A antisemitic vandal carved the words “Die Thieves” into the front door of a 142-year-old Upper East Side library where a Jewish gallery exhibit was on display – and then threatened an employee with the same blade, cops and sources said Friday.
The long-haired, bearded suspect was caught in the act by a worker as he etched the disturbing words on the door of The Grolier Club on East 60th Street near Park Avenue around 12:15 p.m. Dec. 27, police said.
When the 24-year-old employee approached, the menace flashed the tool he’d used to make the carvings and spewed “anti-Jewish remarks,” cops said.
The hateful suspect then ran off, heading east on 60th Street, police said.
No one was hurt.
The disturbing incident came while the private museum, library and social club – founded in 1884 – was featuring an exhibit called Jewish Worlds Illuminated, which the venue said was “devoted exclusively to Jewish books.”
The exhibit was composed of Hebrew manuscripts from the Library of The Jewish Theological Seminary, according to the club’s website.
The NYPD’s Hate Crime Task Force was investigating, authorities said.
Police described the suspect as a man with a light complexion, last seen wearing a blue jacket, burgundy pants and black shoes.
Anyone with information on him was asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or, for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).
The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at https://crimestoppers.nypdonline.org/, on X @NYPDTips.
