Chicago, IL, November 18, 2003…The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today condemned the vicious arson of a museum dedicated to memorializing the Holocaust, located in Terre Haute, Indiana.  The CANDLES Museum, started by a Holocaust survivor who lives in the community, was destroyed by the fire, as were numerous artifacts included in the museum's exhibit.  Initial reports indicate that someone wrote "Remember Timmy McVeigh" on a wall of the museum, referring to the Oklahoma City bomber executed at the federal penitentiary in Terre Haute.

Richard S. Hirschhaut, ADL Midwest Director, issued the following statement: 

We are shocked and saddened by the loss of this museum, a place dedicated to educating people from Indiana and Illinois about the tragedy of the Holocaust and the dangers of unchecked hate.  For this museum to have been targeted for destruction by those who venerate Timothy McVeigh, a hate-filled extremist responsible for untold pain and suffering, is outrageous.  We trust the perpetrators do not represent the values of the good people of Terre Haute.  This heinous crime further underscores the need to modify the Indiana hate crime statute to include penalty enhancements for hate crimes.

ADL is offering a reward of $2,500 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the perpetrator or perpetrators of this hateful act.

The Anti-Defamation League, founded in 1913, is the world's leading organization fighting anti-Semitism through programs and services that counteract hatred, prejudice and bigotry.