This story was updated on Aug. 13
By Aaron Troodler, Braden Hamelin, Zoe Bell, Mia Resnicow and Amy Hollander
A Jewish- and Israeli-owned business on Falls Road in Baltimore was vandalized on Wednesday night, Aug. 6, in what some are calling an antisemitic act and a hate crime.
Security footage shows a man walking toward the building that houses Kitchen Design by Idan and splashing red paint on the door and walkway, as well as on the American and Israeli flags that are displayed outside the premises.
Baltimore County Police announced on Aug. 9 that they have charged 39‑year‑old Jonathon Wagner with multiple malicious destruction of property charges, including one based on race/religion. A court date is set for Oct. 7.
“This was not just vandalism, this was a hate crime,” Caren Leven, executive director of the Baltimore Zionist District, said in a statement emailed to Baltimore Jewish Times. “A Jewish-owned business in Baltimore was deliberately targeted, and we are demanding that local and state leaders treat it with the urgency it deserves. Antisemitism is rising, and silence is complicity. We expect public condemnation, a full investigation and accountability.”
As a result of committing vandalism, Wagner has since lost his job at the Johns Hopkins Hospital, the medical institution confirmed to The Baltimore Sun.
The hospital said in a statement that it was aware of the charges against Wagner and “acted quickly to follow the appropriate policies for situations such as this.”
After Wagner’s arrest, the organization StopAntisemitism posted screenshots of Wagner’s LinkedIn profile, which indicated that he was a cardiac stenographer at Hopkins. Wagner is among the dozens of people who have later been fired or suspended from their jobs after engaging in antisemitic behavior, according to the Sun.
Idan Tzameret, the owner of the business, told The Baltimore Banner that the Israeli flags outside his building are not meant “to offend people.”
“I want to cheer people up. It’s for my own heart and soul. It’s not going to reach everyone’s soul, and that’s fine,” he said. “But it’s not fine when people destroy my business. That’s a pure hate crime and will be treated as such.”
Tzameret noted that his business had previously been targeted by vandals on several occasions, including having a swastika spray-painted on one of the Israeli flags that hangs outside his building.
“I have really thick skin. I expected that eventually [vandalism] would happen and I won’t say it doesn’t bother [me] but it actually makes me stronger and makes me want to just continue doing it. I’m going to continue having the flag up no matter what,” Tzameret said in an interview with Baltimore Jewish Times.
“This was not a random act. This was an intentional, hate-motivated attack designed to intimidate, shame and silence,” Leven said. “We are calling on our elected officials — at both the state and local levels — to condemn this act publicly, ensure it is investigated and prosecuted as a hate crime, and stand with the Jewish community in both word and deed.”
Baltimore County Councilman Izzy Patoka told CBS News Baltimore that, “When it comes to expressions of hate, there can be no tolerance.”
CBS News Baltimore reported that Baltimore County Police are increasing patrols around places of worship and community centers, with a particular focus on the local Jewish community. Other local law enforcement agencies, including the Baltimore Police Department and the Howard County Police Department, also plan to increase their presence in the area.
This incident follows a larger trend of antisemitism being seen in the United States. The FBI reported that 16% of hate crimes committed in the U.S. in 2024 were anti-Jewish and represented 70% of all reported religion-based hate crimes.
Anti-Jewish hate crimes made up 20.9% of all reported incidents over the past year in Maryland, and 72% of all religion-based hate crimes.
A majority of the reported hate crimes from the past year involved vandalism or destruction of property, accounting for 50.2% of the reported incidents.
The incident has left some members of the community feeling uneasy, highlighting the trends reported by the FBI.
“I got a call today from a Jewish lady that lives in Towson and she says ‘Listen, we support Israel and have young kids living in the house and I really want to put a flag up but I’m afraid’ and this is the world that we live in. People are afraid to display support of anything because, God forbid, you do not have the same mindset of other people,” Tzameret told Baltimore Jewish Times. “I’m happy to be a voice, I’m happy to be strong for people but at the same time it shouldn’t be an issue.”
The incident comes as the Baltimore community is dealing with a series of antisemitic incidents, including a Baltimore City school board meeting being interrupted by a person making racist and antisemitic remarks in July, and the Baltimore City Public School System recently coming under investigation by the U.S. Department of Education over alleged Title VI discrimination against Jewish students.
“Antisemitism has no place in Baltimore — or anywhere,” Leven said.
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Amy Hollander is a Baltimore Jewish Times Intern.
