By Raffaela Kenny-Cincotta, News Correspondent

In the early hours of Friday, Nov. 30, the menorah in Krentzman Quad was vandalized. At about 1 a.m., the menorah, a symbol of the eight-day Jewish holiday Hanukkah, was bent at the base while an adjacent Christian nativity scene went untouched, according to the Northeastern University Division of Public Safety (NUPD) crime log.

In a university-wide email with a subject line that read “Respecting Religious Diversity,” Northeastern President Joseph E. Aoun called the incident “deeply disturbing.”

Spokesman Mike Armini confirmed that the vandalism was of a physical nature, with significant damages being sustained to the menorah that evening.

A few hours after Aoun’s message was delivered, a second email came from Dr. Laura Wankel, vice president of student affairs. She reported that two Northeastern students confessed to the vandalism. Armini said NUPD used surveillance video to help identify the vandals.

“When they were confronted, they accepted responsibility,” he said.

Arthur Maserjian, the acting president of NU Hillel expressed sadneess over the vandalism.

“I think it’s a very sad and unfortunate thing that took place,” he said. “We can learn from this and the overwhelming majority of the student body condemns any sort of act of intolerance to any sort of group.”

The Boston Globe reported that on the same day as the vandalism of Northeastern’s menorah, another anti-Semitic incident occurred at Harvard College in Cambridge. According to the Globe, “fliers bearing anti-Semitic and other offensive references were distributed in some Harvard College residences.” The papers were slipped under doors in several upperclassmen dormitories and advertised a fake social club. The fliers contained the phrases “Jews need not apply” and “Seriously, no [expletive] Jews. Coloreds OK.”

Maserjian noted that the vandalizing of the Krentzman Quad menorah Friday night was not the first act of religious insensitivity on Northeastern’s campus, and a similar incident occurred last year.

“The way I described it to one person is the menorah itself, as a symbol of Hanukkah, is a symbol of desecration and rededication,” Maserjian said. “I think that the lesson in that is when something negative happens, we as a community need to rededicate ourselves to becoming a stronger, more tolerant community.”

The Office of Student Affairs and Center for Spirituality, Dialogue and Service are hosting a candlelight vigil in Krentzman Quad today at 4 p.m.