Los Angeles, CA – The Hillel Jewish Center at the University of Southern California (USC) was vandalized, with an object used to shatter the door.
“Horrifying – the Hillel Jewish Center at USC has been vandalized as an object was thrown through the door, shattering the glass,” the StopAntisemitism organization said on Twitter.
Noting that “antisemitism is skyrocketing on American college campuses,” StopAntisemitism added in a follow up post: “USC Hillel states they are reviewing security footage and intent has not been determined. However it is important to note no other buildings were vandalized yesterday besides the Hillel.”
Responding to the vandalism on Instagram, USC Hillel’s Executive Director Dave Cohn said, “At this time, we do not yet know the motives or identities of any involved, and are not yet prepared to characterize the incident.”
Cohn said that Hillel was working with school officials to investigate the act, including “reviewing security footage… [to] ensure that every measure is taken to prioritize the safety and security of our students and our Hillel.”
“We do not know whether the damage was accidental, a random act of criminal vandalism, or if it specifically targeted our facility. That said, within a half hour of opening our building this morning we were working closely on-site with the USC Department of Public Safety to begin an investigation,” he said.
