April 15, 2025 / 7:49 PM EDT / CBS Philadelphia
Jewish leaders and community members in Gov. Josh Shapiro’s hometown say the timing of the arson attack on the Pennsylvania Governor’s Residence feels deeply personal, especially as authorities investigate whether it may have been motivated by hate.
Shapiro shared photos online of his family’s Passover Seder hours before the early Sunday morning attack at the governor’s mansion in Harrisburg. The 38-year-old suspect, Cody Balmer, is now facing charges including attempted murder, arson and terrorism.
On Monday, Montgomery County residents and local Jewish leaders expressed fear and frustration that the attack may have been fueled by antisemitism.
“There’s 365 days in a year, and maybe this guy just happened to hit it on one of the two only Passover Seders, and he happened to hit it in the exact room where that holy act took place,” said Jonathan Scott Goldman, chair of the Pennsylvania Jewish Coalition. “There’s no way, I think, for us as Jewish people to look at those facts and not feel that it’s not just some political attack on the governor, maybe just maybe it’s an antisemitic attack on all of us.”
Balmer allegedly scaled a fence and threw Molotov cocktails into the residence. He later turned himself in and told police he was “harboring hatred” toward Shapiro, according to court documents.
Shapiro attends Beth Sholom Synagogue in Elkins Park. Neighbors in nearby Jenkintown, where Shapiro resides, shared sadness and concern.
“I wouldn’t want anything like that in this neighborhood,” said Lorraine Parker, who lives near the governor’s Jenkintown home. “We’ve got enough problems without hating each other, too.”
“Hate crime has no place here,” said Fred Doughty. “It’s just upsetting. Words can’t describe.”
The investigation into the motive continues, but many in the Jewish community say they are watching closely.
The Jewish Federations of Greater Philadelphia shared the following statement with CBS News Philadelphia:
“The Pennsylvania Jewish Coalition (PJC), along with the Jewish Federations of Greater Philadelphia, Harrisburg, Greater Pittsburgh, Lehigh Valley, and Northeastern Pennsylvania, stands in solidarity with Governor Josh Shapiro and his family in condemning the violent attack on their home during the first night of Passover.”
“As Governor Shapiro said of the attacker, ‘If he was trying to terrorize our family, our friends, the Jewish community who joined us for a Passover Seder in that room last night, hear me … No one will deter me or my family or any Pennsylvanian from celebrating their faith openly and proudly,'” the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia continued.
“In that spirit, the Shapiro family hosted a second Seder the following night — standing firm in their Jewish identity and values,” they said. “We commend them for their courage, resilience, and unwavering commitment to faith and freedom in the face of hate.”
