STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Hate speech written on a synagogue wall in Meiers Corners was discovered early Thursday morning on the eve of a Jewish holiday celebrating unity and freedom from persecution.

The words “synagogue of Satan” were visible from Bradley Avenue, written on the Chabad of Staten Island synagogue, located on Harold Street.

Across the street, the letters “SOS” were written with spray paint on the Yeshiva Zichron Paltiel of Staten Island, referencing the aforementioned phrase.

Mendy Katzman, the associate director of Chabad of Staten Island, said that police believe the graffiti was written around midnight.

“It’s a very high traffic area,” Katzman said of the area surrounding the synagogue.

An unlocked fence offers an entrance to the wall “synagogue of Satan” is written on.

Katzman believes that the graffiti was written some time Wednesday night, which is the onset of Lag B’Omer, a Jewish holiday which celebrates Jewish unity across the world and is marked by parades, marches and bonfires.

Rabbi Moshe Katzman said that it is not uncommon to have students at the synagogue at all hours of the night, which led to the discovery.

In addition, the start of Lag B’Omer began Wednesday evening, which was marked with celebration from students at the synagogue.

The holiday also marks the anniversary of the death of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, who escaped the persecution of the Roman conquest of Jerusalem 2,000 years ago.

Katzman said that events for Lag B’Omer will be held Thursday evening.

A spokesman for the NYPD said that police were aware of the incident and were investigating.

A source with knowledge of the investigation said that police teams were in the field continuing to investigate the act, but that no arrests have yet been made.

As a result of the graffiti, Katzman said that security will have to be increased.

Rabbi Katzman said that the synagogue has “always left a door open.”

“We never thought twice,” he said, “and I can’t do that anymore.”

Rabbi Katzman said that the graffiti was discovered by members of the Yeshiva around 3 a.m.

Incidents of hate speech are not uncommon on Staten Island, and the Advance has reported on multiple instances of anti-Semitic graffiti that was found on the borough over the years.

Most recently, controversy arose when Westerleigh residents began placing signs on their lawn that read “Westerleigh Strong.”

The phrase was made in response to realtors asking Westerleigh homeowners to sell their homes to prospective homeowners from the Boro Park section of Brooklyn, a largely Orthodox Jewish community.

Fierce opposition to an influx of Jewish residents grew, and an Eruv -- an overhead religious wire -- being installed, led to a rising tide of fear in the neighborhood.

At a closed-door Westerleigh Improvement Society meeting at Immanuel Union Church -- where both press and non-Westerleigh residents were excluded -- an intense discussion among more than 150 people turned into the yelling of “anti-Semitic comments,” multiple sources previously told the Advance.

In a subsequent meeting, the president of the Clove Lake Civic Association countered accusations of anti-Semitism by saying opposition to it was based on legal issues.

“The issue is a safety issue. There are a set of rules and regulations for this to be put up, and they were not followed," Mary Ann McGowan said at Castleton Hill Moravian Church during a meeting in early May.

The Eruv was quietly taken down by the group who erected the overhead religious wire, the Advance learned on Thursday.

Mendy Katzman said that the most recent act could not be tied to the previous discussions in Westerleigh, but said that “unfortunately it’s a normal thing for there to be anti-Semitism in Staten Island."

Despite the act and rising tensions present in the area, Jewish religious leaders feel that perseverance is necessary to overcoming the incidents that have occurred in past weeks.

“We need to keep doing what we’re doing,” Mendy Katzman said.

Rabbi Katzman echoed these sentiments, saying, “We’re here, we’re staying” following the discovery of the graffiti.

“Life goes on,” he said.

A student at the synagogue from Brooklyn, who wished to only be named Berishrubin, 18, said that he learned of the graffiti at around 3 a.m. on Thursday, but said that the community has become “used to” the acts of anti-Semitism.

Max Rose, Staten Island’s lone Jewish public official, said, “Earlier today, I learned about the disgusting graffiti sprayed on a Staten Island synagogue."

“I have spoken with the Rabbi, and are working with NYPD to ensure the person or group responsible will be found and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” Rose said.

This has become more and more common in our city and it’s absolutely reprehensible. As a Jew, as a Staten Islander, and as our Congressman I refuse to sit by when these kind of incidents occur in this district," he added.

Mendy Katzman said that events for the Jewish holiday will commence, regardless of the graffiti and subsequent police investigation.

In reference to the aforementioned persecution of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, Mendy Katzman said that “2,000 years later, we’re dealing with the same thing. We are having attacks on our synagogue, people are writing ‘synagogue of Satan.’ ”

“But we’re still going to go out and be prideful and stand strong,” Mendy Katzman said.