North Side Jewish resident’s home vandalized — again
“We will find out who these two women are. We will have them arrested and I will prosecute them in the same way we have others because this is unacceptable,” Blumenfeld said.
For the fifth time in just over two years, a Jewish North Side resident’s home was vandalized, apparently targeted because of her support for Israel.
Deena Blumenfeld said she returned home from work on Sept. 30 to see that a small Israeli flag on her property was slashed vertically.
She reviewed videotape of her property — something she does regularly because of the constant attacks on her home — and saw two people walking down her street in the early afternoon. The pair looked at Blumenfeld’s door, which has signage similar to the flag, before one of the two “walked up to the flag, slashed it and then turned a corner to go down the alley,” Blumenfeld said.
The pair — a brown-haired woman and her blond-haired companion — appear to be in their late 20s.
Blumenfeld, who is well-versed in responding to such incidents, contacted the Pittsburgh police, the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh’s community security team and StandWithUs. She also posted video from the cameras that surround her house and some still shots on Facebook.
The North Side Jewish resident is committed to identifying the pair and seeing that they are held accountable for their actions.
“We will find out who these two women are. We will have them arrested and I will prosecute them in the same way we have others because this is unacceptable,” Blumenfeld said.
And while her resolve is strong, she admits that constantly dealing with vandalism, threats and attacks at her house has been exhausting.
“I wish people would keep in mind that one American citizen who has no connection whatsoever to the Israeli government, is not in control of any of this, and taking out your anger or discontent on an unaffiliated American does not solve any problem,” she said. “In fact, it stokes antisemitism.”
Blumenfeld, who said she is “very much a liberal,” views the most recent attack as a demand for what she calls “moral purity” on both the far left and far right.
“Even if you believe 95% of the same things, because you don’t agree on that one thing you are absolutely wrong and you’re going to burn in hell,” she said. “You’re the worst person ever and deserved to be canceled, deserve to be harmed.”
She noted that every person who has attacked her home has been a “liberal.”
“It is the purity culture of the very far left that is harming the Jewish community and other minorities because they cannot see past their own ideology,” Blumenfeld said. “They have lost empathy for anyone who might believe slightly differently and don’t have the capacity for conversation to understand why someone might think differently.”
Shawn Brokos, Federation’s community security director, said the constant attacks on the Blumenfeld family’s home needs to stop.
“Trespassing and destroying private property to harass and intimidate them is cowardly and prejudiced,” Brokos said. “Pittsburgh can and should do better. We stand with the family and will continue to support them and push for those accountable to be held responsible.” PJC
David Rullo can be reached at drullo@pittburghjewishchronicle.org.
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