Latest news with #JewishFederationofGreaterPittsburgh
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Man accused of distributing antisemitic flyers in Pittsburgh identified
Police have identified a suspect accused of throwing baggies containing antisemitic messages into the front yards in two Western Pennsylvania counties. Around two weeks ago, police collected over 100 fliers just in Squirrel Hill, plus some in Shadyside and Peters Township, Washington County. Now, Jeremy Brokaw, 45, of Zanesville, Ohio, has been issued more than 160 traffic citations. Police said each citation carries a $300 fine, which in total is around $48,000. A spokesperson for Pittsburgh Public Safety said that Peters Township, Washington County, also issued the same citations for violations in that jurisdiction. The spokesperson added that the district attorney was only able to charge for traffic citations, saying that the person did not make threats and was within his First Amendment rights. Last month, witnesses said a Dodge Durango with Ohio license plates and three to four people inside tossed the baggies out of the car window while yelling slurs. The Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh said they know the national group behind this, which is known for flyers with a shock factor. The Jewish Federation added that this group usually operates under the cover of darkness, which makes this all the more frightening. 'With this particular group, they were so blatant, they did this in broad daylight, between 6-8 p.m.,' Shawn Brokos with the Jewish Federation of Pittsburgh said. 'People were out, it was a beautiful night. It's disturbing to see them escalating and being so vocal about it.' Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Yahoo
Hateful, antisemitic flyers distributed throughout Squirrel Hill, Shadyside, Peters Township
Pittsburgh Police are investigating after several people in an SUV with Ohio plates threw baggies containing antisemitic and hateful messages into the front yards of families. This happened throughout Squirrel Hill, including on Phillips Avenue between Murray and Beechwood, and some witnesses say the people in the car were yelling slurs. Benjamin Schwartz has lived in Squirrel Hill his entire life. 'This whole thing is very disheartening,' Schwartz tells Channel 11. 'It's a scary time to be here.' Schwartz says the hate speech has ramped up since October 7, 2023, a trend the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh says they're sadly seeing too. 'I remember going to the Holocaust museum with my parents at maybe 10 or 11 years old because every Jewish boy or girl needs to see that,' Schwartz said. 'And looking and just not understanding how such an idea Hitler gave to the people could take off, but now I get it.' Schwartz's family had one of the baggies with antisemitic messages, weighed down by kernels of corn tossed in their front yard. The Jewish Federations says police have collected over 100 just in Squirrel Hill, not to mention those found in Shadyside and Peters Township, Washington County. Witnesses say a Dodge Durango with Ohio license plates and three to four people inside tossed the baggies out of the car window while yelling slurs. 'There is no excuse for that kind of behavior,' neighbor Michelle Bjornstad said. 'We live in 2025. That stuff shouldn't be happening anymore.' The Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh says they know the national group behind this, which is known for flyers with a shock factor. They don't believe the people are from Pittsburgh. The Jewish Federation added that this group usually operates under the cover of darkness. which makes this all the more frightening. 'With this particular group, they were so blatant, they did this in broad daylight, between 6-8 p.m.,' Shawn Brokos with the Jewish Federation of Pittsburgh said. 'People were out, it was a beautiful night. It's disturbing to see them escalating and being so vocal about it.' Brokos, the director of community security for the Jewish Federation, says they want to send the message that anyone who comes into our communities to threaten, harass or spread hate won't get away with it. Brokos says that's because of automatic license plate readers in Squirrel Hill, paid for by a security grant and used specifically to catch bad actors. 'We will be able to find you,' Brokos said. 'We will be able to catch you.' Neighbors in Squirrel Hill say they'll continue to stand together and will not allow these messages to break their community. 'Act with kindness on every level,' Schwartz added. 'I know it's most of us, but let's be louder than them.' Pittsburgh Police say at least one of the suspects is a man with red hair. The Jewish Federation is asking anyone who got one of these baggies to report it to police, especially if they witnessed the suspects yelling or threatening them, because it could rise to the level of ethnic intimidation. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Yahoo
Pittsburgh woman pleads guilty to vandalizing Squirrel Hill synagogue
A woman has pleaded guilty to vandalising a Squirrel Hill synagogue. The words 'Jews 4 Palestine' and an inverted triangle were spray-painted onto the exterior of Chabad of Squirrel Hill last July. An entry sign at the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh was vandalized on the same day. Two people were later federally charged with the vandalism. On Thursday, Talya Lubit, of Pittsburgh, pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy and defacing and damaging a religious building. 'From my perspective, any day that we go without an incident is a good day,' said Shawn Brokos, the director of community security for the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh. She was at the plea hearing on Thursday. '[I am] very pleased to see today's change of plea, that she is owning her conduct, but we also know that with this investigation, there's a lot more to come, and it also unearthed what started out as a graffiti case,' she said. During the multi-federal agency investigation, agents uncovered that Lubit had been communicating with a man named Muhammad Hamad. Their conversations consisted of anti-Semitic rhetoric. Plus, according to investigators, Hamad was making homemade bombs. In fact, he detonated three of them, and detectives included the photos in their complaint. 'The investigation is remarkable. If you look at the indictment, it takes you step by step of how they prove this case,' Brokos said. 'So, just incredible meticulous work and we're grateful for our law enforcement partners.' Through the investigators, detectives learned a third person was involved in the vandalism. That person is also now facing charges. Lubit, according to the Department of Justice, has agreed to pay full restitution for the damage done to the Chabad property and the Jewish Federation of Pittsburgh sign. She'll be sentenced in September. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW
CBS News
15-04-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Pittsburgh Jewish leaders react to attack on Pennsylvania Governor's Residence
As Jews across Pennsylvania continue to observe Passover, they can't help but think about what happened to Gov. Josh Shapiro this past weekend as he celebrated his faith. Leaders in Pittsburgh's Jewish community are hesitant to draw conclusions, as state police have yet to release a motive in the arson fire at the governor's mansion in Harrisburg. What's clear is that this attack took place hours after Shapiro and his family celebrated the first night of Passover. Two days after a fire ripped through the governor's mansion, there's heartache among Jews in Pittsburgh, including Rabbi Jeffrey Myers and his congregants, who experienced the worst antisemitic attack in U.S. history at the Tree of Life synagogue in 2018. "This can be a moment where it rips the scars off again and continues to provide more reasons for trauma," Rabbi Myers said. "Clearly, we can see that this is h-motivated." Rabbi Myers doesn't like to use that h-word, which state police use to describe the suspect's feelings about Shapiro. Specifically, they said he " harbored hatred " toward Shapiro and planned to beat him with a hammer if he saw him. At this time, that's what we know, as investigators continue to look into why the man allegedly firebombed the home, shortly after the governor held a seder for Passover. "It's inevitable that… particularly in the Jewish community, we're going to do a different kind of math and immediately make assumptions," Rabbi Myers said. Both he and David Heyman, with the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh, agree that the timing is peculiar, on top of a drastic rise in antisemitism since the Hamas attack in Israel, but they're waiting to see the investigation play out. "It's been a continual series of events that the community has had to deal with," Heyman said. "It's possible that the timing was coincidental for Passover. It's possible that the suspect held a grudge against Gov. Shapiro for other reasons." Heyman said the federation's security team doesn't believe there are any current threats to the area. Nonetheless, as Shapiro put it, Jews will continue to see the light in the darkness and rise above. "Judaism is not about victimhood. Judaism is joyous, and we're not going to let that stop us," Rabbi Myers said. Anyone in need of support can seek counseling through the 10/27 Healing Partnership , created after the attack on the Tree of Life.
