'Zionist' scrawled in red paint: Brooklyn Museum director's home vandalized

BROOKLYN, N.Y. − Police are investigating after the homes of leaders of one of New York City's longstanding art museums were vandalized this week with red paint and a statement targeting the museum's Jewish director.

The front entrance of the luxury apartment building where Brooklyn Museum Director Anne Pasternak lives was on Wednesday smeared with red paint and adorned with a hand-painted banner calling out the museum by name and referring to Pasternak as a "white supremacist Zionist."

Homes where museum board of directors members live were also targeted this week, but the board members are not Jewish, only Pasternak is, Brooklyn Museum Director of Public Relations Taylor Maatman told USA TODAY.

"We are deeply troubled by these horrible acts targeting leaders connected to the museum," Maatman said.

Attempts to reach Pasternak on Thursday were unsuccessful. Pasternak was not available for comment, Maatman said.

NYPD investigating; Mayor Eric Adams calls incident antisemitism

The New York City Police Department are investigating the vandalism, Mayor Eric Adams said Wednesday on X, formerly Twitter.

Adams said he is sorry leaders at the Brooklyn Museum "woke up to hatred like this" outside their homes.

"This is a crime, and it's overt, unacceptable antisemitism," Adams said.

The New York City Police Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the incident.

New York City Comptroller Brad Lander also called out the vandalism on social media, calling the suspect "cowards" who acted "way over the line into antisemitism."

Lander also defended the Brooklyn Museum's work and role in the city as a hub for cultural expression.

"Few museums have done more to grapple with hard questions of power, colonialism, racism and the role of art," he said.

What is the Brooklyn Museum?

The exhibits at the Brooklyn Museum focus on art and culture and the museum is one of Brooklyn's most popular, and one of the oldest and largest art museums in the country. It's located next to Brooklyn's expansive Prospect Park.

On Thursday, Maatman noted the museum has for two centuries "worked to foster mutual understanding through art and culture, and we have always supported peaceful protest and open, respectful dialogue."

"Violence, vandalism, and intimidation have no place in that discourse," Maatman said, referring to the vandalism that targeted the homes of museum leaders.

Pro-Palestinian protests in NYC call for divestment

The Brooklyn Museum was a site of mass pro-Palestinian protests last month demanding the institution divest money away from Israel, the same demand protesters at college universities have called for.

On May 31, more than 30 pro-Palestinian protesters were arrested at the museum after protesters occupied areas outside the building.

According to the Anti-Defamation League, antisemitic incidents have increased dramatically across the U.S since the start of the war in Gaza after Oct. 7, when Hamas fighters rampaged into southern Israel killing more than 1,200 people and seizing more than 250 as hostages.

New York City has seen one of the sharpest spikes in antisemitic incidents, the league found. Reports of antisemitic incidents in the city shot up by more than 500% during October, November and December compared to previous quarterly totals.