Ancient synagogue torched in deliberate antisemitic hate, recalling Arab-fueled hostility Jews still confront today.
Two hundred years after its construction, one of Europe’s most treasured synagogues—restored with nine years of meticulous craftsmanship—was deliberately set ablaze in what investigators immediately identified as a violently antisemitic attack. Authorities report the arsonist threw his own phone into the flames, apparently attempting to destroy evidence, suggesting a premeditated assault on Jewish history itself. The suspect, a former boxer and ex-army officer, has been arrested and is being held pending trial.
Local Jewish resident Moshe Kreiz described the crime as nothing less than an attempted modern pogrom:
“The arsonist came to destroy Jews—nothing more. He ignored valuables, threw aside the charity box, and focused solely on burning our synagogue. This was Kristallnacht in miniature.”
Inside, devastation is total. Fire melted electrical systems, shattered windows, destroyed upper floors, and left the exquisite murals and handcrafted mouldings—painstakingly recreated in the synagogue’s recent restoration—reduced to scorched ruins. The historic guest house, once a refuge for over 2,500 wartime survivors, must be entirely rebuilt.
An emergency delegation led by the Sadigura Rebbe, Rabbi Mordechai Shalom Yosef Friedman—direct descendant of the synagogue’s founders—rushed to the site. Together with Hasidim, they gathered the charred remnants of Torah books and sacred texts, describing the sight as “scenes reminiscent of the Holocaust.” The burnt holy books were carried in a solemn procession to the ancient Jewish cemetery, where they were buried with dignity beside the resting place of the Holy Ruzhiner.
This synagogue, the Kloyz Kaddisha, has served as a spiritual powerhouse of Eastern European Jewry since the 18th century. Designed by Rabbi Yisrael of Ruzhin, it has weathered empires, world wars, and the Holocaust itself. During WWII, it survived only because it was marked with Red Cross flags to prevent enemy bombing—a miracle of Jewish endurance.
Today, with antisemitic violence once again rising across Europe, community leaders reaffirm their resolve.
“We will rebuild,” they declared. “This synagogue will continue to stand as a radiant pillar of Torah, prayer, and Hasidic life.”
It is a message of resilience—one the Jewish people have carried for millennia, even as hatred continues to burn around them.
