Torah ark vandalized in Modi'in Illit
Torah ark vandalized in Modi'in IllitPolice spokesperson

A synagogue in a predominantly haredi city in central Israel was vandalized overnight, with two Torah scrolls destroyed after a fire was sparked in the synagogue’s ark.

The incident occurred Modi’in Illit overnight, and was discovered by congregants Monday morning at the local ‘Boyan’ synagogue, affiliated with Hasidic movement of the same name.

“The first worshippers go there at 6:20 in the morning,” a synagogue official told Radio Kol Chai.

“They were shocked to see that the ark had been broken into and that the Torah scrolls were scorched. It breaks the heart to see something like that. The entire security camera system was stolen from the synagogue. A [police] forensics team has opened an investigation.”

Police found signs of fuel used in the fire, as well as bleach.

“This morning, police received a report regarding a break in at a synagogue in Modi’in Illit,” a spokesperson from the police department’s Judea and Samaria District said.

“According to the report, there was damage to the synagogue’s Torah scrolls and silver items were stolen. Police forces and forensics teams arrived at the scene and began to collect evidence and opened an investigation.”

United Torah Judaism party chief and Deputy Health Minister Yaakov Litzman expressed shock at the vandalism.

“The heart refuses to believe such a serious, spiteful attack on the sanctity of the Boyan synagogue. This serious incident requires immediate investigation in order to capture the perpetrators who committed this crime.”