Assemblyman Dov Hikind (D-Brooklyn) and Councilman David Greenfield are offering a joint $10,000 reward to anyone with information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the theft of five Torah scrolls reported stolen from Rabbi Yecheskel Roth’s synagogue, Khal Yirei Hashem, located at 53rd Street between 15th and 16th Avenues in Boro Park.
“This is just a terrible travesty,” said Hikind. “The emotional and financial loss of our precious Torah scrolls is immeasurable. There is no doubt that whoever committed this heartless act will be found and swiftly prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
In addition to the scrolls, the silver crowns and adornments which are regularly kept with the Torah scrolls were also stolen.
“It takes a depraved kind of criminal to break into a holy place of worship and steal the holiest of Jewish possessions – a sefer torah,” said Councilman David Greenfield. “This outrageous act will not be tolerated. We will do everything in our power to ensure that these criminals are brought to justice immediately.”
Anyone with information is urged to call 1-800-877-TIPS.
(YWN Desk – NYC)
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8 Responses
Unfortunately with so many at risk and supporting bad habits we should not rule out such as them frequenting shuls and doing such theft.
This past winter a very humble man who is known to do alot of chesed, was coming home from a late Friday night and chose to just sleep on his local shul bentch as he is an early riser and it was quite late. In middle of his sleep he was awakened by someone emptying pushkas. He ran after the person and B”H a patrol car was driving by and the culprit was aprehended. This pattern of pushka emptying was going on but not reported.
The culprit was someone who slipped in belief.
Where was the safe?
What kind of market can there be for stolen sifrei torah? Who would buy them? The only thing I can think of is that they’re going to be held for ransom.
To #2
Where it should be, part of a nice sized Aaron Kodesh.
The questions are “was it locked?”
Why not?
The only way they got in was either
1. The safe/Aron wasn’t locked
2. They knew the combo.
I don’t like either option which leads to either negligence or a lot worse on a frum yids part.
This $10,000 reward money – where is it coming from? Are they personal funds?
#3 Trere is a big market in stolen Toras. Once you take off the handles, they’re untraceable. Who would deal in it? A Sforim shop with no scruples.I’m sure that they exhist. Otherwise , why steal it?
ps. there are methods of tracing sifrei torah.
however i dont know if everyone registers them