Chabad of Squirrel Hill and Jewish Federation Office Building Vandalized
Chabad of Squirrel Hill was defaced with hateful antisemitic spray paint overnight. Congregants worked to cover the graffiti on the Shul as police open investigation • Full Story
The Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh also shared an image on social media of their office building vandalized with spray paint and antisemitic messaging.
The organization released a statement calling on residents to report vandalism or other acts of hate.
“The Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh is angered and disgusted by the acts of antisemitic graffiti and vandalism on our office building, Chabad of Squirrel Hill, and at several Jewish homes this morning.”
This incident comes on the heels of a sharp rise in antisemitic incidents following the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel on October 7. The location and nature of the vandalism suggest that the criminals were targeting Jewish institutions, individuals, and houses of worship to blame Jews for the actions of Israel—a typical antisemitic trope. This group claimed that the Jewish Federation, the non-profit Jewish umbrella organization serving greater Pittsburgh, is “funding genocide.”
The graffiti outside of Chabad included an inverted triangle, a symbol used by Hamas to mark targets for terror. These are clear acts of antisemitic hate and intimidation targeted towards Jewish institutions and houses of worship.
For a Jewish community still healing from the worst antisemitic attack in U.S. history in 2018 and now retraumatized by the worst single act of terrorism against Jews since the Holocaust, these acts of vandalism are particularly despicable. Vandalism targeting Jews is criminal hate speech, pure and simple. We condemn hate speech of any form, which has no place anywhere in Pittsburgh.
Any acts of hate must be reported immediately to ensure coordination among our Jewish institutions and with law enforcement.
Gov. Josh Shapiro posted on his official X account that the Squirrel Hill community “should not need to wake up to antisemitic graffiti in their neighborhood.”
Pittsburgh police are investigating the two incidents, saying in a statement to the news that detectives are examining the possibility that the two acts are related, but do not have any suspects in custody.
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