My family moved to Singapore from New York in June 2010. Our first major experience with a Singaporean event was Racial Harmony Day the following month.

We were invited to a party celebrating all races and cultures that can be found in this vibrant, cosmopolitan city. We dressed up in Americana for the occasion, and marvelled at the unique concept - a purposeful celebration of the Other.

Since then, we have celebrated Racial Harmony Day with our children at their kindergartens and local primary schools.

We also engaged with a lot of different religious communities through our involvement with the United Hebrew Congregation (Singapore) and various Inter-Religious Organisation channels.

In the intervening years, though, I've also witnessed pervasive xenophobia and intolerance for some.

Regardless, I've come to feel in general that any systemic problems in Singapore are relatively minor compared with those in other countries, my home nation included.

So it came as a real shock to me when I learnt in January about the festering hate imported by a young man, and his plans to attack fellow citizens in the Muslim community.

In a country where there is civic duty and responsibility to one another, and a good amount of reverence for the state, it is astounding to find such an outlier.

I was then taken aback last month at finding anti-Semitic graffiti at the Xtreme Skate Park in East Coast Park, where I often take my children.

This week there was news of another youth's planned attack, this time on one of the Jewish synagogues in which I have worshipped in the past. Racial Harmony Day is a great set piece for Singaporean multiculturalism.

However, it isn't enough that we celebrate differences. We need to also educate young people about hate-based violence, as well as historical and modern crimes against humanity.

As Jews around the world next month commemorate the horrors of the Holocaust and remember the millions of souls lost, Singapore also needs to create a shared understanding and remember the worst of our humanity, not just the best.

Yoni Garbourg