Frightening: Passover fire in Pa Governor’s mansion
- hughconrad52
- 1 minute ago
- 3 min read
Gov. Josh Shapiro
This is an important week for religious in America. Those numbers have been dwindling over the past decade, but many still celebrate Holy Week, Palm Sunday, in the Christian tradition and Passover in the Jewish faith.
However, a shock came this morning when I read that in my late mother’s hometown, Harrisburg, Pa., the mansion of the governor was set on fire and caused “significant damage.”
What makes it worse is that the governor, Josh Shapiro, who is Jewish, had just celebrated a Passover dinner earlier. He and his family were in another area of the mansion and were not injured, but the shock of this is causing ripples throughout the state — and country.
Gov. Shapiro Passover Dinner on April 12
Details
According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, here is what transpired,
An arsonist set fire to the Pennsylvania governor’s mansion in Harrisburg early Sunday morning causing “a significant amount of damage,” according to state police.
Gov. Josh Shapiro and his family were uninjured. Shapiro, who is Jewish, posted a photo Saturday evening of his family’s Passover dinner at the governor’s residence.
From the Shapiro family's Seder table to yours, happy Passover and Chag Pesach Sameach!
Pennsylvania State Police are still investigating, but said in a news release they believe it to be an act of arson and are offering a $10,000 reward for the arrest and conviction of whoever is responsible.
“Last night at about 2AM, my family and I woke up to bangs on the door from the Pennsylvania State Police after an arsonist set fire to the Governor’s Residence in Harrisburg,” Shapiro posted on X Sunday morning.
Gillian McHoldrick, “Arsonist set fire to Pa. governor’s mansion during
Passover causing ‘significant damage’,” Inquirer, April 13, 2025
What is Passover?
Here is some of the basic information that I secured through AI,
Passover is a Jewish holiday that commemorates the Israelites' liberation from slavery in ancient Egypt. It's celebrated with a special meal called the Seder, where families gather to retell the story of the Exodus. A key part of the Seder is the consumption of matzah, unleavened bread, which symbolizes the haste of the Israelites' departure.
Passover, also known as Pesach, is one of the most significant Jewish holidays.
It commemorates the miraculous escape of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt.
The story is told in the Torah, the first five books of the Hebrew Bible.
The name "Passover" comes from the Hebrew word "pesach," meaning "passed over," referring to the angel of death passing over the houses of the Israelites marked with lamb's blood during the tenth plague.
How is Passover celebrated?
The Seder:
This is the central ritual meal of Passover. It's a symbolic retelling of the Exodus story, complete with specific foods and customs.
Irony
The irony of this is that Kamala Harris did not select Shapiro as her vice-presidential candidate, instead going for a vanilla candidate who brought nothing to the ticket. One of her major concerns with Shapiro was his Jewish faith and the fear that a Jewish candidate could hurt her, though she never said that.
Had she done so, she could conceivably have carried Pennsylvania and maybe some other states because Shapiro is a strong campaigner and excellent speaker, unlike the man she chose. And the present chaos in the U.S. may not have occurred.
He has been noted as a leading Democratic candidate for the presidential nomination in 2028.