"Early Sunday morning around 1:30 a.m. on January 14, a vandal drew a large swastika on the wall of the Holocaust Memorial Plaza," said Eszter Kutas, executive director of Philadelphia Holocaust Remembrance Foundation.
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The Holocaust memorial is located at 16th and Arch streets near Love Park in Center City.
The Anti-Defamation League released data citing antisemitic incidents that have been on the rise since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas War.
From October 7, 2023, to January 7, 2024, there were 554 antisemitic vandalism incidents recorded nationwide.
That's a 31% increase over the same period one year ago.
In this incident, the suspect is seen wearing a ski mask, but officials hope his clothing will help identify him.
Swastika found spray painted near Horwitz Wasserman Holocaust Memorial Plaza in Philadelphia
"He was wearing a dark jacket, maybe brown with a white stripe across it, and he was also wearing black pants and black shoes," authorities stated.
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David Adelman, a developer, is offering a $25,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible.
All you have to do is call the Citizens Crime Commission at 215-546-TIPS. All calls will remain anonymous.
This act of vandalism is personal to Adelman. The plaza is named after his business partner and his grandfather, who is a Holocaust survivor.
"What we really need is the general public to stand with us not just in solidarity but also in action," he said.
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