CLAYTON — About a week after an arsonist set three vehicles on fire and left antisemitic graffiti here, Jewish and Christian clergy and Clayton's top elected official spoke at a nearby synagogue Monday to decry the crime and to show solidarity.

"Antisemitic acts are not just a threat to our Jewish citizens but a threat to our democratic ideals," Mayor Bridget McAndrew said at the late-afternoon gathering at the Kol Rinah congregation on Maryland Avenue.

"Hateful actions may divide us but our shared values unite us."

McAndrew said Clayton was strengthened by its diversity and that residents' many different backgrounds, varied beliefs and unique perspectives make the city "vibrant and resilient."

About 175 people attended the event, which was titled "Standing Together: A Gathering for He

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