Caller Vows to 'Shoot Up' Tree of Life Synagogue

Pittsburgh police responded to an online threat reported to 911 on the morning of Nov. 30, threatening to “shoot up” the Tree of Life building on Wilkins Avenue in the city’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood, according to Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh Community Security Director Shawn Brokos.

Law enforcement determined the call to be a hoax after responding and identifying it as coming from outside of Pennsylvania.

In an abundance of caution, Pittsburgh police have increased their presence around Jewish institutions and marked units will make spot checks throughout the day.

“We want to assure the community that this is a hoax and that the police presence is an abundance of caution and not due to a real, credible threat,” Brokos said.

Pittsburgh police, she said, worked very quickly to vet the threat as quickly as possible and to assure that all is safe.

The hoax came at a time when the city, and nation, are experiencing a heightened threat tempo due to Israel’s war with Hamas. Incidents of antisemitic graffiti and vandalism have been reported in Pittsburgh neighborhoods since Oct. 7, when Hamas entered Israel, killing more than 1,200 and kidnapping an estimated 240 individuals.

The Tree of Life building was the center of the worst antisemitic attack in U.S. history on Oct. 27, 2018, when a gunman killed 11 congregants of Congregation Dor Hadash, New Light Congregation and Tree of Life*Or L’Simcha Congregation, and injured seven, including five Pittsburgh police officers.

Brokos urges anyone who sees anything suspicious to call 911 and report it to Federation at https://jewishpgh.org/form/incident-report.

Swastika Discovered for Second Time at Connecticut University

For the second time in a little more than two weeks, Quinnipiac University officials on Tuesday discovered a swastika scratched into a mail locker on the York Hill Campus.

Campus officials found near-identical antisemitic graffiti in the mail center 15 days earlier. 

“Such hate speech is abhorrent, it can be threatening, and it violates our code of conduct and character at QU,” Provost Debra Liebowitz and Chief Experience Officer Tom Ellett wrote in an email to the Quinnipiac community Wednesday. 

Located in a high-traffic area of the Rocky Top Student Center, the first-floor mail center stores all packages sent to students residing on the York Hill Campus. The smart package lockers are part of a randomized distribution system and are not assigned to individual students.

Facilities staff removed both vandalized locker doors.

“The campus will spare no effort identifying and disciplining the perpetrator(s),” Liebowitz and Ellett wrote. “QU Public Safety is working with Hamden Police who are also investigating.”

Liebowitz and Ellett noted that Public Safety “has also stepped up its security protocols out of extra precaution.”

The university declined to make Chief of Public Safety Tony Reyes available for comment. Quinnipiac is not releasing any additional information at this time. 

In a statement to The Chronicle on Wednesday, the Student Government Association’s executive board “strongly” condemned the recent vandalism.

“Symbols of hate have no place at Quinnipiac University,” the executive board wrote. “We stand in solidarity with members of the Quinnipiac community who have been impacted by these disturbing events and intend to work with the proper authorities to evaluate and ensure that our campus is safe and inclusive.”  

Quinnipiac officials did not initially notify students or faculty about the Nov. 13 incident. However, President Judy Olian released a statement Monday — two weeks after the first incident — urging students to engage in “thoughtful, challenging and even divisive discussions with civility and moral awareness.”

“To be clear, even though one can legally engage in certain behaviors, even offensive or hostile behaviors under America’s protections for freedom of speech, it does not mean that one should,” Olian wrote in the Nov. 27 statement. “We should not, and cannot, regress into harassment or group stereotyping, blame or anger against an entire group, and worse yet, conjure age-old antisemitic or Islamophobic tropes or symbols that evoke violence.”

Olian did not specifically mention the swastika incident in her statement but noted that “the divisiveness of the Israel-Hamas war, in particular, has seeped into universities.”

“Support services are available — students are encouraged to contact campus counseling services at 203-407-4020,” Liebowitz and Ellett wrote. “Faculty and staff can access the Health Advocate employee assistance program (EAP) at 866-799-2728.”  

Liebowitz and Ellett urged individuals with information pertaining to the investigation to call or text the Department of Public Safety’s confidential tip line at 203-582-6201.

Swastikas Found Carved Into Florida Light Poles

A series of swastikas, etched onto light poles in a Fort Lauderdale neighborhood have raised concerns after being discovered by a resident who lives in the area.

Robert Gould, a member of the Jewish community, discovered swastikas etched onto light poles near Northeast Third Avenue and Third Street.

After Gould saw the hateful symbols, he reached out to 7News to bring awareness to the situation. He believes the same person engraved all three swastikas found on the pole.

Additionally, Gould he observed crosses carved on some other poles in the vicinity. It’s unclear when the carvings were made, but Gould believes they are recent.

In response to the discovery, Gould aims to convey a message of unity and tolerance.

“The fact that I see it is personal. I grew up in a home where my parents taught me not to be activists, but at some point, you have to do something, and I called the news, and I hope it does something,” he said.

Expressing his hope for a positive impact, Gould emphasizes the importance of respecting different religions and customs.

“Don’t put up mean messages, let people have their own religion and their own customs. It may sound cliche, but that’s how we try to get along in this country,” he added.

Gould said he reached out to officials in hopes of getting the swastikas removed.

Philadelphia Sees Large Spike in Antisemitic Incidents Since October 7th Massacre in Israel

Antisemitic incidents have spiked in the Philadelphia area since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel.

Some such complaints, though, seem unrelated to the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas. Two recent incidents in Warrington fit into that category.

On Oct. 11, the Warrington Township Police Department received a call about antisemitic flyers containing conspiracy theories about Jews that were distributed to two homes in the Maple Knoll neighborhood, according to Police Chief Dan Friel. Then, on Oct. 27, a swastika was found on a utility pole on Folly Road, a residential street.

The department found out about the swastika when a resident of the Bucks County town who was out for a walk saw it and called it in. Friel dispatched an officer to paint over it right away, he said.

Police have not been able to find the perpetrators even after posting about the incidents on social media and in a regional information-sharing network for law enforcement officers, according to Friel. There was no security camera footage of either incident.

Spray-painting a swastika can qualify as criminal mischief for defacing the property of another, according to the police chief. Dropping antisemitic flyers on driveways might rise to the level of scattering rubbish, which is like a traffic ticket.

“We do take it very seriously, and we will investigate it as far as we can take it,” Friel said.

The police chief mentioned that a similar flyer incident happened in neighboring Doylestown on the same night. He explained that similar hits were carried out in Philadelphia, Ridley and Upper Macungie, in Lehigh County, in 2023. Back in the spring, swastikas were also spray-painted in Tredyffrin Township, Chester County.

“So, it is all over the place,” Friel said.

“We had 400-plus cases of white supremacist propaganda in 2022,” Goretsky said. “They are targeting a wide range of places.”

There are two goals for white supremacist groups, according to Goretsky — to intimidate minority communities and recruit people to their ideology.

These groups want media attention, which is part of the reason why they target towns in higher socioeconomic brackets, according to the website of one.

Goretsky does not recommend posting about such incidents on social media. That gives the symbols and content the exposure that the white supremacists desire.

At the same time, residents should never ignore such incidents, he said. They should report them to the local police. Basically, victims should take three steps in such a situation: keep the evidence, report the incident and offer as much information as possible.

“Let the experts determine if it’s criminal behavior or not,” Goretsky said.

Friel explained that evidence, like a flyer, can be checked for fingerprints and distributed within the department’s regional information-sharing network. Sharing information can get multiple departments and officers on the same search for a perpetrator.

“That way we can try to narrow down where it’s coming from,” he said.

NYPD Searching For Man Who Vandalized Business with Swastikas

The NYPD has dispatched its hate crime task force in relation to a man wanted for drawing a swastika and "KKK" on a child care center in the Bronx.

The male suspect violated the door of Autism Care Partners on Jerome Avenue, according to police.

Authorities say the suspect is in his 50s.

Anyone with information on the incident is asked to call the NYPD.

German Police Arrest Two Teenagers Planning Synagogue Attack

German police have arrested two teenagers on suspicion of planning a terror attack in the country, security sources cited by German media said Wednesday.

The boys, aged 15 and 16, had allegedly discussed plans to attack "infidels" and had identified a synagogue and a Christmas market as potential targets, according to the German news agency dpa. It wasn't immediately clear how serious the alleged plot was.

Prosecutors said the 15-year-old suspect was detained in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia following a search at his home. A court ordered he be kept in custody pending a possible indictment.

The 16-year-old was detained in the eastern state of Brandenburg.

According to sources cited by dpa, the authorities took action and detained the teens as a precaution after the 15-year-old named a specific date and public place.

Public broadcaster ARD reported that the young man had called for a "holy war" against the West and announced an attack on December 1 in a video on social media platform Telegram.

Earlier Wednesday, Germany's domestic intelligence agency said the terror threat in the country had increased following the Hamas attack on southern Israel on October 7.

'Pray for Israel' Billboard Vandalized in Texas

The Houston Police Department is investigating a possible vandalism of a billboard that occurred. 

According to Houston Police, the incident occurred in the 9500 block of Southwest Freeway in the late hours of Sunday or early Monday morning. 

Police stated it's believed the vandals cut up a Pray For Israel banner and possibly left a Palestine flag in place of the Israel flag around the billboard. 

Authorities stated they tried to call the owner of the billboard. 

It's unclear at this time what the latest is on the investigation. 

Officials said the investigation will determine if this incident is a hate crime. 

Homeless Man in Italy Spews Antisemitic Threats Toward Rabbi

An Italian rabbi was verbally assaulted with an antisemitic tirade, including a death threat, from a man wielding a screwdriver on the streets of Genoa, Italy, on Monday.

Haim Fabrizio Cipriani was unharmed and the man, said to be homeless, was detained by police and charged with making racial insults under aggravated circumstances, local media reported.

The Il Secolo XIX outlet reported that the assailant, 58, shouted at Cipriani, “Go away, you dirty Zionist f…, otherwise I’ll open the door for you,” among other insults.

“I am very shocked, but I am not surprised,” Cipriani told The Republic. “As a Jew, I know that these situations can occur.”

He said that following the devastating October 7 Hamas terror attack on Israel and the ensuing war, antisemitic attacks are “increasingly probable.”

“Antisemitism has worsened and [it] is widespread throughout the world, even in Italy,” Cipriani said.

Cipriani, 52, said he believes he was targeted because he was wearing a kippa on his head, as he always does, but that it was the first time something like that had happened to him in the city where he was born.

“I will continue to wear it [the kippa],” he told Pagine Ebraiche. “We cannot hide.”

He said he has received support from the Union of Italian Jewish Communities, as well as other Jewish institutions and rabbis of Orthodox communities.

Genoese Jewish community leader Raffaella Petraroli said it was “an unspeakable act” that came against a climate of pro-Palestinian support in the city and “widespread ignorance about what the State of Israel is.”

Cipriani told media he has faced previous antisemitic attacks in France where on two occasions he was “chased by some Arabs.”

Aside from being an ordained rabbi, Cipriani is also an accomplished violin player who has given concerts around the world.

College Bathroom in New York Vandalized with Giant Swastika

A Jewish student at New York City’s Baruch College was startled to find a large white swastika on the floor next to a toilet when he entered the school’s bathroom on Tuesday morning.

According to a relative of the student who spoke exclusively to JewishPress.com, the student “first took the photo, reported it to the local Hillel and then later to security, so they would not just wipe it out.”

The swastika was made of two layers of wet toilet paper “meticulously adhered to the tile floor, obviously by a student of geometry,” the relative said.

The student’s name and that of the relative are being withheld due to concerns over possible attacks by antisemitic elements in the city, “as he encounters different acts of antisemitism on his way to school, either on the NYC subway or in the streets with painted swastikas or anti-Jewish slogans on the store windows or on the sidewalks,” the relative said.

“Last week he entered the lobby of his school and there was a Palestinian flag hanging from the balcony above. The security had to wait for NYPD to come in to protect them and only then removed it,” he added.

“Excellent. A symbol of hatred and intolerance next to a toilet — where it belongs!” another New Yorker commented.

Baruch College, a public college in New York City, is part of the City University of New York (CUNY) system, which has had myriad, escalating antisemitic incidents that have skyrocketed since the start of the October 7th war launched by Gaza’s ruling Hamas terrorist organization against Israel.

On that day, the terrorists invaded southern Israel and slaughtered more than 1,200 people, mostly civilians, torturing, raping, beheading and burning some of them alive before murdering them. The terrorists — and the Gaza civilians who followed them into the Jewish communities — abducted 240 other people, including many dual nationals and foreigners, dragging them back into Gaza where nearly 200 remain.

University of California at Berkeley Sued for Anti-Jewish Policies

UC Berkeley was sued Tuesday by Jewish groups who said longstanding unchecked antisemitism has spread on campus, including at its law school. 

The lawsuit said law school groups have anti-Jewish policies.

The complaint filed in San Francisco federal court is among the first against a major university since the war between Israel and Hamas began.

"I feel fear,  and at the same time, I'm not going to wear a shirt that I would have gotten on a trip to Israel. I'm not going to necessarily have a pin of an Israeli flag, or to do anything that would show my solidarity," said UC Berkeley graduate business student Hannah Schlacter.

Schlacter is part of Jewish Americans for Fairness in Education or JAFE — one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit. The group is made up of professors and students. 

It is affiliated with the nonprofit Louis D. Brandeis Center, another plaintiff. 

Schlacter shared video with KPIX of two assaults that happened in October.

She said one of them was taken moments after a Jewish student carrying an Israeli flag was hit with a metal water bottle.

"My understanding is that I'm not seeing the university enforce policy in place, and when you don't enforce policy in every situation only certain situations, that to me is discrimination," said Schlacter. 

When asked if antisemitism on campus is hindering her education, Schlacter said: "Yes, it most definitely is."

The lawsuit said court intervention is needed to protect students and faculty, and end antisemitic discrimination, which violates university policy, federal civil rights laws and the constitution.

"As far as what we want, folks who work in DEI or who are responsible for student safety, having them educated and trained on what antisemitism looks like in 2023, it's calling the two assaults against Jewish students hate crimes, and three, it's having someone fulltime employed in the Title VI office, who is specifically trained to handle the Jewish students and our complaints."

The university said in a statement to KPIX: 

While we appreciate the concerns expressed by the Brandeis Center, UC Berkeley believes the claims made in the lawsuit are not consistent with the First Amendment of the Constitution, or with the facts of what is actually happening on our campus. The university has long been committed to confronting antisemitism, and to supporting the needs and interests of its Jewish students, faculty, and staff. That commitment was strengthened in 2015, when the university established the Chancellor's Committee on Jewish Student Life, and again in 2019 when a groundbreaking Antisemitism Education Initiative was launched on the campus. 

Since the horrific Hamas terror attack on Israel, the university's administration has worked in close concert with the Initiative's director and the Committee's chairperson, and we have benefited from their guidance and input. Attached are two essential documents. The first is a summary of what the Berkley campus is doing to support our Jewish students, according to and as compiled by Professor Ethan Katz, the Chair of the Chancellor's Committee on Jewish Student Life. The second was compiled by Gregg Drinkwater, the director of Berkeley's Antisemitism Education Initiative, and describes his assessment of our ongoing efforts to confront antisemitism on the campus and beyond.

As a public university, Berkeley does not have the legal right to stop demonstrations or expression that many would consider to be offensive. Those demonstrations and expression are protected by the Constitution of the United States. While censoring that expression is not an option, we do understand how upsetting and frightening some of the demonstrations have been for Jewish students, and the university is responding to their impact. We are offering counseling support, arranging academic adjustments for impacted students when possible, and have issued clear statements about the campus's position, like this one.. 

We are also continuously conveying to students that if they believe that they have been subjected to antisemitic harassment or discrimination, or believe that expression---whether it be written or spoken--- is hindering their education, they must report that immediately to our Office for the Prevention of Harassment and Discrimination. When that happens, they have been assured the campus will respond. 

Berkeley Law's dean, Erwin Chemerinsky, also responded to allegations against the school: 

"Berkeley Law is dedicated and works very hard to provide a conducive learning environment for our Jewish and all of our students.  The complaint filed by the Brandeis Center paints a picture of the Law School that is stunningly inaccurate and that ignores the First Amendment.  For example, student organizations have the First Amendment right to choose their speakers, including based on their viewpoint.  Although there is much that the campus can and does do to create an inclusive learning environment, it cannot stop speech even if it is offensive."

Schlacter said she the lawsuit was filed because students felt that their concerns were not being taken seriously. She wants to see cultural and systemic change. 

"So, systemic change would mean that on the Berkeley website when they talk about free speech, then they should identify what is antisemitism, what is Islamophobia, what are hate crimes against Jews and what are hate crimes against Muslims," Schlacter said. 

Jewish Waiter Attacked in New York for Wearing Yamulke

Dovi Joseph said when he wears his yarmulke, he now wears a hat over it.

Since the start of the Israel-Hamas war, he said the hat, which represents respect for his Jewish faith, now feels like a target.

“As a Jew, I don’t feel so safe,” Joseph said.

Joseph works as a server at the Kosher restaurant Sushi Tokyo in Chelsea.

Sunday evening, as he was delivering an order to a table, security camera video shows a man stopping Joseph, pointing in his face, then launching a chair at him.

Joseph said the man called him a racist right before the attack.

“Why would someone look at a guy with a yarmulke, take a chair, and call him an f—ing racist, and then throw it at him?” Joseph said.

Police are investigating the attack, but have not called it a hate crime.

Joseph said he’s been afraid due to a surge in hate crimes last month. In October, the NYPD said anti-Jewish crimes jumped 214% when compared to October 2022.

The jump has been attributed to the war in the Middle East.

The Chelsea attack comes after former Obama White House official Stuart Seldowitz was charged with making anti-Islamic statements to a Halal cart worker.

As Joseph awaits justice, he hopes tensions simmer down.

“Bring more light into this situation. There’s a lot of darkness. Bring more light,” Joseph said.

Officials encourage anyone with any information to reach out to Crime Stoppers.

California Congressman's Office Vandalized by Anti-Israel Protestors

The conflict in the Middle East has led to rising tensions in Valley.

On Monday, local congressman David Valadao reported that his Hanford office was vandalized by what he described as anti-Israel protestors.

Photos on Valadao’s feed on X, formerly known as Twitter, showed fliers placed on the glass doors that included photos of children and the words, “Murdered by Israel.”

Along with the photos, Valadao wrote he strongly supports the right to peaceful protest, but violence and vandalism are never acceptable.

No arrests have been reported.

Florida Woman Stomps on Israeli and American Flags Outside Bagel Shop

Video obtained by Local 10 News shows a woman vandalizing an Israeli and an American flag placed outside a Miami Beach business early Tuesday morning.

It happened around 2 a.m. at Bagel Time Cafe, located at 3915 Alton Road, just south of 41st Street.

Video shows the woman grabbing the flags from outside the business, taking them in the middle of Alton Road, and then stomping on them.

Additional surveillance video captured the woman twirling the flags in the middle of the street and then dancing on top of them.

It isn’t the first time that the bagel shop has been subjected to vandalism.

Local 10 News reported in October that the business had placed a banner stating “Bagel Time proudly stands with Israel” when a suspect was seen in the video stopping in the middle of traffic, trying to take down the sign and then slashing it after he fails.

Bagel Time’s owner, Josh Nodel, told Local 10 News that he contacted Miami Beach police during both incidents.

“It’s pretty bad for us in our community. We have (the) Miami Beach community over here,” Nodel said in October. “Everybody here know(s) each other. So people don’t want to feel, you know, in fear. They want to feel safe over here. And that’s what I feel in Florida to this day.”

Nodel said the incident doesn’t just represent vandalism; it’s indicative of a much larger problem.

“I would say she’s the lowest. If she supports Hamas killing babies and throwing them in the oven, then she’s not human. It’s disgusting,” he said.

The public may report any suspected hate crimes in the county to the state attorney’s office by calling its “Hate Crime Hotline” at 786-687-2566 or the Miami Beach Police Department at 305-673-7900.

Neighborhoods in Oregon Receive Antisemitic Propaganda

Several police agencies in Jackson County are investigating after getting reports of plastic bags containing sand and antisemitic messages being dropped throughout neighborhoods.

Michael and Samantha Lindgren of Medford woke up Monday morning to one of these bags on their driveway. The couple caught footage of the bag being dropped off on their Ring camera, but were unable to identify a vehicle or license plate associated with it.

The bag dropped on the Lindgrens’ driveway contains sand and a QR code linking to a Telegram page of a video with antisemitic messaging, including footage of Adolf Hitler.

The QR code in this article's image has been partially obscured as to not link to the original video.

“People are putting forward their propaganda without any conversation or communication to back it up,” Michael Lindgren told NewsWatch 12. “It’s very troubling.”

Third Incident of Swastika Drawn at New York Middle School

A Riverhead Middle School student drew a swastika on a blackboard at the school, Interim Superintendent Cheryl Pedisich reported late Monday afternoon.

Pedisich made the announcement in a letter to the community posted on the Riverhead Central School District website.

The school district and Riverhead Police Department are investigating the incident, the interim superintendent wrote.

“The student is being disciplined in accordance with the Code of Character, Conduct and Support, and the district has spoken with the student’s parents,” Pedisich said.

This is the third reported incident involving swastikas on school property in Riverhead since September. On Sept. 22, three swastikas were discovered on desks in a classroom at Riverhead High School. A swastika was discovered on a piece of artwork at the middle school Nov. 17.

“We continue our commitment to condemning this behavior and emphasize that any form of antisemitic or discriminatory symbols, speech or actions are reprehensible and unacceptable in our schools and community,” Pedisich said in the letter.

“Unfortunately, these acts are not just limited to the Riverhead community, as incidents of this nature are occurring across Long Island and throughout the country at elevated rates,” she said.

The interim superintendent said a “school-home partnership for addressing these issues” is important. “This collaboration is crucial to ensure students fully understand the damage these messages of antisemitism cause and to provide students with the support they need to combat hate and bigotry,” she wrote.

“Please speak with your children and convey the seriousness and hurtful nature of discriminatory acts,” she said.

It is also important for parents to emphasize to their children that there will be “serious consequences for those that do engage in this behavior from the school district, and depending on the act, law enforcement,” Pedisich said.

The district’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Committee will establish district-wide programming, events and lessons to promote tolerance and acceptance, she said.

The district will also have Holocaust survivor Marion Lazan visit the middle school in January to speak with students. Lazan was interned at the Nazi concentration camp Bergen-Belsen as a child and will discuss her personal experiences with the swastika symbol, antisemitism and bigotry, Pedisich said.

Committee Member in Florida Resigns After Discovery of Antisemitic Text

Pension Plan Committee Chair Robert Geddes, pictured left

Allegations of antisemitism are surfacing in the town of Jupiter Island. A town committee member has resigned after a text message he sent offended people of the Jewish faith who work or live on the island.

Pension Plan Committee Chair Robert Geddes sent a text to another Jupiter Island resident stating: "Total — have printed, packaged and delivered 115 packets. Was told that if impact review gets an enormous amt of letters we have a chance to stop this. May have to try to hire the big environmental lawyer in Tallahassee. Miami is on its way here. Google 'the Jills' 2 Jewish real estatebabes who sold Normans house to Les Wexner."

The text was discovered by attorney Ethan Loeb, who is representing property owners in a legal battle with the town over public records access and the town's property development laws, particularly the waterfront setback line.

The text was found as Loeb continues to obtain certain public records through discovery. Loeb explained to WPTV why he felt the text was offensive. He, too, is of the Jewish faith.

"It's the word Jewish, right," Loeb said. "I mean, if they were talking about the development of Miami they would have said, 'Oh no, we don't want large development coming up here to Jupiter Island. We're different.' Or, 'Oh, there's these real estate professionals who are from Miami. We don't want that.' What in God's green earth does the fact, that whether they're Jewish, Christian, Muslim or no religion at all, have anything to do with it?"

One of the Jills referenced in the text, Jill Hertzberg, sent a statement to WPTV with her reaction upon reading the text.

Jill Hertzberg, who is mentioned in Robert Geddes' text message, offers her thoughts on the antisemitic remarks.

"We are living in perilous times with far too much division and hate," she said. "It's very disappointing when anyone makes ignorant antisemitic comments, much less someone who occupies a position of influence and trust. Antisemitism and other forms of discrimination are a breach of that trust and should not be tolerated. Responsible and decent people should call out this kind of hate wherever it exists. Silence or acquiescence is not an option. We all can and must be better than this. We will continue to proudly serve all communities and their residents regardless of anyone's religion, and we will continue stand up against hate and ignorance."

Loeb sent Town Manager Robert Garlo a formal complaint about the text, urging the town to take "prompt action" to disaffiliate with Geddes, "[calling] into question the motivations of many working at the Town and those who seek to prevent individuals of the Jewish faith from living or working on Jupiter Island."

WPTV contacted Garlo for his response to the allegations of antisemitic remarks. He issued the following reply:

"In response to the horrific attacks perpetrated against the Israeli people on Oct. 7, the Town of Jupiter Island stands united with the nation of Israel and their absolute right to defend their homeland. At a time when we see antisemitism increasing around the world, I would also state that the Town, and every man and woman employed by the Town, categorically condemn any and all forms of racism and hateful rhetoric."

However, at a subsequent Town meeting, Garlo made more detailed remarks, including, in part: "Mr. Geddes has now voluntarily submitted his resignation as a member of the committee with the sole reason to ensure the town continues operating fully without continuous distraction and harassment from outside parties. … I would hope instead that Mr. Loeb does the right thing and offers myself and every employee of the town a written apology."

The back and forth is frustrating to Jewish town residents like Dr. Susan Greenberg.

"No one did a mea culpa. No one said they were going to do anything about it," Greenberg said. "I recommended they consider having a town meeting run by the religious leaders of the local community."

WPTV also called Geddes' home to ask him for comment. A person who answered the phone said Geddes did not want to comment but said the text was out of context and felt faith was being used as a weapon to create a divide on the island.

Seattle Starbucks Shut Down Due to Pro-Hamas Vandals

The Starbucks Reserve Roastery in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Seattle was left vandalized after what employees said were pro-Hamas protestors spray-painting and breaking glass at the location, which was subsequently closed for repairs. Employees who were in the building at the time escaped through the back door.

The vandals scrawled, “Starbucks supports genocide” and “Enter if you support genocide” in front of the store.

Earlier this fall, Starbucks Workers Union put out a statement in support of Hamas.

The Friday vandalism incident leading to the Saturday closure at the Starbucks store followed a pro-Hamas group of several dozen protesters who occupied the traditional tree-lighting ceremony at Westlake Center in downtown Seattle on Friday. The protesters took over the stage and children and their parents who were there for the festivities felt threatened, as police did not arrest the disrupters of the sanctioned event.

On Thursday, pro-Hamas protestors glued themselves to the pavement during the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York.

Teacher in Florida Ordered to Rescind Assignment Vilifying Israel

A teacher at Boca Raton Community High School was ordered by school administrators to rescind an assignment given to students on Palestine. We are not identifying the teacher or the grade at this time. Multiple parents complained to BocaNewsNow.com — and the school district — over the assignment.

BocaNewsNow.com has learned that the assignment, based on an article which you can read below, encouraged students to take what appears to be an Anti-Israel view in understanding Gaza. While parents reaching out to BocaNewsNow.com acknowledge the importance of understanding all views, the teacher apparently provided no context or lessons to accompany the assignment. It was not pre-approved by the Palm Beach County School District.

“This seemed to be extremely biased,” said a parent. “Is it okay to learn about Gaza and its history? Of course. Is it okay to be provided one article as fact, told to formulate beliefs based on that one article, and to offer absolutely no context? Of course not.”

School administrators immediately stepped in to stop the assignment from continuing. Internal communication obtained and reviewed by BocaNewsNow.com confirms that a mid-level manager demanded that the teacher not only rescind the assignment, but offer an alternate assignment for any student who had completed the original but feared that the teacher may not appreciate his or her response.

Page two of a two-page Palestine assignment issued by a teacher at Boca High. School administrators ordered the assignment rescinded.

“That the teacher felt this was appropriate at all is a real concern,” said another parent. “If you’re not going to teach lesson plans approved by Palm Beach County, or at the very least discussed with school administration, then maybe find another line of work. This isn’t the time or the place to throw controversy into the classroom.”

A senior Palm Beach County School District official told BocaNewsNow.com there would be no comment over the Thanksgiving break. On Monday afternoon, an official issued these statements and confirmations:

“The assignment was: 1. Mark your confusion. 2. Show evidence of a close reading. 3. Write a 1+ page reflection. The teacher was told to either exempt the assignment or give an alternate assignment to students who did not complete the assignment.”