
Paris probes antisemitic vandalism targeting synagogues and a Holocaust memorial
PARIS — Authorities in Paris have launched an investigation after several Jewish sites across the capital were defaced with green paint.
The vandalism, discovered early Saturday morning, targeted the Shoah Memorial, two synagogues and a Jewish restaurant in the city's historic Marais district, as well as a third synagogue in the 20th arrondissement (district). An open can of paint was reportedly found nearby, while French media said surveillance footage from the Holocaust Memorial showed an individual dressed in black spraying paint overnight.
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CBS News
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Tarrytown Lighthouse fire suspects caught on surveillance video, police say
Damage is now expected to top $100,000 after vandals set a fire inside a historic Westchester County lighthouse Friday night into Saturday, authorities said. One year ago, the 1883 Tarrytown Lighthouse had just completed a $3 million renovation as the beloved landmark got extensive repairs, but now the boarded-up windows outside hint at the extensive damage inside. Surveillance video leads police to believe at least four vandals got inside. County police are working aggressively to find them. The fire left heavy soot on a door, and the people pushing it open left handprints. All of that's being analyzed. Surveillance video leads cops to believe at least four vandals got inside the Tarrytown Lighthouse on May 31, 2025, and set it on fire. Westchester County Police "They literally set the main floor on fire" County Executive Ken Jenkins said everything will be repaired, but the focus now is on finding who did this and why. "I'm disappointed, discouraged. Very heartbreaking that this has happened," he said. Westchester Parks Commissioner Kathy O'Connor says facilities see occasional vandalism. "This is a whole different ballgame because they literally set the main floor on fire," she said. Damage is now expected to top $100,000 after vandals set fire inside a historic Westchester County lighthouse on May 31, 2025. CBS News New York The vandalism is now a sad chapter in the long history of the landmark. "I just thought it was so despicable. I can't even tell you how – I was shocked and really angry. It was just awful," Tarrytown resident Cynthia Semsel said. "I just can't believe that someone would have the nerve to damage it in any way because it's so much a part of the history of this region," retired teacher Mara Cohen said. It's not clear when this piece of history on the Hudson will reopen for tours.


CNN
2 hours ago
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Fear in America's Jewish community intensifies after latest antisemitic attack
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Two Israeli embassy workers in Washington, DC, were killed outside the Capital Jewish Museum in late May, and an arsonist set the Pennsylvania governor's mansion on fire on the first night of Passover because of Gov. Josh Shapiro's views on the war in Gaza, according to search warrants. 'I wish I could say I was surprised by these events, but Jews have been sounding the alarm on the rise in antisemitism since October 7,' Sheila Katz, the CEO of the National Council of Jewish Women said. 'This is what happens when we allow antisemitism to go unchecked.' The attack on Sunday came during a peaceful demonstration aimed at raising awareness of the remaining hostages in Gaza. Twelve people were injured, and two remain hospitalized, officials said. The suspect, Mohamed Sabry Soliman, told investigators he 'wanted to kill all Zionist people' and had planned the attack for a year, according to an affidavit. He was captured on video by bystanders yelling 'Free Palestine' before police arrested him. Soliman now faces a federal hate crime charge and state charges of attempted murder. 'Most Jews right now are feeling unsafe and unsure about where to show up,' Katz said. 'Killing and burning Jews does nothing to make Palestinians safer or more free.' 'Antisemitism will never be a path to justice.' Sunday's attack came hours before the start of Shavuot, the holiday commemorating the day God gave the Torah to the Jewish people. At the Main Line Reform Temple just outside of Philadelphia, Senior Rabbi Geri Newburge said the past several weeks have been brutal, leaving her 'pretty demoralized and heartbroken.' The aftermath of October 7—combined with escalating protests against Israel's war in Gaza— made an attack like this feel inevitable, she said. 'It doesn't feel like such a stretch to me at this point that the rhetoric would move from posters or chants to doing something violent,' Newburge said. The rabbi noted she and members of her congregation have also felt antisemitism increasing across the country — and it's taking a toll. 'It's exhausting — spiritually, emotionally and even physically,' Newburge explained. Across the country, Jewish schools, synagogues and community centers continue to have tight security. Oftentimes, there is a visible police presence or armed security guards. Michael Bernstein, board chair of the Tree of Life in Pittsburgh, attended an event last Wednesday for a local Jewish organization where some of the attendees were non-Jews. He called the necessary security an 'unfortunate tax' and a measure most other communities don't need. This latest wave of attacks has left many Jewish leaders wondering what more can be done. Bernstein said Jews needed to secure their spaces, but security and the Jewish community alone wouldn't solve antisemitism. 'This is an American problem, it's not a Jewish problem,' he said, and pointed to Pittsburgh community after the massacre at the Tree of Life synagogue. The 2018 shooting, the worst attack on Jews in American history, left 11 worshippers dead and six others wounded. Pittsburgh, he said, came together to say antisemitism wasn't acceptable. 'An attack on one group is an attack on all of us,' Bernstein said. 'And the community held us.' 'It's an all-of-society approach.' Outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, candles and flowers mark the spot where Sarah Milgrim and Yaron Lischinsky were gunned down on May 21. The white lilies placed at the memorial hadn't even started wilting yet when the firebombing in Boulder began. Milgrim and Lischinsky attended an event to discuss how multi-faith organizations could work together to bring humanitarian aid to war-torn regions like Gaza. Their friends and colleagues said they were devoted to the peace process in Israel. The suspected gunman, whom DC police later identified as 31-year-old Chicago native Elias Rodriguez, shouted 'Free Palestine' after he was arrested. Katz, who said she knew Milgrim professionally and had been invited to the event, but was unable to attend, stressed 'non-violence must be non-negotiable.' 'Anyone who wants to see peace, who wants to see an end to the war, who wants to see the hostages to be released, who wants to see a better future for Palestinians and Israelis, has to understand that violence towards Jews in America or around the world is not going to make that peace happen,' Katz said. Antisemitism has surged globally, according to the Anti-Defamation League, and rose after the start of the war in Gaza. Threats to Jews in the United States tripled between October 7, 2023 and September 2024, the organization said. Gay Keao said she has been critical of Israel's action toward Palestinians but has also witnessed a disregard for Jewish safety since October 7. Now, she often wakes up wondering, 'What's going to happen next?' 'I just refuse to believe that the cyclical violence is inevitable,' she said. 'As a Jewish person, I can't embrace that. I'm here for breaking those cycles.' Nearly 2,000 miles away, sitting beneath his synagogue's serene outdoor Holocaust memorial, Philadelphia Rabbi Shawn Zevit said his diverse urban congregation has been experiencing a mix of emotions. But, he said, reaching out to Jewish loved ones is critical at this moment, so his community does not feel alone. 'Just the message of 'I'm thinking about you,'' Zevit argued, can be comforting to Jewish people feeling upset. But the rabbi also noted calling out even minor instances of antisemitism is key to preventing future attacks. 'Treat those moments as gateways for increased solidarity and vigilance,' he said. Katz said people knew how to call out antisemitism when it was 'bullets in synagogues or Nazis with tiki torches' but needed to be able to recognize it in all of its forms. 'Antisemitism doesn't begin with bullets or firebombs,' she added. 'But it ends there when it's ignored.' Bernstein, the chair of the board of the Tree of Life, warned antisemitism doesn't stay a Jewish issue. He pointed to a mass shooting in Buffalo, New York, where 10 people were killed in a racially motivated mass shooting at a supermarket. 'This hateful ideology,' he said, 'it comes after everybody.' CNN's TuAnh Dam contributed to this report.


CBS News
2 hours ago
- CBS News
Hate-fueled vandalism shocks Overtown as community rallies to restore historic murals
Less than two weeks before Juneteenth, a cherished symbol of Black history and resilience in Miami has been marred by hate. Murals at Dorsey Park, where Negro League players once took the field before packed segregated crowds during the Jim Crow era, were defaced with racist and anti-Semitic graffiti, igniting outrage across the Overtown community. The vandalism occurred sometime Sunday on murals honoring legendary Black baseball players Jackie Robinson and Minnie Miñoso. Swastikas were spray-painted over their faces, with added profanity and the n-word scrawled repeatedly across the wall. "This is not paint - it's pain" "This really needs to be addressed," said Nicole Crooks, a local community leader, speaking during an emotional news conference. "We need to honor the people who have done a beautiful job at trying to really honor and hold on to the history." Anthony Robinson, of the Overtown Children's & Youth Coalition, stood near the murals and described the scene in stark terms. "What you see behind me is not paint on the walls - it's pain," he said. "It's hate, it's disgrace. It's an attempt to break down the pride of a proud community." Miami Police told CBS News off-camera that it's rare to see two minority communities targeted at once in a single act of vandalism. Though they declined to speak on record, the department confirmed its specialized investigations section is now handling the case. Community members say police also increased their presence in the area following an impromptu meeting about the incident. "We need the community to uncover the hurt" On Monday afternoon, a blue tarp was placed over the defaced murals by a team from the Dorsey Park Community Center - a move that some residents felt was premature. Community activist Terrance Cribbs-Lorrant explained why many wanted the graffiti to remain visible for now. "I know you may not be able to show it on the television," he said, "but we need the community to uncover the hurt and the hatred that is existing." Cribbs-Lorrant added, "The individual who did this feels that they have been embodied with an ability to spew their hate back onto a community that has not served them hate." Restoration underway before Juneteenth Despite the hurt, residents are moving quickly toward healing. Local artist teams have been organized to do immediate touch-ups, with hopes of restoring the murals fully before Juneteenth. "In the short term, a local artist will do touch-ups," community members said. "They hope to have that done at least by this weekend before Juneteenth." Long-term plans are already in place to completely redo the murals - and the community isn't starting from scratch. Funding has been secured, and artists are ready to begin the larger restoration effort. "Within 24 hours of this being notified, an action plan has been put together, a prevention plan has been planned," said community activist Metris Betts. "It's an honor to say that this community has been doing the work to maintain the Historic Overtown neighborhood." Robinson said they are now working with both local and federal authorities. "We will pursue hate crimes," he stated. As Overtown prepares to celebrate Juneteenth, the community is making it clear that while the scars of hate are fresh, the spirit of resistance and remembrance is stronger than ever.