PHILADELPHIA — The Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History and its large Israeli flag display on Monday were vandalized for a second time this month with red paint.
The Philadelphia Police Department said Tuesday that the museum’s manager notified police that an unknown individual had vandalized additional areas of the museum’s walls and grounds. Both incidents remain under investigation.
On Aug. 18, the Israeli flag and a white section beneath it that reads, “The Weitzman Stands with Israel” on the west-facing wall were vandalized with red paint.
A spokesperson for the Weitzman, which is at the southeast corner of Fifth and Market Streets near Independence Hall, confirmed the second vandalism incident.
The museum had been planning to replace its entire Israeli flag display with a large “Bring Them Home Now” display to commemorate the two-year anniversary of the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by Hamas and bring attention to the hostages who are still in captivity, a spokesperson for the Weitzman said in an email Tuesday evening.
The Israeli flag display is not being removed because of the vandalism, the spokesperson said.
“We’re just expediting that. Should happen within the week. There may be a gap because of the process but it is NOT in acquiescence to vandals,” the spokesperson said.
The Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia, in a joint statement with several groups, on Tuesday condemned the latest vandalism on the museum.
“We are saddened and outraged by the repeated vandalism at the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History. Acts of hate like this have no place in Greater Philadelphia or anywhere in the nation,” the statement said.
“We are grateful to law enforcement for their swift response and coordination, and we are committed to supporting the Weitzman as it moves through this painful moment,” the statement said.
“The Weitzman is more than a museum. It is a national institution that preserves and shares the story of Jewish life in America, inspires pride in Jewish heritage, and welcomes visitors of all backgrounds to learn and connect. An attack on the Weitzman is not only an attack on the Jewish community, but also on the values of education, inclusion and cultural understanding that strengthen our society,” the statement said.
Gov. Josh Shapiro, in a statement to The Forward, a Jewish magazine, said: “The Weitzman Museum is literally steps away from the birthplace of democracy and a symbol of liberty and justice for all. Antisemitic vandalism has no place there — or anywhere in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania — and must be universally condemned. Expressing views through acts of hate doesn’t further a cause.”
