Vandals Hit Philadelphia Jewish Center for Kids

The Makom Community — a Philadelphia Jewish center for kids — which was hit by vandals (Image via Google Maps)

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Vandals Hit the Makom Community, a Philadelphia Jewish Center for Kids

Reports continue to come in about incidents related to the rallies in Center City and University City on Sunday. Police say protesters vandalized a TD Bank and Starbucks in University City and a police car at 18th and Walnut streets. Then there was the viral moment outside the Michael Solomonov restaurant Goldie. And now we’ve learned that vandals hit Makom Community, a Jewish center that runs after-school programs, camps and more in Rittenhouse Square, just down the street from Goldie.

According to an email sent to Makom Community parents on Monday from a Makom Community administrator, vandals spray-painted “Free Palestine” and other unspecified graffiti on the school’s windows that face Sansom Street.

“Walking in this morning was startling, upsetting, and our first thought was all of our families and learners,” wrote the administrator.

One parent at Makom told me that the center is “a very progressive LGBTQ+-staffed center where many are sympathetic to Palestinians.”

The center has surveillance footage of the incident. And police confirm they are are investigating.

Philadelphia In the National News

Why is it that most of the time when we make the national news, it’s not for anything good?

Two big stories coming out of Philadelphia in the past 24 hours have now been seen all over the country.

The aforementioned Goldie incident made it all the way to CNN. The White House has even issued a statement about it.

And then there were the tragic stabbings at Macy’s, where a man accused of trying to shoplift returned to the store moments after security guards confronted him, only to allegedly murder one and injure the other. Fox News and last night’s World News Tonight with David Muir prominently featured the stabbings. And here’s a stat for you: That Macy’s alone has filed more than 250 shoplifting reports with police this year. And that’s just the ones they know about.

As I’ve reported here repeatedly, while violent crime numbers have been trending downward in Philadelphia, crimes like shoplifting are up. Reports of retail theft in Philadelphia are up 29 percent over last year, and they were way up last year, too. But police are arresting far fewer people for shoplifting than they did ten years ago, and the majority of those who are arrested don’t get convicted.

[Correction: This piece previously mischaracterized the handling of shoplifting cases by the office of DA Larry Krasner. We regret the error.]

Local Talent

Pride of Bucks County Pink played two sold-out shows at Citizens Bank Park in September. And now she’s coming back to Philly, this time to the Linc.

(Getty Images)

The artist just announced that she’ll play our little football stadium on August 18th. And she’s bringing Sheryl Crow along for the ride. Presales start this Thursday; tickets go on sale to the general public on Monday at 10 a.m.

And in case you just can’t get enough of Sylvester Stallone in Philly, here are plenty of photos.

By the Numbers

$5 million: Cash bail set for Main Line doctor Amy Cohen, who is accused of making antisemitic threats and setting fire to a house in Montco. It’s all related to her ex-boyfriend.

88,000 square feet: Size of the latest Wegmans just announced for the region, this one in Bucks County. 88,000 square feet is actually small compared to the average Wegmans!

5: Days that escaped prisoner Gino Hagenkotter has been on the run. Officials are a bit puzzled as to why he would try to escape, considering that he was scheduled for release in April. Plus, he wasn’t exactly in maximum security: Hagenkotter was working outdoors in an apple orchard at the time of his flight.

And from the Still-On-Hold Sports Desk …

James Harden opened up to The Athletic about his tragic divorce from Sixers prez Daryl Morey, if you want to read what he has to say. (He isn’t sorry.)

Sample quote:

All in all, I’d sacrificed all that to go to Philly with some people that I trusted, and it bit me in the ass, you know what I mean? So it’s part of life, and we all go through certain things, so it’s gonna make me tougher.

Yeah, what are you averaging per game these days? In other sports news, Rob Thomson’s contract as manager for the Phillies has been extended through 2025. During his two seasons with the team, Thomson has led them to a (losing) World Series in 2022 and the NLCS this year.

In case you hadn’t noticed, after Sunday’s Eagles-49ers matchup, the whole world was talking about ejected security dude Big Dom DiSandro. And oh, hey, look who’s coming to town to help out the defense!

😂Shaq Leonard said: pic.twitter.com/N4o6Srjbgu

— 4th and JAWN (@4thandJawn) December 4, 2023

And in college football news, St. Joe’s Prep grad Marvin Harrison Jr., now a wide receiver at Ohio State, is among the four announced candidates for this year’s Heisman Trophy. He’s the son of Pro Football Hall of Fame receiver Marvin Harrison.

Any Games for Tonight?

We got college hoops! It’s Drexel visiting Princeton and Villanova at Kansas State, both with 7 p.m. tip-offs.

Oh, and the Flyers played.

All Philly Today sports coverage is provided by Sandy Hingston.