A sign welcoming visitors to San Francisco Hillel was ripped from its frame and smashed on the ground, according to Executive Director Alon Shalev.
Shalev discovered the vandalism around 9 a.m. March 18 and called the San Francisco Police Department. Authorities filed a report and took photos of the damage.
“The police said it could be a hate crime or a random act of vandalism,” Shalev said. “We’re wondering if it’s connected to Israel Apartheid Week.” (Campuses across the country held demonstrations against Israel from March 1 to 14.)
Shalev added that campus police also vowed to ramp up security near Hillel, which is located on a residential street off 19th Avenue across from the San Francisco State University campus.
The sign, which read “Hillel House” in both English and Hebrew, was made with tile from Jerusalem.
“We’ll put a new [sign] up,” Shalev said. “We want to show proudly who we are.”