Courtesy of JTA. Photo credit: Courtesy Pittsburgh Jewish Federation
Vandalism outside Pittsburgh Jewish Federation, left, and a Chabad synagogue, right, in Pittsburgh, July 29, 2024
(JTA) — Vandals painted a symbol associated with Hamas on a synagogue in Pittsburgh, near the site of the deadliest attack on Jews in U.S. history.
The slogan “Jews for Palestine” and an inverted red triangle appeared Monday on Chabad of Squirrel Hill, walking distance from Tree of Life, the synagogue complex where a white supremacist murdered 11 Jews in 2018. The building is across the street from a Jewish day school.
The inverted red triangle is linked to Hamas, which has used it on videos produced by its al-Qassam military wing to signify Israeli targets. It emerged as a symbol used by pro-Palestinian demonstrators in late 2023, following Hamas’ deadly invasion of Israel on Oct. 7. Last month, vandals painted a red triangle on the home of the Jewish director of the Brooklyn Museum while a banner they strung across her porch branded her a “white supremacist Zionist.”
Some pro-Palestinian advocates say the triangle symbolizes resistance, generally, and have used it as a pro-Palestinian signifier in their social media profiles. But critics say it represents a call to violence given its origins.
“The Squirrel Hill community witnessed the deadliest act of antisemitism in our nation’s history at Tree of Life Synagogue,” Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Jewish Democrat, said on social media. “They should not need to wake up to antisemitic graffiti in their neighborhood. Vandalism of any type of a house of worship has no home in our Commonwealth — and we must all continue to call it out and speak with moral clarity.”
Rabbi Yisroel Altein, the director of the Chabad synagogue, said the municipality had already cleaned up the graffiti and that he had shared security camera footage with the police.
“People are obviously fearful, considering,” he said, referring to the 2018 shooting. But he said there was also a lot of local support, which was heartening. “Everyone’s reaching out, expressing their support and willingness to help.”
A sign outside the office of the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh also was vandalized. It said the federation “funds genocide” and used emojis and words to exhort observers to love Jews but “hate Zionists.”
“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,” the federation said in a statement, which noted that several private homes had also been vandalized. “Vandalism targeting Jews is criminal hate speech, pure and simple.”
Separately, vandals in Calgary, Canada, on Saturday night painted the red triangle along a route that a local synagogue, Beth Tzedec, had publicized for an Israel solidarity march that took place the next day.
“Free Palestine” and the triangle appeared on a sound barrier. David Inhaber, the synagogue’s CEO, said there was also graffiti daubed on an overpass. Both properties belong to the municipality.
“We had upwards of a thousand registrants and walk ups and at 1 p.m. yesterday, we commenced our march around the neighborhood,” Inhaler said. “I believe through advertising and media the route was shared on social media or simply leaked allowing for graffiti to be introduced the previous evening. It was adjacent to our property and along the route.”
Inhaber said the community reported the graffiti to police.
