Poway (special) -- Anti-Semitic vandals spraypainted hate slogans and symbols on the southern and eastern walls of Temple Adat Shalom in Poway. The vandalism was discovered at 6:30 a.m. On Monday, Dec. 28, by maintenance worker Eddie Paguia when he arrived for work.

The vandals concentrated on external walls of the synagogue that could not be easily observed from nearby Pomerado Road.

Members of the Reform congregation and the Anti-Defamation League responded by offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the perpetrators.

Police evacuated eight office workers from the synagogue from 10 a.m. Until noon after a suspicious-looking bag was found on the grounds near a trash dumpster. After a robotic device retrieved the bag, its contents were determined to be harmless trash.Police also reported that some "items" had been thrown on the roof, also apparently harmless. The items were not further
described.

The names "Casuto" and "ADL" were spraypainted on doors leading respectively to the Sam and Rose Stein Educational Center of Adat Shalom and to the congregation's main sanctuary. The names were references to the Anti-Defamation League and its San Diego regional director, Morris Casuto.

Casuto said it was the first time his name and that of the ADL had been spraypainted by vandals, and suggested that "obviously we are annoying them. On one level you have to be somewhat apprehensive; at the other level it is, I think, a reflection of the fact that they think we are doing a good job. A rather strange vote of confidence, but I think it indicates that they don't like us."

At a news conference announcing the reward, Rick Barton, chairman of the local ADL region, said of the vandals: "These people have succeeded in occupying our time and energy in dealing with this today, but they have done nothing to dampen our spirit and our resolve. Our message back is very simply that we will not tolerate the desecration of synagogues or any other
house of worship here in the United States. To that end, we are working closely with law enforcement to attempt to apprehend individuals who are responsible for this."

Gail Littman, president of Temple Adat Shalom, said she wants the youth of the congregation to know that such incidents are "upsetting" and "concerning, but that we shouldn't be frightened by these acts, and that we are proud to be Jews." She said members of the B'nai B'rith Youth Organization promptly volunteered to clean from the temple the white swastikas, Celtic
crosses, number 88 and such slogans as "Get Out!" and "Back to Israel."

Casuto said the number 8 is used as code for the eighth letter of the alphabet -- H-- and that "88" usually signifies "HH" meaning "heil Hitler." As for the Celtic cross, "it is used by a lot of racist groups- unfortunately--because it is a legitimate religious symbol," Casuto said.

San Diego Police Capt. Fred Moeller declared the vandalism to be a "hate crime" and gave his assurances that "we are going to do whatever we can to hold the perpetrators of this accountable."

Rabbi Deborah Prinz told reporters that the incident "is not going to affect us in our spirit or in our hearts. We are just going to persist in our work. It hasn't damaged us really. It has distracted us from our business of the day, but it is not in any overwhelming way going to turn our course or change what we do."

Among the students who scrubbed away the hate slogans were Peter Ginsberg, Josh Boronkay and Marc Eagleton, all members of the Rancho Bernardo B'nai B'rith Youth Organization.

"It's kind of shocking in a season during which so many people preach peace, happiness and prosperity," Boronkay said.