Menorah vandalized in Evanston at hospital facility

EVANSTON, Ill. (WLS) -- Police are looking for the vandals who damaged a menorah in north suburban Evanston.

The six-foot tall electric menorah stands outside a hospital facility, which is run by the Chicago Mitzvah Campaign and provides assistance to the families of patients.

On Thursday, the menorah's lights were smashed and ripped out its switches.

"It deeply, deeply hurts me to stand next to a damaged menorah but I know we will repair it and we will have a new menorah right here that will continue to bring light," said Rabbi Aron Wolf, the director of the Chicago Mitzvah Campaign. "This is the purpose of Hanukkah, is to bring light into a dark world."

Evanston police are investigating the vandalism as criminal damage to property, but are keeping open the possibility this may be a hate crime.