This story was originally published in the Forward. Click here to get the Forward’s free email newsletters delivered to your inbox.
Just hours after Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and his family began Passover with a Seder in his official residence, an arsonist torched the room where they had celebrated.
Authorities have not shared a motive to explain why the suspect they’ve arrested, 38-year-old Cody Balmer, allegedly scaled a security fence and set fire to the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, home where Shapiro, his wife and four children celebrated the holiday earlier that night.
But the alleged arsonist, who reportedly turned himself in, told investigators he was “harboring hatred” toward Shapiro and that he wanted to beat Shapiro with a sledgehammer. The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that State Police are exploring “all avenues” related to a motive, “including potential hate crimes.”
Shapiro was planning to lead an 80-person Seder, according to Sen. Dave McCormick, who spoke with him on Saturday afternoon.
The Jewish governor said at a news conference on Sunday that the attacker would not deter him from practicing his faith. “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 on this: We celebrated our faith last night proudly, and in a few hours we will celebrate our second Seder of Passover again, proudly. No one will deter me or my family or any Pennsylvanian from celebrating their faith openly and proudly.”
Shapiro connected the attack to the exodus from slavery in Egypt.
“When we were in the state dining room last night, gathered with community and family and friends, we told the story of Passover, and it’s a story of going from bondage, from slavery, into freedom. I think it’s both an important story, both literally and figuratively, to tell,” Shapiro said. “I refuse to be trapped by the bondage that someone attempts to put on me by attacking us as they did here last night. I refuse to let anyone who had evil intentions like that stop me from doing the work that I love.”
Shapiro and his family were asleep at around 2 a.m. on Sunday when state troopers banged on the door to alert them to the fire and evacuate them, along with another family staying in the home. No injuries were reported from the fire, which caused “significant” damage to the room where the Seder was held. Law enforcement said surveillance video showed someone using a sledgehammer to break windows to gain access to the house and toss incendiary devices to start the fire. They say they recovered a sledgehammer at Balmer’s home that matched the one seen in the video.
Hours before the attack, Shapiro posted a photo of the Passover table, ready for Seder.
Back in 2023, before his first Passover holiday in the governor’s mansion, Shapiro posted a video that showed preparations for the Seder, which he described as “so haimish,” using a Yiddish term for homey. The 14-minute video features Shapiro, his wife and their son Max with award-winning Israeli chef Michael Solomonov, the co-owner of several Philadelphia restaurants.
The Shapiros were hosting other Jews at Seder in the hours before the fire. The governor has made an effort to open his home to the Jewish community of Harrisburg. He had the city’s eruv (a thin wire that encircles an area permitting observant Jewish people to carry their belongings outside of their homes on Shabbat and Jewish festivals) extended to include the governor’s mansion. Shapiro requested this in the hopes of hosting Jewish community members of all backgrounds at functions held there.
The suspected arsonist, in what Shapiro called a “targeted” attack, faces charges of attempted murder, terrorism, aggravated arson and aggravated assault, law enforcement said. Balmer was hospitalized Monday, authorities said, for reasons unrelated to the arrest or incident.
Shapiro, who inaugurated his campaign for governor in 2022 with a video featuring his family’s Shabbat dinners, was a finalist for the vice presidential slot on the Democratic ticket last year. After Kamala Harris selected Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz instead, some questioned whether Shapiro had been passed over because of antisemitism or over his stance on the Israel-Hamas war, which had caused critics to call him “Genocide Josh.” But he said he believed antisemitism played “no role” and that he was happy to remain in the governor’s spot, where he is popular. He is widely seen as a potential future presidential contender.
JTA contributed to this report.
This story was originally published on the Forward.
