WASHINGTON HEIGHTS — A graffiti mural of a rabbi with a lit bomb has been painted over after it was discovered on the staircase of 187th Street and Ft. Washington Avenue, causing concern among some neighbors.
The image showed a black and white rabbi holding his arms up, with the words "Let Me Go" sprawled across the chest. A lit bomb painted with the white outline of a peace sign at its feet, was found early Friday.
The mural was painted over late Friday afternoon by workers from LEM Roofing. It was not immediately clear who sent the painters.
Several people living in Washington Heights said they were angry the graffiti was painted in a neighborhood with such a large Jewish community.
"Seriously — in this neighborhood," Antonio Vazquez said as he walked past the image.
"I'm shocked," he said, "I'm Latino — but we have neighbors from eastern Europe and Hasidic Jews — that's basically the neighborhood."
The mural was painted down the street from several Jewish centers, including Mt. Sinai Jewish Center and the Jewish Community Council.
The NYPD did not immediately respond to questions about whether police are investigating the appearance of the mural.
