Antisemitic Attack at Jewish Museum in Philadelphia
An unknown individual spray-painted an antisemitic message on the OY/YO sculpture outside the Weitzman Museum in Philadelphia on Thursday evening. Police are searching for the suspect, who fled on a train. The graffiti has been removed. The incident was condemned by Congressman Tariq Khan and a representative of the Anti-Defamation League, who noted a rise in antisemitic vandalism in Pennsylvania.
An unknown individual spray-painted an antisemitic message on the OY/YO sculpture outside the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia. The incident occurred at approximately 8:15 PM on Thursday. The man defaced the yellow sculpture, located along the Delaware River in the historic Old City district, and then boarded a train at a nearby station. Police have surveillance footage and are searching for the suspect. The graffiti has been removed, but its content has not been disclosed. The vandalism was reported by Pennsylvania State Representative Tariq Khan, a Democrat, who condemned the hate and called for resistance. Andrew Goretzky, regional director of the Anti-Defamation League, noted an increase in antisemitic vandalism in Pennsylvania from 29 cases in 2022 to 80 in 2025. The sculpture was created by artist Deborah Kass and symbolizes the American promise of equality. This is not the first incident: in August of last year, the museum was splashed with red paint twice, and 33-year-old Leroy Hayes later turned himself in to police.