Vandals in Belgium damage Holocaust memorial

Vandals damaged a Holocaust memorial in the Belgian city of Ghent, some 50 kilometers west of Brussels, on the eve of a Kristallnacht (“Night of the Broken Glass”) commemoration.

The so-called Michaël Lustig monument, in the shape of a dreidel, is located at the confluence of a major canal. It was ripped off its foundation and left on its side.

The monument, consisting of a marble floor with a copper toll, was installed in 1998. The artwork bears the names of the Jews in Ghent who were deported to Nazi camps during World War II.

The Jewish community of Ghent was founded at the end of the 19th century  and grew between the two world wars.

Today, only a small number of Jews live in the city.