Israel Gabay was in the middle of praying when he received a text informing him that someone had smashed a window at Mezuzah Gallery, where he is the store manager, and stolen some jewelry.
“In the beginning, I didn’t think so much about if it’s a hate crime,” Gabay told JNS.
Then he learned that glass windows had been smashed at other shops in the heavily-Jewish neighborhood of Pico-Robertson. “The majority of them were Jewish stores,” he told JNS.
Multiple business owners, who asked not to be named, told JNS that someone used a golf club to break windows in the Jewish Los Angeles neighborhood between 4:30 and 5:30 a.m.
The Los Angeles Police Department told JNS that “officers located six to seven businesses which, were vandalized and the incident is being investigated as a hate crime.”
“No evidence of a shooting,” the LAPD told JNS. “Vandalism only, including broken glass and graffiti. One business was also burglarized.”
Jeffrey Abrams, the Los Angeles regional director of the Anti-Defamation League, told JNS that “so far, we know of several businesses impacted, many of which are Jewish-owned.”
“The nature of the vandalism was primarily shattered windows,” Abrams added. “LAPD did have a presence in the neighborhood this morning and ADL, a key member of the local Jewish Security Alliance, will keep the community informed as we learn more.”
Photos and videos that circulated on social media suggested that Got Kosher Bakery, Glatt Mart, Bargain Oakhurst Pharmacy and Elat Market were also vandalized.
Abrams told JNS that he hopes those involved “will be brought to justice” and it is necessary to determine if the crimes were motivated by hate.
“Hate crimes are message crimes and intend to cause fear in the communities they target,” the ADL leader said. “Similarly, strong sentencing for hate crimes sends the message that antisemitism and bigotry of all kinds will not be tolerated in our city.”
Katy Yaroslavsky, a member of the Los Angeles City Council, wrote that the “vandalism against Jewish-owned businesses in Pico-Robertson is alarming and unacceptable.”
“On a day when Angelenos are casting their votes and shaping the future of our city, it’s especially troubling to see acts that harm our community,” she wrote. “My office is working with city departments to clean up the affected businesses as quickly as possible, and coordinating with LAPD to ensure a full investigation.”
“My office stands firmly with the Jewish community and the Pico Robertson neighborhood,” she added.
Gabay told JNS that it could have been worse than the attack on the store he manages.
“If someone hits your car, you’re going to be upset. Thank God, it’s only the car—nothing else,” he said. “We can change the glass,” he added. “Something we can fix. It’s not a big deal.”
