Torah scrolls have been stolen from the main synagogue in the commune of Levallois-Perret, near Paris, France. According to local authorities, the value of the stolen religious relics is estimated at €80,000–€100,000 (US$90,000–US$113,000).
According to Le Monde, citing Mayor Agnès Pottier-Dumas, two unidentified men entered the synagogue through a window using a rope. The suspects were captured on security cameras. Authorities said the intruders did not damage or steal any other property, taking only 12 to 15 Torah scrolls before fleeing the scene.
Philippe Cohen, president of the local Jewish association, described the incident as «a moral trauma for the Jewish community in France and around the world.» Rabbi Shalom Lellouche called the theft «an antisemitic act directed against the Torah.»
Law enforcement authorities are investigating whether the crime was motivated by antisemitism.
Source: jns.org
