Martin County detectives are looking for those responsible for tossing antisemitic literature near a number of homes in Port Salerno.
Sheriff William Snyder says nearly 50 residences off Jefferson Street and St. Lucie Boulevard received the flyers, which were in plastic bags and weighed down with rice. The sheriff calls the activity “reprehensible."
“It’s impossible to tell if any one single house was targeted. Some ended up on property. Some of the bags ended up on the street. Some ended up on the right of way,” said Sheriff Snyder.
The sheriff says road patrol will be keeping a closer watch on area synagogues in the coming days. He says at a minimum, the crime would be littering with a chance it could be a hate crime if certain criteria are met.
“It’s nothing new nationally. It’s just very, very unusual here in Martin County," Snyder said.
Rabbi Matthew Durbin of Temple Beit HaYam in Stuart said news of the flyers made him angry and sad.
“It makes me angry that we live in a beautiful area that can be sullied by others’ misinterpretation of what the Jewish people stand for,” said Rabbi Durbin.
Durbin said they had received hate literature in the mail in the past and contacted the FBI. He said his congregation's strong interfaith connections are needed now more than ever.
“I think one of the most important takeaways we can take from it is that we do need support. We as a Jewish community cannot fight this alone,” he said.
Similar flyers were found outside homes in Palm Beach County and in Vero Beach last year.
