An epidemic of thefts of valuable Torah scrolls has left Midwestern American police baffled, and speculation is mounting that the thefts are hate crimes. Thieves usually try to steal a scroll, usually valued at $30,000-$50,000, in order to re-sell it a lower price.
St. Louis police said they have no leads concerning the theft of a Torah scroll two months ago. In April, two scrolls and a laptop computer were stolen from a Wisconsin synagogue, and a fourth Torah scroll was stolen from a Minnesota synagogue. Another incident occurred in Florida, where investigators discovered that a Torah scroll was taken before a synagogue burned down.