The Bexley Police Department is investigating after receiving two reports of antisemitic comments on Sunday.
Debbie Meyer, a lifelong Bexley resident, said she proudly put her Israeli flag on display in her front yard a week ago to support her homeland.
"I wanted to do something in solidarity, so I put my Israeli flag up,” she said.
Meyer said a man rang her Ring doorbell while she was at home with her husband Sunday afternoon.
"I kind of leaned over to see who it was and I didn't really recognize him, it was a little uncomfortable so I went on my Ring,” Meyer said.
In the video, Meyer stated, "Hey, can I help you?"
The man waited a few moments, Meyer then said ‘Hello?’ Then the man asked, "Do I just talk into this? I've never used one of these,” in reference to the Ring doorbell.
Meyer then asked the man what could she help him with. The man then proceeds to make vulgar antisemitic statements, and ends by saying, “… disgusting.”
Jewish advocacy organization StopAntisemitism has identified the man as Jacob T. Reidy (39). He was arrested on October 16th.
UPDATE: this man has been identified as Jacob T. Reidy, age 39.
— StopAntisemitism (@StopAntisemites) October 16, 2023
On October 7th, Reidy also sat outside the parking lot of a Synagogue (Congregation Tifereth Israel) and told passerby’s “they [Hamas] should have killed more of you”.
There is currently a warrant out for his… https://t.co/YcI1fe0lzq pic.twitter.com/C9Yge13mxX
Meyer said she contacted the police immediately.
"He just casually walked down my driveway, got in his car and drove away,” Meyer said.
As she watched the video back, Meyer said she was still processing what happened.
"I'm a child of a survivor of the Holocaust, so this hits home really hard for me,” Meyer said.
"It's just something that speaks so terribly of antisemitism,” Rabbi Avi Goldstein, of the Beth Jacob congregation, said.
Goldstein said Meyer called him shortly after this happened and sent him the video.
"It's just so shocking the language to verbally assault someone in their own home, someone you don't know,” Goldstein said.
As more than one thousand innocent men, women, and children have been killed by Hamas, Goldstein said supporting Israel is vital.
"It's critical that Americans are proud of Israel, and support Israel at this time,” Goldstein said.
"Israel has a right to exist it is our homeland it is where my family is my brothers my sisters and everything going there right now… has to be stopped,” Meyer said.
"People who are anti-terror, who value life, who value a culture of morality, they should all fly Israeli flags today,” Goldstein said.