North Side women’s home targeted by antisemitic vandal for fourth time

A North Side women’s home has been targeted by an anti-Israel vandal for the fourth time in less than two years.

In 2024, a vandal spray-painted the antisemitic phrase “For blood and soil” outside of Deena Blumenfeld’s North Side home and left antisemitic literature. Another individual stole the Israeli flag Blumenfeld placed in her yard and threw it into a nearby trash can. A third individual was caught afterward continually spitting on the flag.

Police eventually arrested Michael Walter Lawlor for the last incident. He was charged with stalking, harassment, ethnic intimidation, disorderly conduct and criminal mischief. His case is set to go to trial in February.

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On Jan. 17, Blumenfeld’s Israeli flag was vandalized again. This time, a male was caught on video slicing the flag with a knife.

“We were leaving for the symphony,” Blumenfeld said. “I always look at my flag when I leave the house and I was like, ‘Yeah, that’s not good.’ So, we took photos and went to the symphony. As we were driving, I took out my phone and reviewed the video.”

On the video, the perpetrator is seen getting out of an older model white pickup truck with the license plate seemingly covered by a blue sheet of paper. He walks to Blumenfeld’s home, looks in her living room window, walks back to his truck to retrieve his knife, returns to the yard and slices the flag.

Blumenfeld, who has grown accustomed to constant attacks on her flag, was disturbed by the vandal looking through her window.

“I was upstairs,” she said. “That’s the part that bothers me because it’s weird. Why were you looking into another person’s window?”

Blumenfeld has already spoken with both the Pittsburgh police and FBI.

Despite the frequency of the attacks, Blumenfeld said she isn’t entertaining the idea of moving. Her home, she said, is located near a coffee shop that attracts people from all over the city who most likely see the flag on their way to café.

“Honestly, my neighbors are very supportive,” she said. “I got a text from someone up the street, who is getting me his Ring camera video. The vast majority of neighbors that live here are very supportive.”

Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh Security Director Shawn Brokos characterized the attack as “brazen” and said she is certain the perpetrator will be caught.

Brokos said it was ironic that Blumenfeld has been targeted so many times in a neighborhood known for being welcoming and is home to City of Asylum, the world’s largest sanctuary for writers in exile.

“We have excellent mechanisms in place when something happens,” Brokos said. “We collaborate closely with local and state police as well as federal law enforcement and community leaders. We have a system down. What we need to focus on is, why does this keep happening?”

Brokos said there is ample video and camera footage capturing the incident. In fact, the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police has already posted still shots from the video on social media as well as a description of the incident. They are asking anyone with information to call the Zone 1 police department.

For Blumenfeld, the targeting of an Israeli flag is symbolic of the state of the world.

“If it was a pride flag or a Black Lives Matter flag or even a Trump flag people would be like, ‘I can’t believe this happened.’ But it’s an Israeli flag and for some, it’s like ‘Well, maybe you deserve it.’”

That hasn’t lessened her resolve, however, to report antisemitic attacks or to question her support of Israel.

“No matter how small the antisemitic incident, we have to speak out about it because when we let the little stuff go, that’s when the bad guys feel emboldened to do bigger stuff,” Blumenfeld said.

Anyone with information about this or any other incident they believe to be antisemitic can report it on the Federation’s security page. PJC

David Rullo can be reached at drullo@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.

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