New Nation Swastika Sightings



Residents across LA County grow concerned as more vehicles are being spray-painted with swastikas​

At least three vehicles have been vandalized in Ladera Heights in the past month, according to neighbors.

Shayla Girardin Image

ByShayla Girardin
KABC logo

Saturday, September 30, 2023 9:39PM


More reports of swastikas spray-painted on vehicles being investigated


Residents in several Los Angeles County neighborhoods are growing concerned as authorities investigate several vandalism/hate crimes in which swastikas are being spray-painted on vehicles.

LADERA HEIGHTS, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Residents in several Los Angeles County neighborhoods are growing concerned as authorities investigate several vandalism/hate crimes in which swastikas are being spray-painted on vehicles.

At least three vehicles have been vandalized in Ladera Heights in the past month, according to neighbors.

Police said in one of the most recent cases, which occurred along Mosley Avenue in the View Park-Windsor Hills area, a woman found a swastika spray-painted on the hood of her car.

Another incident happened Thursday morning near 59th Street and Orlando Avenue in Ladera Heights. The sheriff's department reported the same type of vandalism near the area along Kings Road and said a similar incident happened two weeks before.

Dominique Porche was one of the victims and told Eyewitness News she woke up to find a lime green swastika painted on her Discovery SUV.

"We're definitely getting cameras, for sure," she said. "We've definitely stepped into a day and age where we need cameras. We don't feel safe."

Dion Fearon called the incidents foolish and hopes the person or people responsible are caught soon.

"I had to help her clean a swastika off of her car," she said. "Who wants to do that? She has kids. What do you explain to a 13-year-old or even the 5-year-old? What do you say to them about that foolishness on the car?"

The crimes were being investigated by the Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. No suspect information has been released.

Anyone with information is urged to contact authorities.

Ladera Heights, California - Wikipedia

The racial makeup of Ladera Heights was
4,786 (73.7%) African American,
979 (15.1%) White (13.3% Non-Hispanic White), [17]
20 (0.3%) Native American,
231 (3.6%) Asian,
2 (0.0%) Pacific Islander,
134 (2.1%) from other races,
346 (5.3%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 355 people (5.5%).
 

Pro-Palestinian rally met by Israel supporters in Midtown as Hochul slams ‘abhorrent’ demonstration after Hamas attack​



By
Jared Downing and
Jorge Fitz-Gibbon



Published Oct. 8, 2023, 1:18 p.m. ET











Hundreds of pro-Palestinian demonstrators, organized by the Democratic Socialists of America, rallied Sunday in the Big Apple — stomping on and burning the Israeli flag — as Islamic terrorists in the Gaza Strip continued their assault on the Jewish state.


Scores of counter-protesters turned out in support of Israel at the Manhattan rally, too, with verbal clashes between the opposing sides escalating throughout the day and at least one skirmish breaking out near the United Nations compound in Midtown.


One attendee in the pro-Palestinian camp was pictured holding up an image of a swastika on their phone — a day after 700 Jews were slaughtered by Hamas.


The New York City chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) — the party of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) and a couple dozen other prominent New York politicians — had announced the 1 p.m. rally in Times Square on Saturday just hours after Hamas’ surprise attack on Israel that left hundreds dead and thousands wounded.


The announcement drew immediate condemnation from Gov. Kathy Hochul, who called the planned demonstration “abhorrent and morally repugnant.”


A couple hundred demonstrators turned out to the rally at West 43rd Street and Broadway, shouting “Free Palestine!” and holding up signs saying, “End all US aid to Israel” and “Palestine will be free.”




A rally attendee shows a swastika on their phone. 8
A rally attendee shows a swastika on their phone.Stuart Meissner
The rally turned contentious as pro-Israel demonstrators met the Palestinian sympathizers. 8
The rally turned contentious as pro-Israel demonstrators met the Palestinian sympathizers.James Keivom
8
Barricades kept the two sides separated.James Keivom
“It’s not about Hamas,” Mohammed Radi, a West Bank-born New Jersey resident, told The Post. “It’s about civilian suffering and to stop the killing on both sides.


“I don’t want to see any Jewish people or any Palestinian people killed,” the man said.


Aaron Kirshenbaum, a recent college graduate from Brooklyn who attended the rally with his father, said, “It’s important for Judaism to be divorced from Zionism.


“Being aligned with an oppressive state is extremely limiting,” he said.


Pro-Israel demonstrators protest in Times Square on the second day of the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas, in Manhattan in New York City, U.S., October 8, 2023. 8
At the time of the rally, 700 Israelis had been killed by Hamas terrorists. REUTERS

Worst attack on Israel in 50 years: How we got here​


2005: Israel unilaterally withdraws from the Gaza Strip over three decades after winning the territory from Egypt in the Six-Day War.
2006: Terrorist group Hamas wins a Palestinian legislative election.
2007: Hamas seizes control of Gaza in a civil war.
2008: Israel launches military offensive against Gaza after Palestinian terrorists fired rockets into the town of Sderot.
2023: Hamas launches the biggest attack on Israel in 50 years.
Over 700 Israelis are dead over 2,150 are wounded and 100 were taken hostage with the death toll expected to rise after Hamas terrorists fired thousands of rockets and sent dozens of militants into Israeli towns.
Hamas terrorists were seen taking female hostages and parading them down the street in horrifying videos.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced “We are at war” and vowed Hamas would pay “a price it has never known.”
Gaza health officials report at least 300 Palestinians have been killed with 2,200 injured.

8
Protesters gathering in Times Square.
Some of the rallygoers split off and marched to the Consulate General of Israel on Second Avenue near East 43rd Street, with that group growing to about 100 people by around 5 p.m.


Some 200 counter-demonstrators showed up to voice their opposition, and the two increasingly confrontational groups faced off behind police barricades set up on opposite sides of the street as cops kept watch.


“New York is allowing these f–king animals to protest,” counter-protester Richard Friend said. “They just murdered hundreds of innocent Israelis, and now they’re dancing in the streets!


“It’s an embarrassment to New York City.”




Tensions flared after several protesters — some draped in Palestinian flags — grabbed an Israeli flag, stomped it, ripped it and set it on fire.


When a counter-protester went to retrieve the flag, groups of people stormed past the barricades and scuffles broke out.


Cops could be seen struggling to control the crowd, with one man draped in a Palestinian flag taken to the ground by police officers.


“Anyone else comes out is gonna get arrested,” a frustrated officer finally told the mob. “That’s it.”


Three people were arrested for disorderly conduct and given summonses, police said. It wasn’t clear which side they were on.


Pro-Palestinian demonstrators protest in Times Square on the second day of the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas, in Manhattan in New York City, U.S., October 8, 2023. 8
Gov. Kathy Hochul, in a statement, slammed the rally as “abhorrent.”REUTERS


Follow along with The Post’s live blog for the latest on Hamas’ attack on Israel




For many Israelis in New York, Sunday’s rally added insult to injury.


One counter-protester, Omri, a 27-year-old Israeli, was in tears as he recounted losing three friends in the surprise attack back home.


“They went for a party, a party for peace,” he said. “How can they celebrate this? They are killing people who want peace.”


Local politicians agreed.


House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, a Brooklyn Democrat, said in a statement that he “strongly and unequivocally condemns the hate-filled rally held by the DSA in New York City and any effort to support the barbaric, inhumane and despicable terrorist attack by Hamas on the State of Israel and its citizens.


“The bond between the United States and Israel will always be unbreakable,’’ he said.


Mayor Eric Adams also took to social media to denounce the rally.


Protesters gathering Times Square to march against the Israeli and Palestinian war. 8
The attack by Hamas has drawn worldwide condemnation and prompted the NYPD to increase security at synagogues, the Israeli Consulate and other Jewish sites in the five boroughs. DANIEL WILLIAM MCKNIGHT
Pro-Palestinian demonstrators protest in Times Square on the second day of the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas, in Manhattan in New York City, U.S., October 8, 2023. 8
The progressive group announced the controversial rally on Saturday, just hours after Hamas terrorists launched a surprise deadly assault on Israeli towns, leaving hundreds dead and thousands wounded.REUTERS



“At a moment when innocent people are being slaughtered and children kidnapped in Israel, it is disgusting that this group of extremists would show support for terrorism,” he said on X.


“New York City rejects this. Do not use our streets to spread your hate.”
 

NYC deli vandalized with swastika after pro-Israel social media posts​



By
Jared Downing and
Alyssa Guzman



Published Oct. 17, 2023, 7:03 p.m. ET










A New York City deli was vandalized with a swastika in an anti-Semitic attack that took place after the eatery posted pro-Israel content on their social media.


The owner of the 2nd Avenue Deli told The Post that a tenant of the Upper East Side building alerted him that the storefront had been defaced with a hate symbol.


“This morning, we saw it,” Lebewohl said outside the restaurant. “It’s just horrible. It makes me sad.


“It’s sad that people just feel the need to say they hate Jews in 2023. That people can just be so open about it. That Jew hatred is out therein now people just feel more empowered to say it.”


This is the first time Lebewohl has a symbol of hate plastered on his building, but he said he has “always been prepared for that to happen.”


Lebewohl, who owns the building, was concerned about hanging Israeli and American flags in his window because he feared people would “come throw rocks in my storefront.”


The swastika. 4
Manhattan’s 2nd Avenue Deli was notified by a tenant that lives in the apartment above their Upper East Side storefront that it had been defaced with a swastika, owner Jeremy Lebewohl told The Post Tuesday. Matthew McDermott
He was dismayed about the prospect of vandalize.


“That’s a sad thing to say that if I would hang two flags in my window in New York City that someone would feel the need to vandalize my property,” he said.


The deli lamented the hateful damage in a post on its Instagram page.


“Thank you for reminding us that we are on the right side of history,” read a message alongside a photograph of the Nazi symbol with the words “home land security” and “Israel pride.”


 Jeremy Lebewohl outside the 2nd Avenue Deli. 4
“It’s sad that people just feel the need to say they hate Jews in 2023. That people can just be so open about it. That Jew hatred is out therein now people just feel more empowered to say it,” Lebewohl said outside the restaurant. “It’s just horrible. It makes me sad.”
“This isn’t just a fight about land. This isn’t just a fight about Israel. This isn’t just a fight with all the Jews of the world. This is a fight of good vs evil.”


The kosher restaurant — which was certified James Beard American Classic in 1998 — featured pro-Israel content on its social media pages, including an image of the country’s flag, since the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attack on Israel.


“We stand with Israel. We stand against the clear evil that has once again shown itself today,” the company wrote on the day of the attacks.


The 2nd Ave Deli. 4
This is the first time Lebewohl has had a swastika plastered on his building, but he said he has “always been prepared for that to happen.” The NYPD is investigating the incident.Matthew McDermott
But Lebewohl said he has been “careful not to be provocative” in order to protect the store.


Since the violence broke out, the company has foregone its usual content of highlighting its foods and drinks to post updates on the war and violence taking place, especially underscoring the deaths of children.


“I would never take pleasure, God forbid, in the deaths of Palestinian civilians,” Lebewohl said. “But there’s a big difference between saying that all civilians should be protected when you have a group of people that are purposely killing, mutilating, slaughtering civilians.


“Everybody should be able to say black and white, teenage girls being raped, babies being killed in front of their parents, no context is required, every person should be able to say very clearly that is horrible.”


Police speaking with Lebewohl outside his business. 4
The kosher restaurant – which was certified as a James Beard American Classic in 1998 – has flooded its social media pages with pro-Israel content, including of the country’s flag on Oct. 7, when the war broke out. But Lebewohl said he has been “careful not to be provocative” to protect the store. Matthew McDermott
Jeffrey Haberman, 74, who occasionally eats at the deli, said the graffiti was “reprehensible” and “despicable.”


Haberman said within the last month, he knows of three synagogues that were vandalized, including the one he attends, Or Zarua. He said he isn’t worried of his own safety, but the acts show how much influence the cause of Hamas has outside its borders.


“This isn’t by accident. Hamas has enough of a reach. People are sending very clear messages that they don’t want Jews here. But if you vandalize, it will not make a difference. We are not leaving.”


The 2nd Avenue Deli was originally founded in 1954 as an East Village luncheonette on East 10th Street by Lebewohl’s uncle Abe Lebewohl.


The NYPD said that the act of hate was under investigation.


Nearly 3,000 people have died in the Gaza Strip, while almost 10,000 have been injured, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. Nearly two-thirds who have died have been children.


Another 1,200 are believed to be buried under rubble.
 

Westchester man driving swastika-covered car arrested for illegally carrying loaded gun​



By
David Propper



Published Oct. 26, 2023, 8:25 p.m. ET













A Westchester County man was arrested for illegally possessing a loaded semi-automatic gun after cops stopped his car that was covered in swastikas and anti-Israel messages, prosecutors said.
Elmsford resident Hani Saleh, 47, was taken into custody Wednesday in White Plains when police found the weapon inside his car following the traffic stop, authorities said.
Saleh told police he was “trying to educate the public to the true events in the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas,” according to a criminal complaint.
Prosecutors alleged a semi-automatic firearm that was loaded with ten .40 caliber rounds of ammunition was found under the driver’s seat of his car.
The hateful messages on his Volkswagen Passat included a Star of David and swastika intertwined and an American flag that had the white Nazi symbol where the 50 stars should be, according to photos from the complaint provided by the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office.
Saleh’s car also had “Hamas resistance is not terrorism” scrolled on it and “New ISIS” next to the American and Israeli flags, additional photos showed.
A photo circulating on social media that appears to be the same car shows a Palestinian flag on top of the vehicle.

Swastika on carElmsford resident Hani Saleh, 47, was taken into custody Wednesday in White Plains when police found the weapon inside his car following the traffic stop, authorities said. Twitter/@JewishWonk
Saleh told police he’s been stopped at multiple locations in Westchester because of the writings and depictions on his car and was in contact with the FBI as recently as last week due to his car, cops said in the complaint.


”I’m trying to educate the public on the true events in the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas. President Biden is a Zionist,” he allegedly said, adding he planned on driving to DC to protest the war.


Saleh was initially pulled over because had painted writings across his entire windshield, White Plains police said. The car was impounded because the license plate was allegedly fake, leading to the discovery of the gun, authorities said.


“I thank our federal and local law enforcement partners for working together expeditiously to seize the illegal firearm and apprehend this defendant,” District Attorney Mimi Rocah said in a statement.


[IMG alt="On 10/25/23 at approximately 1023hrs, after receiving several reports of a suspicious vehicle covered with hate speech, Officers stopped a vehicle bearing an Arizona Registration at South Lexington Ave / Quarropas St. in White Plains. The license plate on the vehicle had been apparently illegally altered and the vehicle also had writing painted across the entire windshield obstructing the driver's view.
"]https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/white-plains-1.jpg?w=986[/IMG]
”I’m trying to educate the public on the true events in the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas. President Biden is a Zionist,” he allegedly said, adding he planned on driving to DC to protest the war.Facebook/White Plains Public Safety
He was arraigned Thursday in White Plains City Court on second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, a felony, the district attorney’s office said.
He was remanded with his next court date set for Nov. 2.
 

Swastikas and ‘Free Palestine’ found spray-painted in tony Montauk​



By
Alex Oliveira



Published Oct. 30, 2023, 6:19 p.m. ET











Anti-Semitic graffiti was found spray-painted across Montauk Monday morning, including crudely rendered swastikas and scrawled letters that appeared to read “Free Palestine.”


The hateful symbols and phrases were discovered plastered across the doors, fencing, and picnic tables of two downtown restaurants — Naturally Good, and Sausages Pizza and Pastabilities — and on food trucks and signage about two miles away at Ditch Plains Beach.


“With the current climate and the state of affairs in the world it is troubling that an individual — or, individuals — would act out in such a manner,” East Hampton Town Police Captain Chris Anderson told Newsday.


Another phrase appeared to read “Jeden die,” though it is unclear exactly what that meant.


“The spelling is not great,” Anderson said, noting even the “Free Palestine” graffiti was difficult to understand.


The vandalism was first reported to cops “before sunrise,” Chief Michael Sarlo told the East Hampton Star, and investigators believe it was done sometime Sunday night.


“We cannot make further comment on specific steps at this time,” Sarlo said. “Obviously, the canvass of the areas for any and all video footage will be a primary concern.”


Naturally Good, in downtown Montauk, was defaced with a number of spray-painted swastikas 4
Naturally Good, in downtown Montauk, was defaced with a number of spray-painted swastikas
Two food trucks at Ditch Plains Beach were painted with swastikas and a phrase that appeared to read Free Palestine 4
Two food trucks at Ditch Plains Beach were painted with swastikas and a phrase that appeared to read “Free Palestine”Matt Agudo / SplashNews.com
East Hampton Town Supervisor Peter Van Scoyoc called the vandalism “evil and disgusting symbols of hatred” which had no place in Montauk’s “close-knit, caring, and inclusive community.”


“Civil society requires us to treat each other with respect, tolerance, and dignity, especially now as tensions are increasing due to conflicts in other parts of the world,” he said.


The incident was just the latest in a spree of antisemitic vandalism to turn up in New York since Hamas launched a terror attack against Israel on October 7.


The picnic benches outside Naturally Good were painted with crude swastikas on Sunday night 4
The picnic benches outside Naturally Good were painted with crude swastikas on Sunday night.
Police said the vandalism was first reported early Monday morning. They are checking security cameras for evidence 4
Police said the vandalism was first reported early Monday morning. They are checking security cameras for evidenceMatt Agudo / SplashNews.com
The iconic 2nd Avenue Deli — a Jewish institution on the Upper East Side — was defaced with a swastika. about 10 days after the Hamas invasion. More of the symbols, synonymous with Nazism and genocidal Jewish hate, were later found graffitied across the street.


Anti-Israeli graffiti was also found written across the sidewalk outside Congregation Beth Elohim, one of the most prominent synagogues in Brooklyn.


NYC has seen a spike in hate crimes since Hamas’ attack, with over 60% of the reported incidents being against Jewish victims, NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny announced last week.
 

Baby-faced vandals spray-paint swastikas, ‘Hamas’ graffiti on Upper East Side rooftops​



By
Patrick Reilly



Published Nov. 9, 2023, 8:10 p.m. ET











The NYPD is searching for four baby-faced vandals accused of spray painting antisemitic graffiti, including multiple swastikas, on the rooftops of four Upper East Side buildings last month.
The four boys defaced the buildings near East 85th Street and 3rd Avenue around 5:20 p.m. on October 9 — just two days after Hamas terrorists launched a deadly surprise attack on Israel, cops said.
Among the offensive scrawlings was the word “Hamas” in addition to several swastikas, according to police.
The group fled eastbound on East 85th Street. No injuries were reported.
The incident is being investigated by the NYPD’s Hate Crimes Task Force, police said.

Police released surveillance photos of the four young suspects walking on the sidewalk with backpacks.

Police are looking for four males accused of spray-painting swastikas on rooftops.Police are looking for four males accused of spray-painting swastikas on rooftops.
 
CULTURAL ENRICHMENT



Pregnant Woman Targeted for Being ‘Jewish and Rich’ in Paris Gunpoint Robbery by ‘African Type’ Youths​

61
Police cordon off the area of a house where an adult and four children were found dead on October 3, 2020 in the Paris' popular suburb of Noisy-le-Sec, in what could be a family tragedy with still unclear circumstances. - Three other adults were seriously injured, including the alleged perpetrator, …
GEOFFROY VAN DER HASSELT/AFP via Getty Images
Kurt Zindulka9 Dec 2023129

2:43


Two “African type” teenagers have been arrested after a pregnant woman was assaulted and robbed at gunpoint in her home in Paris for being “Jewish and therefore rich”.
Last month, two 16-year-olds were accused of having broken into the home of a 26-year-old Jewish woman in Paris to allegedly “commit extortion with a weapon”. The two suspects were arrested this week in the Val-d’Oise suburb area outside the French capital.
According to police sources speaking to the Le Figaro newspaper, the two suspects were both born in France, however, one is described as being “of the African type” while the other is characterised as being “of the North African type”. The pair were also described as previously being “unfavourably known to the police services.”
The paper reported that on November 23rd, two men came to the door of the pregnant woman disguised as delivery men wearing coronavirus-style masks. After she answered the door, they forced their way into her apartment, grabbing her by the throat and threatening her with a handgun.
While she immediately gave over some of her jewellery and money, the two masked men were not satisfied and strangled her until she lost consciousness. The two thieves are said to have walked away with 6,000 euros of jewellery, 400 euros and 150 dollars in cash.
Jewish Woman Stabbed in Home, Swastika Engraved on Door in Suspected Antisemitic Attack in Francehttps://t.co/0kc6OOR8B3
— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon)
November 5, 2023
The woman, who was four months pregnant at the time of the attack, was forced to spend several days in the hospital but has since been released.
According to Le Figaro, the two teenage suspects have confessed to the robbery but claimed that they acted upon another man, whom they have so far refused to name to the police. They claimed that they were told to target the woman “because she is Jewish and therefore rich”.
They were arrested after police discovered that they had used an Uber equivalent to travel to the home, meaning that their names were logged with the service.
The two sixteen-year-olds appeared before the Pontoise judicial court on December 7, however, it is currently unclear what punishment they face. Due to the French legal system’s protections for minors, their identities cannot be revealed to the public.
The attack comes amid a surge of antisemitism in France following the October 7th Hamas terror attacks on Israel, with thousands of antisemitic crimes being recorded since then, including Jewish areas of Paris being vandalised with Stars of David graffiti in incidents reminiscent of the Nazi era of the 1940s.
History Repeats: Paris Homes Tagged with Stars of Davidhttps://t.co/qOA1lqilY4
— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) November 1, 2023
 
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2 swastikas spray-painted on wall near apartment complex in Philadelphia's Somerton section​


philadelphia
By Brandon Goldner

December 13, 2023 / 6:34 PM EST / CBS Philadelphia






PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Philadelphia Police are investigating after two swastikas were spray-painted on a wall near a senior apartment complex in Somerton that's home to several Jewish people.

The department said detectives are still in the early stages of their investigation and added that it was imperative they find whoever spray-painted the Nazi symbols.

The swastikas are located on a wall in a green space between the Ephraim Goldstein Apartments and Leo Mall off Bustleton Road in Northeast Philadelphia.

Olga Danlovskiy said the space is a popular gathering spot for the apartments' tenants, many of whom are Jewish people of Russian origin.

"I want to cry now when I tell you about everything. I want to cry now," Danlovskiy said. "It's bothering me. It never was like this."



She said it's especially upsetting because the Nazi symbols remind her of family members who died in the Holocaust.

"It has to be stopped," Danlovskiy said. "You don't have to make trouble for people."

She said she now hides her Star of David necklace out of fear for her safety.

Linda Rosenthal wants whoever spray-painted the swastikas to be punished.



"I think that they should be in jail," Rosenthal said. "Cops need to get them and put them in jail for life."

The property manager for Leo Mall said police aren't letting them remove the swastikas until they complete their investigation. The property manager said once the investigation is finished, they'll remove the graffiti "expeditiously."
 

Horwitz-Wasserman Holocaust Memorial Plaza in Philadelphia vandalized with swastika​


philadelphia
By Tom Ignudo

Updated on: January 14, 2024 / 7:58 PM EST / CBS Philadelphia






PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The Horwitz-Wasserman Holocaust Memorial Plaza in Philadelphia on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway was vandalized with a swastika, a spokesperson for the memorial said on Sunday.

Surveillance video shows a man wearing a black mask and dark jacket with a stripe across the chest and down his arms spray-painting the hateful symbol on the wall of the memorial.

"This is a reminder for our public that antisemitism is real in our communities," Eszter Kutas, the executive director of the Philadelphia Holocaust Remembrance Foundation, said. "We need the public's help in making sure these incidents are lessening in our communities."

snapshot-1.jpg

Built in 1964, the Horwitz-Wasserman Holocaust Memorial Plaza at 16th and Arch Streets along the Parkway is the only major public monument in Philly dedicated to the remembrance of the Holocaust.

397601d5-48ce-419a-bb2f-a79728242f77.jpg
The Horwitz-Wasserman Holocaust Memorial Plaza in Philadelphia was vandalized with a swastika. CBS News Philadelphia blurred the hateful symbol.
The bronze sculpture at the memorial was presented to the city of Philadelphia by Holocaust survivors and community leaders, and became the first public monument in North America to memorialize the victims of the Holocaust.

The Philadelphia Police Department is investigating the vandalism. Anyone with information is urged to contact Central Detectives at (215) 686-3093 or submit a tip anonymously using the PPD's tipline at (215) 686-TIPS (8477).

In the two months since the deadly attacks by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023, reports of antisemitic incidents have soared across the United States, according to data by the Anti-Defamation League.




The group called the rise "unprecedented," and reported incidents of anti-Arab and anti-Muslim hate have also spiked in the U.S. over the same period, according to data from the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

In December in Philadelphia's Somerton section, two swastikas were spray-painted on a wall near a senior apartment complex home to several Jewish people.

Since the Israel-Hamas war, the University of Pennsylvania has also been under national scrutiny for its handling of antisemtism incidents on campus.
 

Graffiti of swastikas, anti-black message and shooting threat found in bathroom of elite NYC school: cops​



By
Social Links for Amanda Woods



Published March 11, 2024, 7:11 p.m. ET








Racist and hateful graffiti including multiple swastikas and a school-shooting threat were found on the wall of an elite Manhattan high school last week, authorities said Monday.
The disturbing graffiti included the messages “I Hate Blacks” and “I will shoot up the school,” cops said. They were found on a restroom stall at The Beacon School on West 44th Street near 11th Avenue in Hell’s Kitchen on Thursday, cops said.
The NYPD’s Hate Crime Task Force is investigating the troubling vandalism, and no arrests had been made by Monday evening, police confirmed.
030722  The Beacon High School, 522 W 44th St., NYC., where students had their first day of school without any mask mandates since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. 4
Multiple swastikas, as well as the racist message “I Hate Blacks” and an ominous threat: “I will shoot up the school,” were found on a bathroom stall, cops said. Matthew McDermott
The school, founded in 1993, has about 1,500 students enrolled and is the alma mater of former Mayor Bill de Blasio’s daughter, Chiara.
In response to the incident, city Department of Education spokesman Nathaniel Styer said Chancellor David Banks “has repeatedly made it clear that all forms of bias and hate – including antisemitism – have no place in our public schools.”








“In January, he addressed this head-on by emphasizing that education and appropriate consequences must be at the center of addressing bigoted beliefs and misconceptions that students might bring to school with them,” Styer said in a Monday statement.
“Upon discovery, the bathroom was immediately locked, and NYPD was called,” Styer said. “Out of an abundance of caution, we have increased the security supports at the school as NYPD continues to investigate.”
Beacon Drama Art Theatre at New York City's The Beacon School: 522 W 44th Sthttps://www.instagram.com/bdatnyc/ 4
The selective high school is home to about 1,500 students. @bdatnyc / Instagram
Beacon’s principal, Johnny A. Ventura, called the racist graffiti “deplorable and unacceptable” in a series of messages sent to families, obtained by The New York Times.
“As a Black Latino, my first set of emotions upon hearing and seeing this was anger, and then sadness that someone at our school would choose to write this,” Ventura wrote. “We embrace diversity and inclusion at Beacon. A threat to one of us is a threat to all of us.”
Two police cruisers could be seen outside the school’s entrance as students arrived Monday morning, the Times reported.
Social media posts regarding remarks allegedly made by a white Jewish female student and overheard by black student. A black science teacher at Beacon High School, an elite public school in Manhattan, urged students to boycott classes. 4
In 2019, a black teacher told cheering Beacon students to boycott the elite campus over an alleged racism-related incident.
“I was shocked,” student Ava Baranowski, 15, told the paper, but said she still felt “pretty safe” regardless.
Baranowski added that some students may have viewed the graffiti as “a joke”– “but it is really serious,” she said.
“I think a lot of people were scared to come to school on Friday,” the sophomore said.
Beacon High School students participate in a sit-in Monday, Dec. 16, 2019. Scores of students staged a protest for what they call a pattern of campus-wide racism. 4
Students at Beacon High School participated in a sit-in in 2019.
Beacon’s “equity statement” touts its commitment to “holistically care for all members of our diverse community by consistently accounting for our actions and redressing structural inequities.”
“In the context of a white supremacist, capitalist, imperialist, patriarchal society, we radically commit our energies and resources to a vigilantly self-reflexive, anti-racist, and anti-oppressive school environment,” the statement, posted on its website, says. “Our journey is individual and collective.”
In 2019, a black teacher at the school told cheering students to boycott the campus after an incident involving a white Jewish girl sparked complaints about a racist environment.
 

Sign outside Wynnewood synagogue vandalized with antisemitic graffiti​


philadelphia
By Alexandra Simon , Alicia Roberts

Updated on: April 1, 2024 / 11:00 AM EDT / CBS Philadelphia






WYNNEWOOD, Pa. (CBS) -- A sign posted outside a synagogue in Wynnewood, Montgomery County, was vandalized for the second time in a week.

In a post on Facebook Sunday, Temple Beth Hillel/Beth El leaders said last Friday a sign outside the synagogue that reads "Our Community Stands with Israel" was spray painted. According to the synagogue, police were notified and the sign was replaced.

Then on Saturday night, the synagogue said a red swastika was spray painted on the new sign.

"We do not know who did this. We do know that they wanted us to be afraid. A swastika is not a commentary on the policies of the State of Israel, nor is it a sign of solidarity with Palestinians. It is a symbol of hatred and division," the Facebook post said, which included a photo of the vandalized sign. "We, the leadership of the synagogue, want everyone to know that we will not give in to either fear or division. We are blessed to live in a society in which hate speech is not tolerated by the police, who are working with us to keep us safe. We are blessed to live in a society where our neighbors of other faiths have already reached out to offer support."

Synagogue leaders said they're working with police as they investigate the second instance of vandalism. CBS News Philadelphia has reached out to police in Lower Merion Township for comment.





"A swastika clearly has a deep and painful history for the people in our community, it's a symbol of hatred and death and it's meant to antagonize and cause fear and division," Ethan Witkovsky, the senior rabbi at the Temple Beth Hill/Beth El, said.

While the sign and vandalism have been removed, Witkovsky said it's important not to forget that incidents like this still happen. He also said he's comforted by the support he and this community have received.

"Quite touching, a number of political leaders in our state in our city have reached out to show support and solidarity," Witkovsky said.

Witkovsky said while security is always on his mind, his team did not think about canceling services.
 
"A swastika clearly has a deep and painful history for the people in our community, it's a symbol of hatred and death and it's meant to antagonize and cause fear and division," Ethan Witkovsky, the senior rabbi at the Temple Beth Hill/Beth El, said.
Cannot get a $$$$$$$$ grant without screaming meanies, er, rabbis, and causing mass heebie jeebies.
I wonder who did it?
Probably Count de Monay.
###

During 20019, the Orthodox Union also worked to create and expand security grants for Jewish day schools, synagogues and other houses of worship and nonprofits at the state level. Grants are available in states including:

  • Pennsylvania:$8.2 million in security grants available: $5 million from the state’s new (as of November 2019) grant program for synagogues, Jewish day schools and other faith-based institutions and nonprofits specifically targeted for hate crimes, with individual grants of up to $150,000. The program will be shuttered in 2024; $3.2 million for Jewish and other nonpublic day schools (School Safety Security Grant Program) to improve building security.
  • California: $15 million available
  • New York: $60 million in security grants:
  • Maryland: $3.5 million in security grants:
  • Florida: $2.5 million in security grants for Jewish day schools.
  • Ohio: $6 million in security grants:
 
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