed upon hearing what happened.
“I know that there are some people that don't like a certain religion, and that's up to you," he said. "You can like or not like whatever you want, but as soon as you start forcing your beliefs onto other people, that's where it crosses the line for me.”
Our institutions can learn from these incidents so they don’t keep happening, said Rabbi Zippel.
“Weber State should use this as an opportunity to enhance Holocaust education at Weber State and educate their students about bigotry and animosity and violence and hatred, which are unfortunately very, very much living amongst us today," he said.
