Thursday, August 29, 2024
Pennsylvania Supreme Court rules in favor of Jewish family in free speech dispute over anti-hate signs
A Jewish family had the free-speech right to blanket their yard with signs decrying hate and racism after their next-door neighbor hurled an antisemitic slur at them during a property dispute 10 years ago, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court rules.
The court decides Simon and Toby Galapo were exercising their rights under the Pennsylvania Constitution when they erected protest signs on their property and pointed them squarely at the neighbor's house in the Philadelphia suburbs — a total of 23 signs over a span of years — with messages such as "Hitler Eichmann Racists," "No Place 4 Racism" and "Woe to the Racists. Woe to the Neighbors."
"All homeowners at one point or another are forced to gaze upon signs they may not like on their neighbors' property — be it ones that champion a political candidate, advocate for a cause, or simply express support or disagreement with some issue," Justice Kevin Dougherty writes for the court's 4-2 majority. He says suppressing such speech would "mark the end to residential expression."
In a dissent, Justice Kevin Brobson says judges have the authority to "enjoin residential speech… that rises to the level of a private nuisance and disrupts the quiet enjoyment of a neighbor's home."
The neighbors' ongoing feud over a property boundary and "landscaping issues" came to a head in November 2014 when a member of the Oberholtzer family directed an antisemitic slur at Simon Galapo, according to court documents. By the following June, the Galapo family had put up what would be the first of numerous signs directed at the Oberholtzer property.
The Oberholtzers filed suit, seeking an order to prohibit their neighbors from erecting signs "containing false, incendiary words, content, innuendo and slander." Simon Galapo testified that he wanted to make a statement about antisemitism and racism, teach his children to fight it, and change his neighbors' behavior.
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Monday, August 12, 2024
Police issue arrest warrants for vandals who targeted Temple Univ. Jewish fraternity house
After several incidents of antisemitic vandalism targeted the off-campus rowhome where members of a Jewish fraternity live, Temple University police have zeroed in on two suspected vandals.
Over the weekend, Temple alerted students that arrest warrants were issued for people wanted with vandalizing the AEPi house.
"The approved felony charges are in connection with incidents that occurred on May 24 and July 27, 2024, at an off-campus row home that houses several Temple student members of AEPi, a national fraternity," Temple said in its new release.
Temple didn't name the people they were looking for.
A previous incident on May 6 2024, where "Free Palestine" was scrawled on the roof of the rowhome continued to be investigated as Temple police had not linked the suspects to that earlier incident.
"We will continue to make one thing abundantly clear: Temple University does not tolerate antisemitic or other hate crimes, including vandalism and damage to property" Temple President Richard Englert and Senior Vice President and Provost Gregory Mandel said in a letter to the Temple community. "Temple unequivocally condemns antisemitism and other acts of hatred, incitement to violence, threats, harassment and discrimination against any person."
Temple had only just alerted students to the July 27 incident on Aug. 2, 2024.
"As you may be aware, in May, two incidents involving trespass and vandalism occurred at an off-campus row home that houses several Temple student members of AEPi, a national fraternity," Englert and Mandel said in their Aug. 2 joint letter. "AEPi identifies as a Jewish fraternity and there was evidence the incidents were motivated by antisemitism."
"Unfortunately, there was another incident this past weekend" the letter from Temple leadership said. "Temple University and Philadelphia police officers were called to the residence again to respond to reports of individuals on the rooftop. Temple's police officers and detectives are actively investigating these incidents as both a criminal and student disciplinary matter."
Temple asked for anyone with information to reach out to Temple police at 215-204-1234.
The vandalism has come in the months after Hamas' deadly terror attack on Israeli citizens launched the war in Gaza. Fallout from the Israel-Hamas war roiled campuses across the United States during the last school year and reignited a debate over free speech versus hate speech and actions.
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Thursday, August 08, 2024
Russia Shielded in Court Fight Over Stolen Religious Texts
A Washington federal appeals court has shielded the Russian government from $175 million in sanctions stemming from long-running litigation by a Hasidic organization over stolen religious texts.
The three-judge panel for the US Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit found Tuesday that the Russian Federation is immune from civil suit under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act, and that the lower court judge who ordered the penalties never had authority to do so.
The decision thwarts a bid by Agudas Chasidei Chabad, a New York-based Hasidic Jewish organization, to recoup penalties against an American subsidiary of a Russian company.
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Wednesday, August 07, 2024
Baltimore officials investigate suspected arson outside Jewish Museum of Maryland
Federal investigators are teaming up with Baltimore City officials after a suspected arson Sunday night outside the Jewish Museum of Maryland.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and city fire investigators collected evidence on Wednesday that included fire residue and security camera video that captured a single individual setting the fire.
"The fire bureau investigation unit from the Office of the Fire Marshal is investigating the incident; it involved some type of fire of unknown origin," Baltimore City fire Capt. Dennis Dawson said.
A construction worker, who is part of a museum renovation crew, discovered burned material on Monday that had been discarded. The video may provide a key to the investigation.
"It looked like someone pulled up outside the museum Sunday night around 10:30 p.m., put an item out in front of the museum, lit it on fire and took off," said Howard Libit, the executive director of the Baltimore Jewish Council.
While the footprint of the fire is small, the intent is a big concern as museum officials want police to investigate it as a hate crime.
"There is no conceivable way they are not looking at this as a hate crime," Libit said. "It is very clearly a Jewish institution. There's a big sign that says, 'Jewish museum.' It would be very odd for it not to be some relationship … related to antisemitism, anti-Jewish, anti-Israel or something like that."
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Monday, August 05, 2024
Spike in antisemitic hate crimes sparks Jewish community demands for government action
Antisemitic hate crimes have surged across Canada, with new statistics revealing a troubling increase in incidents targeting the Jewish community.
Despite making up less than 1% of Canada's population, Jewish people accounted for 70% of all religiously motivated hate crimes in 2023, according to data released by Statistics Canada on July 31.
The total number of police-reported hate crimes rose from 3,612 incidents in 2022 to 4,777 in 2023, an increase of 32%. The number of hate crimes targeting Jewish people rose from 527 to 900, an increase of 71%. Hate crimes targeting members of any religion grew by 67%.
"Most of the violations typically associated with hate crimes increased, including public incitement of hatred (+65%), uttering threats (+53%), mischief (+34%), and assaults (+20%)," reads the report.
Deborah Lyons, a diplomat and special envoy on preserving Holocaust remembrance and combatting antisemitism, said that the same week the data were released saw Jewish schools, synagogues, neighbourhoods, and businesses subjected to a wave of antisemitic vandalism.
"Law enforcement must act. The voices of the vast majority of Canadians—including faith, business, and political leaders—need to be heard before it's too late," she said.
According to a 2019 survey, only one in five victims of hate crimes reported the incidents to police.
Between 2022 and 2023, police-reported hate crimes against Muslims increased by 94%, other religions by 37%, and hate crimes against Catholics decreased by 6%.
The UJA Federation of Greater Toronto issued an update on security developments the same day the data were released. The update was issued only 24 hours after the organization's first release, which covered a fire at Leo Baeck Day School.
Hamas' terrorist attack on Oct. 7 resulted in the deaths of 1,200 Israelis, marking the largest assault on Jews since the Holocaust. The attackers brutally killed babies, raped women, burned families alive, and took hundreds of innocent civilians hostage.
Since Oct. 7, the Toronto Police Service has responded to 1,556 suspected hate crime calls, averaging 156 per month. There have been 130 arrests and 314 hate crime related charges issued since Oct. 7.
Of the 273 hate crimes reported in 2024 so far in Toronto, 45% were antisemitic.
"Hate crime occurrences are up 55% over the same period last year," said Chief Myron Demkiw.
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Thursday, August 01, 2024
Jewish man speaks out on feeling 'vilified' after Officeworks staffer refuses service on the grounds of being pro-Palestinian
A Jewish man has spoken out after being refused service by an Officeworks employee, describing the tremendous shock and embarrassment of the incident as he seeks to take legal action.
Footage emerged on Thursday showing the customer attempting to get a page from the Australian Jewish News laminated at an Officeworks store in Elsternwick, Melbourne when the manager of the department refused on the grounds that she was "pro-Palestine".
In an exclusive interview with Sky News Australia, the man who chose to remain anonymous, said he felt "vilified", "discriminated" and embarrassed by the exchange.
He even revealed he was considering moving his family to Israel as a result of the rising antisemitism felt by Jews across the country.
"I'm still vilified and a target for antisemitism," he told Sky News host Sharri Markson.
"I find myself asking my family, is it a matter of when we are not moving to Israel, but not if.
Officeworks is understood to have offered the Jewish customer a $100 voucher and said it would investigate the incident.
Officeworks' managing director Sarah Hunter confirmed in a statement the matter had been taken "extremely seriously" and the stationery chain has "investigated internally and taken the appropriate action to ensure this doesn't take place again".
"We learned of the incident in March 2024. We were deeply disappointed that it occurred and confirm that the customer's job should have been performed by the team member," she said.
"We confirm that we have taken this matter extremely seriously, investigated the matter at the time and took appropriate disciplinary action.
"The views expressed by the team member are not Officeworks' views.
"At Officeworks, we do not discriminate against our customers on the basis of political views, religious beliefs, gender, sexuality or race."
However, the man vehemently refuted the company's claim and said Officeworks had not properly engaged with his complaint.
"Even though they said they're taking this issue seriously, it's clear that they haven't," he said.
"The antisemitic employee is still currently employed, which would make it seem that Officeworks condones her behaviour.
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