When mispallalim from the Tiferes Shimon Shul in Bnei Brak arrived on Tuesday morning for shachris, they were horrified to see the shul had been broken into, including the Aron Kodesh, and Sifrei Torah had been stolen. In addition, another Sefer Torah was hurled to the ground along with Sifrei Nevi’im. One of the mispallalim lifted the old extremely heavy Sefer Torah from the ground.

The shul belongs to the Orchos Torah Kehilla, and when the morning mispallalim arrived they saw the lights were already on in the shul and there were signs of the break-in.

Shul gabbai Moshe Cohen is quoted explaining the shul was broken into and four Sifrei Torah were stolen, with two being new. A fifth Sefer Torah was thrown to the ground along with Sifrei Nevi’im. “We are in shock. We do not understand what took place here. We haven’t a clue” he added.

He feels that “the thieves knew where they were going and knew which Sifrei Torah to take” as they left the old one.

An avreich passing by, at about 4:30AM, saw a vehicle parked near the shul and two persons, who he felt appeared suspicious, got out. The avreich asked who they are, and they told him they were contractors. Aharon, another gabbai of the shul, told BeChadrei Chareidim the avreich felt something was out of place with the two, seeking to compel the driver to remain there while he told him, “don’t get involved with us”, and he drove off.

Police were summoned and crime scene technicians began gathering evidence from the crime scene. Gabbai Cohen reported that for the time being, the police haven’t a clue, but are not ruling out a connection with another break-in during the night, around the same time period.

He added the shul was warned of such events over recent years, and they invested in surveillance cameras. However, the thieves broke into every cabinet with wires until they found the laptop and stole it and the disc containing the camera’s recordings. He also believes they thought someone might be coming and fled in the middle of their work, citing “There are signs that they left in the midst” of the break-in for fear there were already people on the streets.

Rav of the city, HaRav Shevach Tzvi Rosenblatt arrived to daven with the second minyan in the shul in a showing of solidarity after the break-in.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)