HARTFORD — A Jewish cemetery in Hartford where vandals tipped over 20 headstones in January has been rededicated after a community effort to repair the damage.
The rededication of Dreyfus Lodge Cemetery on Wednesday was attended by community leaders and representatives of the Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford and the Association of Jewish Cemeteries. People gave speeches and placed stones on each grave — a Jewish custom showing someone has visited a grave.
The cemetery is located within the Zion Hill Cemetery, which has been vandalized several times over the past five decades. Another cemetery in Zion Hill had 15 headstones damaged the same week as Dreyfus Lodge.
Police are calling the vandalism a hate crime and trying to determine who did it. Police also said they will be installing surveillance cameras.
