Natick marchers look to put positive spin on symbol of hate

NATICK, Mass — For centuries, swastikas served as symbols of prosperity. All that changed with the rise of Nazi Germany. Now, for so many, swastikas serve as symbols of fear, oppression and pain. That’s especially true for Jews -- the primary targets of Nazi genocide.

And swastikas still emanate intimidation -- and that’s also especially true for Jews. So no surprise, then, the outrage last week over a swastika spray-painted on the Boden Lane Bridge, just down the street from the Natick Chabad Center. The bridge stretches over the MBTA’s West Natick station, making the swastika also visible to numerous rail commuters.

Sunday, Rabbi Levi Fogelman organized a community march from the bridge back to the Chabad Center. It wasn’t an attempt to draw negative attention to the graffiti, but rather to meet the vandalism with unity and civility.

“We want to transform that message into a message of positivity,” Rabbi Levi said. “Often, a lot of times we go over it too much. We respond to negative events and we go over it too much. And so perhaps those that tried to intimidate are looking to create that fear. We don’t want to give them the publicity that they seek but don’t deserve.”

Instead, the marchers hoped to repel hatred with a show of community. And so they set off in the rain -- the morning growing more dreary as the hours passed. But the weather didn’t seem to matter.

“There’s no place for ugliness in this season,” said Rabbi Dr. Raysh Weiss of Temple Israel in Natick. “There’s no place for the ugliness of hate.”

But there IS a place for a law enforcement investigation. And Natick Police Chief James Hicks said officers are keeping an eye out for the kind of publicity that could lead them to a culprit.

“It’s old-fashioned bragging or talking or social media posts, things like that,” Hicks said. “We will keep monitoring all of that.”

In recent days, someone softened the offensive scar on the bridge with matte black paint. Hatred, once again, successfully obscured -- if not erased.

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