Hebrew graffiti containing Messianic language was found spray painted on Agricultural Hall Monday morning.
A translation of the writing revealed the writing says, “Long live our Lord, our Master, and our Lord, King Messiah, forever and ever.”
Ori Etzion, a UW-Madison junior who grew up speaking Hebrew, said the phrase is a popular Chabad saying, adding that it does not mean “anything bad.”
“Whoever wrote it probably knows Hebrew and didn’t just copy it from online,” he said.
While students with knowledge of Hebrew said they did not know why this phrase would be written on a university building, UW-Madison sophomore Yogev Ben-Yitschak said the incident could be linked to Yom Ha’atzmaut — the celebration of Israel’s birthday — which began Wednesday, April 18 and ended April 19.
UW-Madison spokesperson Meredith McGlone said the university became aware of the graffiti on Agricultural Hall earlier in the day and is in the process of removing it.
“There is no indication at this point that the graffiti was intended to target any particular groups or individuals,” McGlone said.
