Vandalism to Jewish cemetery spurs major volunteer effort

PHILADELPHIA — Dozens of volunteers from various faiths helped clean up a Jewish cemetery on Tuesday after scores of tombstones were toppled by vandals, as people from as far as Boston came to Philadelphia to rake leaves, help document the damage and pray for peace.

The Anti-Defamation League offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and the Fraternal Order of Police $3,000.

The desecration of more than 100 graves in the crowded cemetery came as Jewish Community Centers and day schools around the nation deal with wave after wave of hoax bomb threats.

After each one-hour shift, the volunteers walked to a corner of the cemetery, where a rabbi offered a meditation and led them in song — a Jewish prayer for peace.

Judging by the path of the damage, it appears the vandals might have accessed the cemetery from an adjoining playground through a piece of damaged fence.