A Rockland synagogue will hold a menorah lighting on Sunday despite damage caused by a vandal or vandals who knocked down the candelabrum earlier this week.

The large community menorah was vandalized Tuesday when bolts were removed so it could be toppled over, which resulted in several light bulbs breaking, according to a message posted Friday to the Adas Yoshuron Synagogue Facebook page.

“Upon inspection, this was clearly a case of vandalism,” the message from the board of directors reads. “The base of the menorah was still in place in the ground, so this was not a wind-related issue. It was purposefully detached from the base.”

The synagogue filed a police report and is seeking permission to install a security camera at the Rockland Harbor Hotel, which is across the street from the park where the menorah is displayed.

A synagogue employee reinstalled the menorah and replaced the broken bulbs.

“The real damage, however, is to our hearts and our spirits,” the statement said. “We condemn this act of vandalism and Anti-Semitism. We stand together in resistance to this revolting deed. Anti-Semitism, and all forms of racism, have no place in Rockland, Maine or in America.”

The statement continued: “While we may look different, embrace different traditions, and come from different backgrounds, we are united by an awareness that liberty only has meaning when it applies to everyone.”

The vandalism in Rockland comes at a time when antisemitic comments from professional athletes and musicians have been widely circulated on Twitter. 

Antisemitic incidents in the U.S. reached an all-time high in 2021, according to the Anti-Defamation League, with 2,717 incidents of assault, harassment and vandalism.

Earlier in the week, Adas Yoshuron’s Board President David Statman and Rockland Main Street’s Executive Director David Gogel released a joint statement condemning the vandalism.

“We are saddened that a small minority of community members have taken an action that stands in stark contrast with Rockland’s mission to be a welcoming and inclusive community,” they said. “Our hope is that the greater Rockland community and the people of midcoast Maine strongly condemn these acts and celebrate the religious diversity and tolerance we value in this country.”

The community lighting of the first candle will be at 5 p.m. Sunday, followed by an annual Hanukkah party at 6 p.m. Thursday.