Overview
- The mural on the synagogue’s only surviving exterior wall was found spray‑painted with multiple swastikas and the words “Zionzim is not welcome” Friday, defacing artwork created earlier this year to symbolize recovery after the January 2025 Eaton Fire.
- The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department opened a hate‑crime investigation, condemned the attack, and said detectives are working to identify the perpetrators; no arrests have been announced.
- Supervisor Kathryn Barger introduced a motion this week to offer a $20,000 reward for information that leads to convictions, and the Board of Supervisors is scheduled to consider the proposal next week.
- Pasadena Jewish Temple & Center leaders, artist Miriam Hellmann and volunteers called the vandalism cruel and vowed to restore the mural, with Hellmann offering to repaint damaged sections.
- The incident comes against a larger rise in antisemitic acts in California—832 incidents were recorded by the ADL in 2025, including hundreds in Los Angeles County—and may drive increased security reviews and outreach for local Jewish institutions.