Burglars broke into a yeshiva in South Africa Thursday morning in a robbery which has shaken the local Jewish community.
The incident occurred at the Kehillas Shomer Emunim in Johannesburg Thursday morning, when two armed burglars broke into the synagogue’s study hall, which is used by the local yeshiva.
According to a report by Behadrei Haredim Thursday afternoon, the two suspects approached the yeshiva dean and two students with their guns drawn, robbing them of their personal possessions, including cell phones, one of the student’s car, cash, and other items. The robbers also stole computers owned by the study hall.
During the robbery, the suspects tied up the dean and the two students, by cutting up a tallit, or traditional Jewish prayer shawl. The three victims were left bound and gagged on the floor in the desecrated tallit while the robbers fled the scene.
While the facility is secured by private guards, the security teams assigned to the synagogue failed to prevent the break-in or the burglars’ escape.
A non-Jewish cook employed by the facility later found the three victims tied up and notified police.
Two days earlier, a member of the local Jewish community was murdered in Johannesburg, not far from the synagogue where the break-in occurred.