Police in Bucks County investigating swastika vandalism at golf course near Jewish school
Police said the swastikas were carved into the 10th green at the Yardley Country Club overnight Friday into Saturday last week.
Police in Bucks County are asking for the public’s help in identifying the perpetrator who vandalized a golf course with swastikas and an antisemitic slur near a Jewish school.
The Yardley Borough Police Department on Monday said the vandalism occurred between Friday at 8 p.m. and Saturday at 7 a.m.
“During this time, portions of the golf course greens were intentionally damaged with racial slurs and swastika symbols carved into the turf,” police said.
“This type of behavior is not only a criminal act, but it is also hateful, offensive, and has no place in our community. The Yardley Borough Police Department is committed to thoroughly investigating this incident and holding those responsible accountable,” the police said.
Anyone with information about what happened can contact the Yardley police at 215-493-2782 and ask for Officer Alex P. Bires at Ext. 411.
“Despicable behavior!” Yardley Councilmember David Appelbaum wrote on Facebook as he shared the Yardley police post about the vandalism.
The incident happened near the Abrams Hebrew Academy.
Rabbi Ira Budow said police came to the school on Monday to review surveillance video, but the school’s cameras had not recorded the perpetrator.
Budow said he has been director for 46 years and the school has never experienced antisemitism from the Yardley community.
Nonetheless, Budow said, the academy has spent $150,000 a year on beefed-up security since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel that sparked the brutal conflict in Gaza.
John Shapcott, director of golf and club operations at the Yardley Country Club, on Wednesday said members were told in a notice about the vandalism.
“Two swastikas were scratched into the 10th green, and a racial slur was written in the greenside bunker on the 4th hole,” the country club told members.
The club immediately contacted police, notified Abrams Hebrew Academy, and promptly repaired the damage, the statement to members said.
“Yardley Country Club unequivocally condemns hate speech, fascism, antisemitism, and all forms of hateful conduct. Such acts are reprehensible, have no place at the Club or in our community, and will not be tolerated. The Club will continue to cooperate fully with local authorities as they investigate the incident and work to prevent similar acts,” the statement said.
Adrienne King, president of the NAACP Bucks County Branch 2253B, said in an emailed statement Tuesday night that her organization “was deeply disturbed to learn of the racist and antisemitic vandalism discovered at the Yardley Country Club. Swastikas and racial slurs are not simply acts of vandalism. They carry a painful history and send a message of hate and intimidation that can impact an entire community.”
King said the incident was “especially troubling given other recent incidents here in Bucks County. Just last week, our Branch spoke out following alleged threats containing racist and anti-Muslim language directed toward a historically Black church in our county.”
She added: “We cannot become numb to expressions of hate simply because there is so much happening around us. Each time they occur, we have a responsibility to name them, condemn them and stand with the communities affected.”
The Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission said it was offering its “unwavering support” to Abrams Hebrew Academy.
The commission “is also grateful to the Yardley Borough Police for their swift action to investigate this incident as a potential hate crime and their request for community assistance are encouraging steps toward accountability. We urge anyone with information to come forward, as public cooperation is critical to identifying those responsible and ensuring justice is served.”
The American Jewish Committee Philadelphia/Southern N.J. said in a statement on Wednesday that the antisemitic vandalism was “deeply disturbing and unacceptable.”
The organization continued: “As the Jewish community prepares to mark the third anniversary of the October 7 terrorist attacks, many Jews are already grappling with an increasingly hostile environment and are feeling especially vulnerable and concerned for their safety.”
The committee added: “This is a moment for people of good conscience to stand together in rejecting hate in all its forms. We all have a responsibility to ensure that our communities remain safe, welcoming, and inclusive.”
