The rancorous presidential election seems to have spilled onto the lawn of Tampa's Congregation Schaarai Zedek.

An American flag with an anti-Semitic message was found Saturday afternoon just outside the Jewish synagogue's protective walls along Swann Avenue.

Rabbi Richard Birnholz could not remember the exact wording but said it was scribbled in marker or pen and blamed the Jews for what the messenger believes to be the biased media and a dangerous open-border immigration policy.

"We're not very happy," Birnholz said. "Jews have been accused of all kinds of things through the ages, and just as in the past, we certainly are not responsible for whatever someone feels are this nation's ills.

"I'm just as disgusted that somebody would desecrate an American flag in the process of sending such a message. Clearly, whoever wrote it is frustrated."

Birnholz would not mention the Republican presidential nominee by name but alluded to his campaign rhetoric as possibly being at the root of this message.

"Who has been talking about the media and who has been talking about immigration?" Birnholz said.

In recent days, Donald Trump has blamed the media for conspiring against his campaign.

And since he launched his bid for president, the real estate tycoon has called for stricter immigration policies that include building a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border and temporarily banning Muslims from entering the country.

"We know different groups have been singled out, generally minority groups," Birnholz said. "It would be hard to say it is not somehow tied to that sort of anxiety that has been whipped up."

Birnholz said the Tampa Police Department was investigating the incident. Police said they would comment Monday.

On Sunday, Congregation Schaarai Zedek president Bob Tannenbaum sent out an email about the desecrated flag to the synagogue's 1,100 families.

"Out of an ongoing abundance of caution, we maintain a robust security presence," said the email.

The synagogue, built in 1894, already has strong security with high walls, gates, surveillance cameras and an alarm system.

Thanks to a recently awarded $75,000 grant from the Department of Homeland Security, more cameras will be installed in the near future, Birnholz said.

The federal agency distributes grants annually to nonprofit agencies at high risk of terrorist attacks.

Birnholz, who has been with Schaarai Zedek for 30 years, said the last such incident he can remember occurred when the Tampa Stadium was still around.

"We'd get faxes from some group with nasty messages," he said. "While this has not been an everyday occurrence, this is not the first time."

Times news researcher Caryn Baird contributed to this report. Contact Paul Guzzo at pguzzo@tampabay.com or (813) 226-3394. Follow @PGuzzoTimes.