PITTSBURGH, PA – A Pittsburgh woman has been sentenced to five years of probation for a brazen act of vandalism targeting the Chabad of Squirrel Hill, a prominent Jewish center in the city. Talya A. Lubit, 25, admitted to conspiring to deface the religious building with hateful graffiti, a crime Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti called a direct attempt to instill fear within the Jewish community.
According to court documents, Lubit and her co-defendant, Mohamad Hamad, acted on a plan to damage the Chabad in the early morning hours of July 29, 2024. They spray-painted the words “Jews 4 Palestine” alongside an inverted red triangle onto the exterior of the building. That triangle, chillingly, has been used by Hamas – a designated foreign terrorist organization – to mark Israeli targets in Gaza. The vandalism wasn’t random; it stemmed from a growing animosity towards Israel fueled by the October 7, 2023 terrorist attack and the subsequent war.
The damage extended beyond the Chabad. Lubit and Hamad also targeted the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh, defacing an entry sign with the same hateful graffiti. The total cost of the damage, for which Lubit will pay $10,534 in restitution, represents more than just repair bills. Victim impact statements read during the sentencing hearing revealed the profound emotional toll the vandalism took on both institutions and the wider community.
Chabad of Squirrel Hill described the spray-painting as “not only physical but deeply symbolic,” a “painful reminder that we remain a target.” Members expressed distress and fear. The Jewish Federation stated the act revived “deep feelings of fear, violation and vulnerability,” emphasizing that the premeditated nature of the attack – targeting a remote location – proved the intent wasn’t just to damage property, but to terrorize employees.
“Talya Lubit instilled fear in the Pittsburgh Jewish community by spray-painting a synagogue with the mark of a designated foreign terrorist organization,” Rivetti stated bluntly. “Protected speech obviously does not include damaging or defacing religious property, and our office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to protect the civil rights of all members of our community.”
While Lubit received a five-year probationary sentence, her co-defendant, Mohamad Hamad, faces even more serious charges. Hamad is still pending trial on charges including making false statements to federal authorities and possession of destructive devices. Assistant United States Attorney Carolyn J. Bloch prosecuted the case, with the investigation led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police. This case serves as a stark reminder of the escalating threat of antisemitism and the importance of swift prosecution for hate-motivated crimes.
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Key Facts
- State: Pennsylvania
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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