Law enforcement officials in Austin, Texas are investigating a possible arson attack against a shul after a fire was lit outside Khal Beis Yisroel Sunday night.
It is not yet clear whether the fire was indeed an arson attack targeting the shul, but the incident comes after several anti-Semitic incidents in Austin in recent weeks.
AFD on scene of a small exterior fire at Congregation Beth Israel 3901 Shoal Creek Blvd. fire is out. No injuries. Arson investigators responding to assist with cause determination. pic.twitter.com/hgMvJNAk5o
— Austin Fire Info (@AustinFireInfo) November 1, 2021
On October 24th, members of the anti-Semitic Goyim Defense League, a neo-Nazi group, hung banners with the message “Vax the Jews” on a busy overpass located near a number of shuls and Austin’s Jewish Community Center.
The banners were quickly removed by the Austin police department, but similar banners were hung again from the same overpass just two days later.
Just days before the banner incidents, racist and antisemitic graffiti was found scrawled at Anderson High School, a little over a mile away from the JCC.
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