Please Be Aware
Two petitions are underway for federal defendant Mohamad Hamad by his supporters. One is a petition for his release, the other is a petition to fund his defense. Hamad is charged with Federal Hate Crimes for desecrating Chabad of Squirrel Hill and Jewish Federation on July 29, 2024. See below article for more details.
On Wednesday, June 3, Jeremy Brokaw, 46, of Zanesville, Ohio, pleaded guilty to five counts of littering in the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas. Brokaw had previously appealed his conviction on fifty-three counts of littering from Magistrate Court in August 2025. As a result of the plea, he will pay a fine of $1,500 related to the five counts. The Federation Security Team would like to thank the Pittsburgh Police Bureau and the Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office for their diligence in handling this case. We also recognize this incident as an example of the need for expanded criminal penalties for actions tied to intimidation based on religion or heritage. The Jewish Federation is leading that effort now with our state legislatures. See below articles for more information on the plea.
There have been two antisemitic incidents at Kennywood Amusement Park brought to our attention over the past three weeks. Please know that we work closely with Kennywood’s Director of Security. If you are at the park and have any concerns, please immediately contact security or a staff member. There are also QR codes posted throughout the park to anonymously report incidents using your cell phone. Please report any concerns to the Federation as well using the below link.
So far in 2026 we have logged 114 incidents in our Virtual Command Center which is in comparison to 150 at this time last year. Please continue to report any suspicious incidents via the Incident Report Form.
Security Matters in the News This Week
- Unrepentant Ohio man cuts plea deal for papering Squirrel Hill with antisemitic flyers (triblive.com)
- Petition, fundraiser launched for man accused of antisemitic vandalism, bomb-making (jewishchronicle.com)
- White supremacist claims ‘Jews didn’t like what was on the flyer’ (jewishchronicle.com)
- NY case sheds light on alleged Iran-linked terror campaign targeting Diaspora Jews (timesofisrael.com)
- NYU student charged with hate crimes over swastika flag (msn.com)
BluePoint Status
BluePoint is now live in all 36 locations!
