On Sunday morning, a man made an attempt to set fire to a synagogue in New Jersey, according to both the synagogue and the police.
Around three in the morning, the suspect lit a Molotov cocktail, tossed it towards Temple Ner Tamid’s entrance, and then he ran away, according to a news release from Bloomfield police. Police reported that although the bottle broke, the building was unharmed.
According to its website, Temple Ner Tamid has both a preschool and a K–12 religious school. A “welcoming, diverse, and musical Reform congregation where members connect with their heritage while thinking proactively about the present” is how they describe themselves.
In a phone contact with CNN, Temple Ner Tamid verified that the target was the synagogue.
No other temples were impacted.
The suspect’s face was hidden in a still photo that was released by the police.
In a statement, Matthew J. Platkin, the attorney general of New Jersey, announced that his agency was looking into the attempted arson in coordination with local, county, state, and federal law enforcement agencies.
I have been briefed on an attempted arson that occurred in the early morning hours of today on a synagogue in Essex County and a possibly bias-motivated attack yesterday on members of a church in Monmouth County. The investigations remain ongoing.
— Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) January 29, 2023
Tennessee. “I want to reassure all New Jerseyans that law enforcement continues to take the necessary steps to increase our presence around sensitive places so that everyone in our state can worship, love, and live without fear of violence or threat,” he said. “This goes double for our friends and neighbors in the Black community and the Jewish faith.
According to a statement from the temple, all activities at the synagogue have been suspended for the day, and “an continued, heightened police presence into the week” would be present.
Rabbi Marc Katz of the synagogue voiced both his rage at the crime and his appreciation for the Jewish community.
He said in the temple’s statement, “We have and will continue to do all in our ability to keep our community secure. “Everything performed as expected. Our shatter-resistant doors stood up, and our cameras captured the incident.
He continued, “But what I cannot do is persuade our community not to become discouraged.” “Hatred is pervasive, and it triumphs when we allow it to get within. When the weight of this overwhelms me, I tell my congregation that every day, despite what is occurring, individuals are named, educated children are, and people get married in Jewish communities all over the world.
“Our religious customs still exist. No hate crime can undermine the influence of religious freedom.
The CEO of Temple Ner Tamid’s parent organization, the Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest New Jersey, Dov Ben-Shimon, stated on Twitter that the incident was a part of a larger uptick in antisemitic hate crimes.
According to him, the incident “occurred amid an atmosphere of intimidation and intolerance, as well as a rising tide of anti-Jewish hate crimes and hated speech against Jews.”
In order to combat hatred, strengthen our fortitude, and advance safety and security, he stated, “Our Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ will continue to engage with all partners in the community.”
Gov. Phil Murphy of New Jersey denounced the assault on Sunday night.
The governor tweeted on Sunday, “Let me be clear: There is no place for violence or hate in New Jersey and I strongly condemn these atrocities.”
A synagogue was targeted by an unknown suspect with an incendiary device early one morning in Bloomfield, New Jersey, according to a statement from the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness.
“There have been no reports of injuries or property damage. The incident is being aggressively investigated by law enforcement, the agency tweeted.
Anti-Semitic events increased 34% from the previous year to 2,717, according to the Anti-Defamation League Center on Extremism, which has been tracking such instances in the US since 1979.
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