After a four-year antisemitic harassment campaign against Tree of Life-Or L’Simcha synagogue, its former director, and his family, a California woman was sentenced to 32 months prison on Thursday, according to the Florida Southern District US Attorney’s Office.
Riverside resident Melanie Harris, 59, made over 240 violent, threatening, and harassing anti-Jewish calls to the victims from February 2019 until her arrest until March 2023. Harris “made incessant references” to Tree of Life congregants murdered in the October 2018 massacre to both the Squirrel Hill synagogue and the family.
The adult child of the family was referred to by their first name in calls that referenced the murder of Holocaust victim Anne Frank and Jews going back to the Auschwitz death camp.
“I’ll cut your f***ing head off k***r,” Harris said in a Octrober 2022 voicemail. In another voicemail played for the court, she she repeatedly screamed “Seig Heil, Kill K***rs.”
Florida Southern District US Attorney said in a statement on Friday that Harris had terrorized the Jewish family, who lived in South Florida at the time.
Zero tolerance for hate
“Her hate-filled telephone calls and voicemails were abhorrent. No one should live in fear of threats, harassment, and hate-fueled violence,” said Markenzy Lapointe. “There is simply no place in our society for anyone who threatens Jews or anyone else in our diverse South Florida community.”
FBI Miami Field Office special agent Jeffrey Veltri said that his agency would continue to identify and arrest those engaged in such conduct.
“Melanie Harris sent threatening communications to a Jewish family using vile and inflammatory language,” said Veltri. “The nature of her threats of violence towards the victims and their faith were clearly meant to evoke a climate of fear and intimidation. Such conduct cannot be tolerated.”
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