Pro-Palestine graffiti was discovered on the front of Allderdice High School, a predominantly Jewish neighborhood institution.
The Squirrel Hill community awoke on Thursday, a day before the city was scheduled to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the tragic Tree of Life massacre, during which 11 congregants lost their lives in a violent attack at the Tree of Life synagogue
In the vicinity, an “We Stand With Israel” sign had been defaced with “GAZA” spray-painted over the word Israel. This incident was a clear act of intimidation directed at the Jewish students and families associated with the school and living in the neighborhood. It was a stark reminder of the heinous act that occurred in the Tree of Life massacre five years ago when Joyce Fienberg, Richard Gottfried, Rose Mallinger, Jerry Rabinowitz, Cecil and David Rosenthal, Bernice and Sylvana Simon, Dan Stein, Mel Wax, Irving Younger lost their lives in the Tree of Life massacre.
The graffiti incident took place amidst heightened tensions in Jewish communities nationwide, following the recent terrorist attack in Israel on October 7th
During this attack, Hamas, an Iran-backed terror group controlling Gaza, initiated an unprovoked and violent assault on Israel, resulting in numerous casualties, including Americans, and over 200 people taken hostage.
Prominent figures have expressed their condemnation of this intimidation, emphasizing the need for unity and support within the community. Tensions have been on the rise in Jewish communities and on university campuses across the country, with concerns about intimidation and antisemitism continuing to be a cause for alarm.
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