Wounded, hurt, angry.

Those feelings channeled through Rabbi Harry Brechner after learning that five historic gravestones in Emanu-El Jewish Cemetery in Victoria B次元官网网址� all belonging to Holocaust survivors B次元官网网址� had been desecrated.

Victoria police say the large stones were spray-painted with black swastikas and other images sometime between 8 p.m. on Dec. 30 and the early morning hours of Dec. 31.

B次元官网网址淚 think I felt, on a certain level, violation, a bit wounded and from there it kind of moved to anger B次元官网网址� I think itB次元官网网址檚 perfectly natural to be angered when youB次元官网网址檝e been hurt,B次元官网网址� said Brechner, who has been a rabbi with Congregation Emanu-El, a Jewish synagogue in Victoria, for more than 10 years.

B次元官网网址淎side from maybe the Confederate flag or the hood of a Ku Klux Klansman, (the swastika) is a symbol of hatred directed towards us as Jews, and thatB次元官网网址檚 hard,B次元官网网址� Brechner said.

The case is being investigated by police as a hate crime, which potentially could result in hate crime charges in addition to charges of mischief, said Const. Mike Russell, Victoria police spokesperson.

ItB次元官网网址檚 not the first time a hate crime against the Jewish community has happened in Victoria.

A city park near the Chabad Synagogue at Quadra and Finlayson streets was tagged with spray-painted swastikas two years ago, Brechner said.

But the cemetery vandalism is especially shocking to the Jewish community. There are between 2,000 and 4,000 Jews living on Vancouver Island, most of them in the Capital Region, the Victoria resident said.

B次元官网网址淚 think the cemetery is sacred ground,B次元官网网址� Brechner said. B次元官网网址淭o enter a cemetery and desecrate graves is different than spraying graffiti on a playground. ItB次元官网网址檚 got a different impact.B次元官网网址�

To help heal the pain, the public is invited to attend a vigil on Sunday (Jan. 8) at 1 p.m. at the cemetery, located at Cedar Hill and Fernwood roads, off Hillside Avenue.

In the meantime, Brechner plans to speak on the anti-Semitic act at his synagogueB次元官网网址檚 Saturday service.

His message, especially to children, will be: B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e safe, weB次元官网网址檙e strong.B次元官网网址�

The Jewish community has been shown tremendous support during this difficult time, Brechner said, adding that many people have offered to help clean up the desecrated gravestones in the burial ground that was consecrated in 1860.

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e not experiencing this alone,B次元官网网址� Brechner said.

A Victoria police detective is leading the investigation, and plans to liaise with B.C.B次元官网网址檚 Hate Crime Team of RCMP and Vancouver police officers B次元官网网址� the only provincial hate crime policing team in Canada, said Russell.

Police are hoping a tipster will shed light on this case.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.