An antisemitic incident was reported today in Hamburg, Germany, after unknown individuals carved the word “Jew" onto the mailbox of a Jewish family living in the city’s Harburg district.
Hamburg Chief Rabbi and local Chabad emissary Rabbi Shlomo Bistritzky brought the case to public attention in a post on X, sharing a photo of the vandalized mailbox. “I am asking for advice - what should I say to a Jew living in Hamburg who sends me this picture of his mailbox?" he wrote.
In an interview with the German newspaper Hamburger Morgenpost, Rabbi Bistritzky said he remains in close contact with the family, which has chosen to stay anonymous out of fear of further threats.
“What makes this especially troubling is that we don’t know who did it," he said. “We cannot confront the perpetrator and ask why."
The rabbi’s post generated widespread reaction online. While some antisemitic responses expressed support for the vandalism, many others voiced solidarity with the family and condemned the incident.