Law enforcement authorities are examining instances of arson, property damage, and a thwarted break-in that transpired successively at a Philadelphia house of worship.
Detectives haven't stated if they think the occurrences at Congregation Mikveh Israel in Downtown – established in 1740 and being the oldest uninterrupted synagogue in the USA – are interconnected, but the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia deemed them "acts of antisemitism."
The initial event unfolded around 2 a.m., with a man igniting a dumpster nearby, damaging a window, according to a press release from the Philadelphia Police Department.
Surveillance footage released by police features the culprit lurking inside the dumpster, followed by smoke emanating from it prior to ignition.
Subsequently, around 6:30 a.m., two individuals attempted to breach the synagogue, police assert. Damage was inflicted on a fence and a door, but the intruders failed to gain entry, as per a press release from police.
The perpetrators are depicted in security footage examining the burnt dumpster before targeting the fence, and later seen meandering in an alleyway.
Later, around 12:10 p.m., a sculpture outside the synagogue was defaced when a man scrawled vulgarities on it using a marker, police relayed to CNN affiliate KYW.
Philadelphia police are urging the public for assistance in identifying the suspects linked to the arson and attempted breach. CNN has contacted the department for comment.
The investigation at the synagogue unfolds during a Jewish festive period – Sukkot and Simchat Torah – which spans from October 16 to October 25 this year. Last year's Sukkot Torah holiday happened during the October 7 attack by Hamas on Israel.
Since the Hamas-Israel conflict began, reports of hate crimes and prejudice incidents targeting Jews, Muslims, and Arabs have risen rampantly across the United States. Over 10,000 antisemitic incidents were reported in the USA between October 7, 2023, and September 2024, as per preliminary data from the ADL, more than doubling the number of reports from the year prior. In April, the CAIR declared that it received 8,061 reports of anti-Muslim bias in 2023, the highest count in its 28-year tracking history.
“We, the Jewish community, urge public officials and our communal partners to unite in condemning this abhorrent hatred,” the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia stated in a declaration. The synagogue, famously referred to as the “Synagogue of the American Revolution,” has “strong ties to Philadelphia’s and our nation’s beginnings,” the statement added.
“With the help of local law enforcement, we are confident that the perpetrators of these revolting crimes will be apprehended and face prosecution to the maximum extent of the law,” the organization declared.
Pennsylvania Representative Brendan Boyle expressed "distress" over what he referred to as "shameful" acts of arson and vandalism, further stating that “Philadelphia stands jointly opposed to hatred and antisemitism.”
“I hope the culprit is swiftly apprehended and encourage anyone with information to submit a tip to the Philadelphia Police Department,” Boyle said in a statement on Wednesday.
CNN’s Josh Campbell collaborated on this report.
The Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia, expressing concern over the incidents, called on public officials and the community to collectively condemn the hatred. (US)We, as a community, are hoping that the authorities will bring the perpetrator of these attacks to justice, as stated by the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia. (us)
