Miami-Dade mayor visits site of vandalized synagogue

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava visited the site of the Chabad of Kendall that was vandalized last week.

She wanted to get a firsthand look at the damage as support from the community continues to pour in.

“This is absolutely disgusting and devastating, this is a beautiful campus that is here for children who need this help,” said Levine Cava.

Rabbi Yossi Harlig said he got the call Tuesday morning that the site under construction was hit with a major setback because of the bold acts of vandalism.

The electric box was cut, with critical wiring ripped away throughout the site, just to name some of the acts.

“It just wasn’t vandalism, it was vandalism and abhorrent that really affects both buildings completely,” said Harlig. “It sets us back financially and sets us back time-wise.”

Harlig believes the damage is in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

“This motivates us to reach out to more people,” he said.

Just as the facility was making significant progress to open its new synagogue and its new home for the Friendship Circle, which provides more than two dozen programs for hundreds of families with special needs children.

The mission will continue but it will take more time.

“Devastating, sick to my stomach that anyone would purposely sabotage this project that we’ve been working so hard on,” said Stacey Bolduc with Friendship Circle.

Added Levine Cava: “I’m going to be sure that nothing is spared in the investigation of this crime. We need to get to the bottom of this.”

A GoFundMe page was started to help the synagogue pay for the cost of repairing the damage, and that page can be found by clicking here.