To the editor:

As the Rabbi and President of Temple Habonim, Barrington's one and only synagogue, we were deeply disturbed and offended by the Barrington Times's coverage of the explicitly antisemitic vandalism that was displayed at Sherwood Field and amplified on the Times's front page. The large photograph of a spray-painted swastika, with the word "Heil," above it, was clear evidence of the vandal's intent to menace and intimidate Barrington's Jewish community. Nevertheless, despite this visible and blatant act of antisemitism, the accompanying story equated this act of hate with garden variety vandalism, including graffiti in the Port-A-Johns, strewn beer cans and Gatorade bottles, behavior pithily summarized by a Barrington town official as "the typical teenage stuff."  

This quote, however, reflected the article's overall tone and content, which utterly failed to recognize the gravity of Nazi symbols and language in our town's public space. Such demonstrable hate can never be considered "typical" in any way, shape or form. The Jewish community, both locally and nationally, is experiencing an unprecedented rise in antisemitism during the past several years. In Barrington, Providence, and Warwick, neo-Nazi groups have targeted Jewish neighborhoods with white supremacist and antisemitic propaganda.  We have seen a significant uptick in buildings and signs defaced by swastikas, and photographs of swastikas used in social media accounts to bully Jewish youth. Sadly, we are all too aware that the scourge of antisemitism - and all forms of hate against vulnerable minorities - is getting worse, not better.

During these challenging times, journalism's primary task is to uncover - and explain - the issues that impact our lives. In this instance, however, the Barrington Times's coverage managed both to sensationalize an act of hate (raising our level of fear and anxiety) while at the same time minimizing its significance to the affected community. We believe this poor decision requires a statement of contrition and a renewed commitment to journalism that reflects our town's highest ideals of fairness and inclusion. 

Rabbi Howard Voss-Altman

Temple Habonim

Heidi Brousseau

President Temple Habonim