PORTLAND – For the second time in less than two weeks, an advertisement in the Portland Press Herald has Jewish community leaders concerned there is an anti-Semitic tone being allowed on the daily newspaper’s pages.

The Washington, D.C.-based director of Reform Judaism’s Religious Action Center, meanwhile, said he is greatly alarmed that another ad with “overt anti-Semitic content” was published.

The advertisement for PeoplesChoice Credit Union of Biddeford ran on Page B9 of Wednesday’s Press Herald. It was designed to look like an Old West “wanted” poster, including a photo of a man with what critics called stereotypical features, evoking the image of Jews as usurers and unethical money lenders. The ad calls the man “The Fee Bandit,” and describes him as “charming and polite,” and one who “smiles as he takes your money in ways big and small …”

Credit union President Luke Labbe on Thursday said the ad was the second in a series of “throwback” ads created by Kimberly McCall Advertising in Freeport. Labbe said the first ad, a pirate in period costume, ran last week without much fanfare. Posters of the “banker” ad, which had been hanging in the York County credit union’s branches for the past two weeks without complaint, were removed on Wednesday, he said.

“This past ad seems to have stirred it up,” said Labbe, who received nearly a dozen calls condemning the ad on Thursday. “We have pulled the ad and we will be changing the picture. We do apologize if anyone was offended by the picture of, what we thought, was a banker in period costume.”

Labbe said the Press Herald never questioned him, or the agency, about the ad, which also appeared in Thursday’s weekly Saco-Biddeford-Old Orchard Beach Courier.

On Feb. 3, an advertisement in the Religion and Values section of the Press Herald announced a sermon from a South Portland Baptist preacher titled “The Only Way to Destroy the Jewish Race.” The advertisement drew immediate and harsh criticism from the Jewish community and prompted written apologies from the minister and the newspaper’s advertising director, who said new safeguards were in place to prevent another incident.

Rabbi Alice Dubinsky of Congregation Bet Ha’am in South Portland on Wednesday said she hopes this time Press Herald officials will sit down with community members to discuss the hurtful messages and ensure it won’t happen again. She said a letter of apology is not enough.

“One time is a mistake,” she said. “Two times is a policy.”

Dubinsky said she expects a certain level of sophistication from the newspaper, including the ability to identify an ad that is anti-Semitic.

“It may be the staff needs some sensitivity training,” Dubinsky said Thursday. “If they can’t tell that’s an anti-Semitic ad, then something is really wrong.”

Press Herald President and Chief Executive Officer Charles C. Cochrane on Thursday would not discuss the ads.

“We don’t discuss that – you’d need to call the advertiser about that,” Cochrane said. “Have a nice day.” He hung up before a reporter could reply. Messages left for Advertising Director Rob Blethen were not immediately returned.

Meanwhile, members of the local Jewish community are hoping to mobilize public support from Maine’s civic leadership.

Cumberland attorney Kenneth Lehman also made phone calls Wednesday to alert others to the advertisement. He said there is an immediate need for dialog about why the ad is offensive. “It’s a matter of ignorance,” Lehman said. He said he assumes some newspaper readers will view the ad as clever and cute.

Jewish Community Alliance Executive Director Emily Sandberg said she did not believe the advertisement was created or run as an act of malice.

But, she said, “It is hurtful to the Jewish community.”

Those sentiments were echoed by Steve Wessler, executive director of the Center for the Prevention of Hate Violence.

“The ad is disturbing,” Wessler said. “It taps into very old and very offensive stereotypes of Jews in the banking industry taking people’s money. I don’t know if it was intended, but the people involved are degrading Jews and keeping alive these old destructive stereotypes.”

Wessler added that he and the Jewish Community Alliance are collaborating to ensure an end to similar ads in the Press Herald. He said the alliance planned to contact the newspaper’s leadership Friday to set up a meeting. He said the alliance may push for sensitivity training.

Forecaster writers Randy Billings, Steve Mistler and Peter Smith contributed to this report.