Philadelphia Jewish museum vandalized with antisemitic graffiti, third attack in nearly a year

An antisemitic inscription was scrawled onto the OY/YO sculpture outside Philadelphia's Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History on Thursday evening. The vandalism occurred around 8:15 p.m. near the Delaware River in the city's historic Old City district. Police have obtained surveillance footage of the suspect, described as a man who wrote the message before boarding a train, but have not yet made an arrest.

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it just turned my stomach. Whether you are Jewish or not, people understand that we have to stand up against hate in our community. We cannot tolerate hate, and when we see something wrong, we have to stand up and take action.

The inscription has since been removed. Pennsylvania state Rep. Tarik Khan, who discovered the vandalism, reported it to the police and expressed his dismay. "We cannot tolerate hate, and when we see something wrong, we have to stand up and take action," Khan stated, emphasizing the need for community solidarity against hate.

Andrew Goretsky, regional director of the Anti-Defamation League in Philadelphia, described the incident as "deeply frustrating, but unfortunately not surprising." He noted a significant increase in antisemitic vandalism in Pennsylvania, with incidents rising from 29 in 2022 to 80 in 2025. Goretsky urged public leaders to condemn such acts and encouraged the public to report all incidents and educate themselves about the spread of misinformation.

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deeply frustrating, but unfortunately not surprising.

The OY/YO sculpture, created by artist Deborah Kass, is a prominent piece that reads "YO" from one side, a greeting associated with Philadelphia, and "OY," a Yiddish exclamation, from the other, symbolizing the intertwining of Jewish and Philadelphian culture.

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As a Jewish community, we will not hide our identity. We will continue to survive and thrive despite these targeted attacks.