Elderly Jewish Man Fatally Injured by Palestinian Supporter During LA Protest

A Jewish man has died after a pro-Palestinian protester struck him in the head with a megaphone on Sunday, according to the local Jewish federation.

The altercation occurred at a pro-Palestinian protest on Sunday that assembles weekly in Westlake Village in the Los Angeles area. According to a statement by the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles and a police report, the man, Paul Kessler, 69, was struck in the head with a megaphone held by one of the protesters and died of his wounds on Monday.

A statement Monday night from the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office ruled the death a homicide and confirmed many of the details in the federation’s statement. It said it “has not ruled out the possibility of a hate crime.” The police statement said Kessler “died as a result of injuries sustained during an altercation at a Pro-Israeli/Pro-Palestinian event, both of which were occurring simultaneously.” Elsewhere, the Sheriff’s Office describes Kessler as a “pro-Israeli protester.”

“Witness accounts indicated that Kessler was involved in a physical altercation with counter-protestor(s),” the statement said. “During the altercation, Kessler fell backwards and struck his head on the ground.”

A brief video circulating on social media shows an elderly man in a blue-and-white striped short-sleeve shirt and jeans lying on a sidewalk and clutching his head in a pool of blood. A woman wearing pro-Palestinian symbols crouches down to tend to him, as does another man wearing nearly the same outfit as Kessler. An Israeli flag is leaning against a nearby wall.

JTA calls to the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office and Misaskim, a local group that assists with Jewish burial, were not immediately returned. “We are devastated to learn of the tragic death of an elderly Jewish man who was struck in the head by a megaphone wielded by a pro-Palestinian protestor in Westlake Village,” the federation statement says. “Our hearts are with the family of the victim.”

Kessler’s death occurred a month into a war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, which began after the terror group invaded Israel on Oct. 7, killing and wounding thousands. Mass pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian demonstrations have occurred nationwide and globally, and officials have warned of rising antisemitism and islamophobia in the weeks since Oct. 7. While other physical altercations and assaults have taken place surrounding protests or the hanging of posters, this is the first death reported due to a protest connected to the war.

Washington Synagogues Receive Suspicious Mail Prompting FBI Response

Seattle police officers and firefighters responded to two reported hazmat situations synagogues Friday evening.

According to the Seattle Fire Department, the Sephardic Bikur Holim Congregation, an orthodox synagogue located at 6500 52nd Avenue South, was evacuated as a safety precaution. 

The building security manager, Ben Tilson, said an employee was opening mail when they discovered an envelope with multiple documents. When opening the envelope, a white, powdery substance fell out. 

The powder was tested and determined not to be hazardous. The FBI is also investigating a similar situation at another local congregation, although additional testing is needed to "fully characterize" the substances, according to the FBI.

"Law enforcement and public safety officials are working to determine how many letters were sent, the individual(s) responsible for the letters, and the motive behind them," according to the FBI. 

The documents were addressed to the synagogue and contained excerpts from an unknown biblical language. The letter was discovered around 4 p.m. and evening services were canceled. 

"Unfortunately this isn't a surprise given the nature of anti-Jewish sentiment and anti-Jewish rallies and protests that have taken place globally since the Oct. 7 massacre in southern Israel," said Jack Gottesman, the vice president of the synagogue's Board of Directors. "Unfortunately, this is something our community has learned to deal with but we are strong, we are proud and we are not running away." 

Nearby synagogue leader Ari Hoffman echoed the same sentiment.

"We are not running, we are not hiding, we are here and we are always going to be here," said Hoffman.

The second location was at a synagogue on Wilson Avenue South at around 5:30 p.m. That suspicious package was submitted into evidence.

There have been no reports of any injuries or property damage at either location.

While officers were investigating, a third 911 call came in about a suspicious package. This one was on 17th Avenue Northwest, near the University of Washington's Center for Jewish Life. 

SPD Arson Bomb Squad detectives will lead the investigation into both of these cases.

Indiana Woman Charged with Terrorism for Driving Vehicle Through Building with Jewish Symbol

IMPD officers arrested a woman, who police labeled a “terrorist,” after she drove her car into a building in what she described as a planned attack on the Israelite School of Universal and Practical Knowledge. 

Ruba Almaghtheh, 34, was arrested on a preliminary charge of intimidation which is a level 5 felony if the threat is to commit terrorism.  

According to a police report obtained by FOX59/CBS4, police were called to the building around 12:30 Saturday morning to investigate a hate crime. Officers said Almaghtheh backed her car into the building while several adults and children were inside.  

Almaghtheh told officers she was watching news coverage of the Israel-Hamas war on television and decided to plan an attack on the building because she was offended by the “Hebrew Israelite” symbol on the front of the building.  

According to the report, Almaghtheh was interviewed by detectives and admitted to committing the hate crime during her courtesy phone call with a family member.  

Almaghtheh is expected to make her first court appearance on Wednesday.  

French Authorities Investigating Antisemitic Hate Crime After Jewish Woman Is Stabbed In Her Home

A 30-year-old Jewish woman was stabbed twice in her home in Lyon, France on Saturday, and police found a swastika drawn on her door.

The woman’s condition is “very serious but not life-threatening,” the Daily Mail reported, citing French media. The suspect was still at large.

“A Jewish woman was stabbed this Saturday. An antisemitic inscription was found on the door of her home,” Grégory Doucet, the mayor of Lyon, wrote on social media, in French. “Such a surge of violence is unspeakable. All my support to the victim, to her loved ones.”

The male attacker was masked and clad in black, according to the victim’s statement, and police are reviewing surveillance footage, Le Figaro reported.

“Her home was identified as a Jewish household because there was a mezuzah—a piece of parchment containing Jewish scripture—on the doorframe,” the Daily Mail reported, citing an “investigating source.”

“Early inquiries suggest an antisemitic murder attempt, especially since a Nazi swastika was spray-painted by the attacker on the front door before he left,” the source added.

“Initial findings have led the Lyon public prosecutor’s office to open an investigation into the attempted murder charge, aggravated by the fact that the act could have been motivated by an antisemitic motive,” the public prosecutor’s office stated on Saturday evening, the European Jewish Press reported.

There have been 857 antisemitic incidents in France since Hamas terrorists attacked Israel on Oct. 7, Gérald Darmanin, the French interior minister, said last week.

Darmanin told French Jews not to be afraid, the Jewish Chronicle in London reported last month. “If anyone touched a hair of a Jewish person, the state will act in the strongest manner,” he said. “You pray for France’s security on every Saturday. It’s only natural that the state protects you in turn.”

New York University's 'Indigenous Studies' Center Employs Israel-Hating Professor

New York University has hired a notorious Israel-hater to lead a new center dedicated to indigenous studies, sparking outrage from top leaders at the school.

NYU announced the appointment of Eve Tuck, a professor of critical race and indigenous studies at the University of Toronto, on Oct 9 — just two days after Hamas terrorists massacred 1,400 Israeli civilians.

Though her work is focused on native peoples, she has found common cause with Palestinian terrorism — including defending Hamas’ deadly rampage.

“Unprovoked is a dishonest framing. A free Palestine is possible because of how Palestinians have worked to keep alive and remake other framings, other futures,” she said in an Oct. 7 post to Bluesky, a liberal social media network.

Days later, as Israelis were still counting their dead, she called Hamas’ “resistance” to Israel “affirming.”

On Oct. 26, Tuck signed a letter blaming Israel for Hamas’ butchery.

“The past two weeks of horrific violence in Gaza resulted from 75 years of Israeli settler colonial dispossession,” the letter read. “The atrocities of the Israeli apartheid regime in Palestine are relentless, illegal under international law, and consistent with settler-colonial projects globally.

“Colonized peoples have the right to defend themselves and to resist colonial violence. We support Palestinian liberation and their right as an oppressed people to resist colonialism and genocide.”

Eve Tuck, who will lead NYU’s new Indigenous Studies Center, has called Hamas terrorist “affirming.”

Israel has not occupied Gaza since 2005 and the Palestinian population has quintupled since 1960, according to the United Nations.

“I am appalled that her hiring continued in the middle of this toxic atmosphere,” said Elliott Bross, a board member of NYU’s Stern School of Business. “I call for the NYU to terminate her contract immediately,”

Stan Polovets, a board member of NYU’s Tandon School of Engineering, said, “This type of rhetoric fuels antisemitism, and I urge Ms. Tuck to reconsider her support for the statement.”

In the immediate aftermath of the current violence, pro-Hamas academics justified the slaughter by tweeting “decolonization is not a metaphor” — a direct reference to a paper of the same title co-authored by Tuck.

Eve Tuck posted this statement on the day of the Hamas massacre in Israel, saying it was wrong to call it unprovoked.

NYU has been beset by antisemitic protests recently. NYU students have been busted ripping down signs with faces of Israeli hostages taken by Hamas.

In a statement, the school declined to condemn Tuck.

“NYU’s perspective is that terrorism is immoral; that there is no justification to commit acts of terrorism, ever; and that laying the blame on victims of terrorism is indefensible,” said spokesman John Beckman.

NYU has faced a raft of antisemitic incidents in recent days, largely because of academics like Tuck, critics say.

Tuck told The Post: “I condemn Hamas’ terrorist attack on Israel, and the taking of hostages, whose safe and swift return I fervently wish for.  I reject antisemitism; it is repugnant and indefensible.”

Pennsylvania Man Charged with Defacing University Campus with Nazi Symbols

Felony charges have be filed against the man suspected of drawing two swastikas on Millersville University's campus on Monday.

On Thursday, University President Dr. Daniel A. Wubah said the school had recently discovered swastikas drawn in an elevator and a sidewalk at a residence hall.

Ethan Rosencrans, 20, of Harrisburg, who is not a student at the university, has been charged with one count of institutional vandalism in connection to the incident, according to Millersville University Police.

Investigators consulted the university's security camera system to identify Rosencrans as a suspect, according to a criminal complaint affidavit. He was seen walking with two other suspects outside the East Village Suites, where the swastikas were discovered, at about 5:25 a.m. on October 30.

Rosencrans is seen on-camera bending down and drawing on the sidewalk in front of the residence hall. He and the other subjects were later seen boarding the East Village Suites elevator where the second swastika was found, according to the complaint.

He admitted to drawing the swastikas in an interview with police, the complaint states. Rosencrans allegedly said he did not intend to attack the Jewish community, but understood the impact of his actions and apologized, according to the complaint.

The President of Ville Hillel, an on campus Jewish community, says the symbol is offensive no matter the intention. She asked not to be named.

"It’s uncomfortable to walk into your building that you live in and see some sort of symbol that people can take as very hateful," she said. "It's something that I don't expect to see again and I hope not to see again."

She says she hopes the incident was an immature mistake and not a reaction to the conflict in Israel.

"I’m assuming that whoever put these symbols up wasn’t doing it out of spite or hate," the MU senior said. "I think it was honestly just ignorance."

MU junior Lee Berman says antisemitism nationwide elevates concerns.

"It does spark fears within the community of more violent events happening," Berman said.

He also emphasizes the importance of dialogue and discussion.

"I think just trying to find out more about another group that you don't know much about or that you have different viewpoints to is always going to be important to loosening some tension in the world," Berman said.

Other MU students called the actions inappropriate and inexcusable.

“People are 18, 19, even 25 going here and these unacceptable things are happening," sophomore Owen Hoffman said. "People are talking about how that shouldn’t be happening here. That’s embarrassing.”

Ville Hillel’s President hopes this matter can serve as a teaching moment.

"You know people do things without thinking," she said. "This is a learning opportunity."

Both she and Berman say they still feel safe in the community and were pleased with the Millersville's quick response.

In a message to students and staff on Nov. 2, Wubah said the graffiti has already been removed and no other incidents of a similar nature have been reported on the campus.

However, a similar incident was reported at Bucknell University in Union County this week.

"At Millersville University, we condemn and do not allow any acts of hate, bigotry and discrimination in our community," Wubah said in a statement. "Such behaviors do not align with or reflect our EPPIIC (Exploration, Professionalism, Public Mission, Inclusion, Integrity, and Compassion) values. The campus community needs to be united in our stand against hate. Any form of intolerance or hatred is antithetical to our EPPIIC values and our mission.

"Our EPPIIC values – particularly inclusion and public mission – are our guiding principles. We are committed to creating a diverse campus environment free from harassment and discrimination."

Wubah called on students and staff to remain vigilant and to promptly report any similar incidents to campus police or through the LiveSafe App.

The university is also offering counseling services to anyone impacted by the incident at the MU Counseling Center, which will have walk-in hours from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday and again Monday-Friday of next week, Wubah said.

Police Respond to Suspicious Package Received At Illinois Synagogue

A suspicious package, which was later deemed safe, prompted a police and fire response to a Jewish synagogue in Long Grove Friday afternoon, authorities said.

The Lake County Sheriff’s Office and Long Grove Fire Protection District responded around 12:10 p.m. Friday to Congregation Beth Judea, 5304 Route 83 in Long Grove, for a suspicious package call.

Lake County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli told Lake and McHenry County Scanner that the package had been mailed to the synagogue.

The package was suspicious because it had no return address listed on it.

Fire department crews responded to evaluate the package and found it had no odors, Covelli said.

The package was opened and it was found to contain signs. A bomb detection canine was not requested to the scene.

The package was deemed safe and there was no threat.

Democrat Political Activist in New York Caught Making Antisemitic Comments

A Bronx political activist is being ripped by fellow Democrats for spewing antisemitic remarks on social media after he crossed party lines in a heated New York City Council race to endorse a GOP candidate.  

The hateful remarks made by Efrain Gonzalez in old Facebook videos are being dredged up by Democrats after he switched party lines and endorse Republican Kristy Marmorato instead of incumbent Democrat Marjorie Velazquez in the Bronx’s 13th District.

“Jews are the most corrupt real estate people in New York,” Gonzalez said in one video, which had posted earlier this year on the social media site.

In another video, Gonzalez took aim at the Bronx Democratic Party – in particular Jewish powerhouse attorney, Stanley Schlein.

“It’s going to take a long time to fight to get rid of those weeds in the Bronx Democratic Party. They’re weeds, they’re bad people. You can’t grow a garden with those folks,” he said, according to the video.

Efrain Gonzalez, a Democrat political activist in The Bronx, is being ripped over resurfaced videos he posted on social media where he filmed himself spewing antisemitic remarks.  

“And they’re black and they’re Latino and the hidden agenda there is the Jewish man who uses them to do his dirty work,” Gonzalez continued, referring to the attorney.

Gonzalez, whose father is a former Democratic state senator who was convicted of public corruption, filmed himself in another clip calling New York Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie a “puppet.”

“Even that puppet, Carl Heastie. I really feel bad because when you’re a black man and you’re being controlled by a Jew, in today’s times, that’s really scary,” he said. “But that’s what’s happening, folks.”

It wasn’t immediately clear when all the videos in question were filmed, but at least one was from earlier this year as he referred to the deal where casino giant Bally’s replaced the Trump Organization as the operator of the Ferry Point golf course.

Others obtained by The Post have since been deleted from his Facebook page.  

Gonzalez (above) is the son of former Democratic state senator, Efrain Gonzalez Jr., who was convicted of public corruption for looting two charities

Velazquez’s campaign said Gonzalez’s diatribe against Jews was beyond the pale and rapped Marmorato for accepting his endorsement.

“Especially when antisemitism is on the rise, the endorsement Marmorato embraced from this vile, hateful individual is disqualifying for public office,” JT Ennis, Velázquez’ campaign manager, said.

“Marmorato’s alignment with this dangerous bigotry goes far beyond politics, it’s morally bankrupt.”

The GOP candidate, the sister of Bronx Republican Party chairman Michael Rendino, responded to Gonzalex’s endorsement with a heart emoji on FB, saying “Thank you so much for all of your support Efrain!”

But Marmorato’s campaign was quick to distance distanced itself from Gonzalez’s Jew bashing — before turning its fire on Velazquez.

Gonzalez, a Democrat, was called out over the anti-Jewish diatribes after crossing party lines and endorsing Republican Kristy Marmorato in a race for City Council.

“Obviously hate has no place anywhere in New York City, but this continued focus on everyone but the candidate, despite her not even sharing their values, is proof positive that Marjorie Velazquez has been missing in action from our community and has literally nothing to run on,” said Marmorato campaign spokesman, Chapin Fay.

The Post relayed a message to Gonzalez through his father, ex-Sen. Efrain Gonzalez Jr., but he had no immediate comment.

The race is competitive with Gov. Kathy Hochul stumping with Velazquez in the district on Saturday, which includes Morris Park, Throggs Neck, Allerton, and City Island.

Meanwhile, former Republican Rep. Lee Zeldin — Hochul’s rival for governor last year — will campaign with Marmorato just blocks away on Saturday.

Rhode Island Students Arrested for Defacing Building with Anti-Jewish Rhetoric

Providence Police have arrested two people for vandalism and antisemitic messages on the Textron Building in Downtown Providence.

The two arrested are students at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD).

The building was defaced on two consecutive days. Other buildings have also been hit with antisemitic messages and anti-Israel postings.

RISD students Maggie Weng and Finch Bryant, both aged 19, were arrested on Wednesday by Providence Police and held overnight for allegedly spray painting “Kills Kids” on the Textron building. 

Textron is a supplier of military equipment to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). 

The Providence Police community response team and intelligence units tracked Weng and Bryant to their dorm rooms following a day-long investigation. 

According to Providence Police Major David Lapatin, both suspects now face multiple charges.

And, according to Lapatin, whether or not Weng and Bryan will be charged with hate crimes would have to be determined by the Rhode Island Attorney General’s office.  

In the past few days in Providence, there have been antisemitic messages and protest messages posted in multiple locations across Providence.

Nazi Symbol Found at Connecticut High School

A swastika was found carved into a lab table at Greenwich High School, the latest in a string of antisemitic acts in Connecticut.

According to Superintendent Toni Jones, the hate symbol was covered up by reference sheets and so district officials do not know how long it has been there. 

"While there has been so much to celebrate recently at Greenwich Public Schools, as a community, we realize that we are not immune to the regional, national and international challenges the world is facing right now," Jones wrote in an email to high school families Wednesday evening. "As an educational institution with the goals of high academic standards to help prepare our students to become productive, responsible and compassionate members of society, our staff is equipped to tackle these issues head on."

Upon discovering of the swastika, the school administration "initiated a thorough investigation," Jones said, and informed the Greenwich Police Department.

Swastika Discovered at a Pennsylvania University Residence Dorm Sparks Outrage and Investigation

A statement on the Bucknell University website from University President John Bravman says that a swastika was recently found inside a residence hall on campus. 

According to the statement, which was posted Wednesday, "swift action was taken against his abhorrent act of antisemitism, and the conduct process has been concluded". 

'Goyim Defense League' (GDL) Leader Sentenced in Littering Charge

A jury seated at the Palm Beach County Courthouse unanimously found a neo-Nazi guilty Wednesday of a littering charge, which some say has much larger repercussions.

Jon Minadeo's day ended in handcuffs with a 30-day jail sentence.

The Jewish advocacy group StopAntisemitism has been tracking the activities of Jon Minadeo of the Goyim Defense League’ or ‘GDL’ for nearly five years and state they vilify Jews with their premeditated hate campaigns.

Jon Minadeo II has:

- crashed a Bar Mitzvah at the Beverly Hilton dressed as an Orthodox Jew while his two buddies dressed as Nazi chased him around

- hung swastika banners on busy overpass freeways

- got arrested at Auschwitz concentration camp holding up antisemitic imagery…

— StopAntisemitism (@StopAntisemites) November 3, 2023

WFLX spoke to Minadeo just before the verdict.

"I do believe they're trying to censor free speech by using tactics like littering," Minadeo said.

The case dates back to March 2023 when West Palm Beach police found Minadeo and a group of men tossing antisemitic literature from a U-Haul truck.

People in the courtroom, like Maxine Sutherland, called the flyers hate speech and said it was important for her to show up.

"Because I'm a Jew," Sutherland said, "and the hideous vile hatred that these men were throwing at people's doors, they have no right to do it."

Minadeo's offense missed the passage of HB 269 by a matter of months. The measure was introduced by Republican state Rep. Mike Caruso, R-Delray Beach, in a direct response to hate in the state.

"[The law] expands the penalties on crimes already in the Florida statutes which when carried out by an individual who displays religious or ethnic intimidation threat or attempt to harm to that of a hate crime punishable by a third-degree felony," Caruso said.

He went on to say those crimes can include the dumping of litter or projection of images on buildings, things that have happened in West Palm Beach under the umbrella of hate speech.

"I believe that HB 269 is unconstitutional," Minadeo said.

In the meantime, Sutherland said it was important to take a stand.

"We have to work with it we have to have the courage to speak up and not let these thugs get away with just their pure evil."

Investigation Underway After a Palm Springs Resident's Car with Israeli Flag Catches Fire

Palm Springs resident GP Gerber said he is still in shock one day after his car, which had an Israeli flag hanging from his rearview mirror, caught fire on Tuesday.

The incident happened while his car was parked outside of his office, and prompted Gerber to immediately call police and file a report.

Palm Springs police have confirmed that officers have launched an investigation into the incident.

"We will need some time to have our arson investigators follow up on the cause. The victim has expressed the same concern that it was related to the flag. This will be looked at as a potential hate crime if the arson investigation determines a criminal element," according to Lieutenant Gustavo Araiza.

'Kill Jews' Graffiti Discovered in Vancouver's China Town Neighborhood

An Israeli-born Jew living in Vancouver says he felt an "unsettling fear" after discovering antisemitic graffiti in Chinatown this week.

Ben* (name changed to protect his identity) lives at the University of British Columbia (UBC) with his wife and children. He was having lunch with a friend on October 31 when he spotted hateful words left by a vandal at Main and Pender streets. 

Located on the side of a brick wall, the graffiti read, "Free Palestine, kill Jews" in all white capital letters. 

Ben reported the graffiti to the Vancouver Police Department (VPD), who told him it is under investigation and police would review the incident with both its graffiti and hate crimes teams.

While the discovery has left him "terrified," Ben told V.I.A. that his fears have been increasing over the past few weeks as the Israel and Palestine conflict intensified. He has lived in Vancouver for over a decade he didn't have "to be afraid of who I am," but says he never felt unsafe until now. 

After the founder of Hamas called for a day of protest on Friday the 13th, Ben and his wife felt what he characterizes as something similar to a panic attack and that they "didn't feel safe in the house anymore." The couple woke their kids up in the middle of the night and spent two days at a friend's house because they were afraid to stay at their residence. Although it may have been an irrational fear, he notes that "we felt that we are a target."

Back in Israel, the Vancouverite supported the land-back movement for Palestinians, describing himself as a "leftist" who protested at Palestinian rallies in his homeland. 

"I am an Israeli Jewish person and an avid supporter of a Palestinian state," Ben said. "This whole thing is shattering me."

Nazi Slurs Deface Vehicles in New York Neighborhood Over Halloween

Antisemitic slurs were written in shaving cream on cars Halloween night in West Hempstead, neighbors say.

"To have this happen here is certainly upsetting." said Sheldon Ehrenreich, of West Hempstead.

The longtime resident said he was one of many who called Nassau County police Tuesday after he and others in the mostly Jewish neighborhood told News 12 that antisemitic slurs and curses were found on multiple vehicles.

Neighbors say they cleaned off the cars as soon as possible because they did not want the hateful words to be seen.

New York Jewish Center Defaced with 'Free Palestine' Graffiti

Sholem Aleichem Cultural Center, a Jewish center located at 3301 Bainbridge Avenue in the Norwood section of The Bronx, was vandalized on Tuesday, Oct. 31, police said.

It comes as reports of antisemitism and Islamophobia rise across the City in the wake of the escalation of tensions in the Middle East following the attack by Hamas on southern Israel (close to the Gaza strip in Palestine) on Oct. 7, as reported.

On Wednesday, Nov. 1, police were seen outside the center, which was cordoned off, carrying out an investigation. Spray-painted in the colors purple and black on the front-facing wall of the building were the words “Free Palestine.”

The NYPD press team later said the person who reported the crime said she had been made aware by a neighbor that the front of the building and the door had been vandalized with black and purple paint with the words, “Free Palestine.”

Police said they estimate the incident occurred on Halloween night, Oct. 31, some time between 10.15 p.m. and 10.30 p.m. The spokesperson added, “They don’t have any suspect description in here.”

The spokesperson said the incident has been classified as “criminal mischief” but that details had been shared with the NYPD Hate Crimes Unit for further potential classification. The graffiti has since been removed.

Norwood News reached out to Sholem Aleichem Cultural Center for comment on the incident. Itzik Gottesman, co-president of the center,  was not in New York at the time it occurred. He said he believes nothing was broken and that it was just graffiti. Asked if anybody was hurt, he said, “no.”

“We are saddened by the defacing of our building,” he said. “This is the first time something like this has happened to our Center in 50 years and it has no place in our neighborhood.” The Center has a weekly conversation group, lecturers in Yiddish, and a community library of Yiddish books.

We also reached out to local Councilman Eric Dinowitz (C.D. 11), who is Jewish, for comment. He responded, saying, “The recent vandalism at the Sholem Aleichem Cultural Center in Norwood is nothing short of abhorrent and repugnant. As the representative of this area, as well as the chair of the Council’s Jewish Caucus, I vehemently condemn such acts, which not only target a Jewish cultural institution but also propagate division and casts a dark shadow over the harmony of our diverse community. Make no mistake, this vandalism is not at all fighting for any kind of ‘justice,’ nor is it free speech—it’s antisemitism.”

He continued, “In the wake of the recent traumatic events in Israel on October 7th, our Jewish community is already reeling. This act serves as a cruel reminder of the need to eradicate such bigotry and hatred. This vandalism unequivocally targets the Jewish community and is a clear act of antisemitism. We cannot and will not accept it.”

Las Vegas Neighborhood Defaced with Violent Antisemitic Rhetoric

The Israel-Hamas war tensions seem to be at an all-time high as there is no end in sight to the conflict. Around the United States, there have been hateful messages and acts related to the war displayed, including here in the Las Vegas valley.

On Wednesday morning Southern Nevada found itself on the receiving end of the antisemitic messages. Those living in the vicinity of Fort Apache Road and Charleston Boulevard woke up to malicious graffiti messages.

“This isn’t OK this isn’t alright,” David Meneth, a resident living nearby said.

Several parts of the area had antisemitic messages on the walls facing roads.

“We are shocked and devastated to see the situation in Israel and now we see this on our wall,” Morin Morim said.

Behind the walls in this area tucked away near Summerlin is the home to the majority of the Jewish population living in Las Vegas.

“We can’t sit back and relax and look at 1939 happening again,” Morim said.

As anger, frustration, and bloodshed continue between Palestine and Israel, tensions are evident in Las Vegas.

“No one wants hate, and we stand up for Israel and we stand up for the Palestinian people and we all together have to fight the terrorist group called Hamas,” Morim said.

However, the messages of hatred towards the Jewish community were clear. The graffiti read “Death 2 Jews, Free Gaza”. Another one read “Jews are causing WW3.”

“As a leader, I am going to make sure that it ends,” Councilwoman Victoria Seaman said.

Councilwoman Seaman said since this area is her ward, she is standing by the residents.

“Tears to see such hate in 2023, tears to see what is happening we are moving backward not forward,” she said. “We don’t tolerate hate and we don’t tolerate antisemitism.”

As word of the hate messages spread, foot traffic in the area grew. Several Metro police officers were there to control traffic.

However, there was a sigh of relief when the messages were washed off.

Metro police told 8 News Now the Southern Nevada Counter Terrorism Center is now investigating the incident.

Signs Bearing Israeli Symbols Stolen from Connecticut Residences

Almost a dozen lawn signs depicting the Israeli flag have been stolen from yards in town, officials say.

In her newsletter, Wilton First Selectwoman Lynne Vanderslice said residents have reported theft of lawn signs displaying the Israeli flag over the last few days.

"The Wilton Police are actively investigating," she said. "The thefts are not only illegal, but are acts of antisemitism that won’t be tolerated in Wilton."

Vanderslice said residents should report any stolen sign to the Wilton Police Department in order to assist them in their work identifying the suspects. She shared a map of the locations in town where the signs were stolen from, and said there were seven taken as of Tuesday and three more reported stolen Wednesday morning.  

"If you live in the area of any of these locations and saw something, please report it to the police," she said. "If you have outside cameras, please check your cameras and pass along any video of potential interest to the police. Let’s all be vigilant as a means of showing support."

The news comes after other towns in Connecticut have reported vandalism against signs showing support for Israel, as well as a rise in antisemitic actions.

In Stamford, swastikas were found painted in different locations in two separate incidents at the Academy of Information Technology & Engineering, officials said Tuesday.

Over the weekend, officials in Westport and Weston said red hand prints recently appeared on signs of the flag of Israel over the weekend. Officials in both towns condemned the vandalism, citing them as evidence of rising antisemitism. 

Also in Westport, Superintendent Thomas Scarice sent a message to the school community Monday evening about a video circulating on social media. He said it was an "appalling, distressing video that was addressed swiftly and firmly by the administration," but said they could not share details about its contents due to student privacy laws.