Natan Sharansky Visits Vandalized Reform Synagogue in Israel
By Josefin Dolsten November 30, 2016
— Natan Sharansky, the chairman of the Jewish Agency for Israel, visited a Reform synagogue in Israel that was vandalized and received death threats last week.
On Wednesday, Sharansky visited Beit Samueli, Kehillat Raanan in Raanana, meeting with representatives from the synagogue in central Israel and Israel’s Reform movement.
“It goes without saying that we must not tolerate acts of violence and vandalism in our society,” he said, according to a statement. “As we forcefully condemn the attack on this synagogue, we also recognize the tremendous service that this community and other Reform and Conservative synagogues in Israel provide in making Judaism accessible to hundreds of thousands of Israelis throughout the year.”
The vandalism, which was discovered Nov. 24, included hate graffiti on the walls of the synagogue and death threats in envelopes held down by a knife at its doorstep. The threats were addressed to prominent Reform leaders.
A similar attack occurred in January, though it did not include death threats.
The synagogue of 80 families has been in Raanana for 18 years. Three preschools reportedly operate out of the building.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the attack.
“Such acts have no place in our free society,” he said in in a statement issued by his office.
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning journalism this Passover.
In this age of misinformation, our work is needed like never before. We report on the news that matters most to American Jews, driven by truth, not ideology.
At a time when newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall. That means for the first time in our 126-year history, Forward journalism is free to everyone, everywhere. With an ongoing war, rising antisemitism, and a flood of disinformation that may affect the upcoming election, we believe that free and open access to Jewish journalism is imperative.
Readers like you make it all possible. Right now, we’re in the middle of our Passover Pledge Drive and we still need 300 people to step up and make a gift to sustain our trustworthy, independent journalism.
Make a gift of any size and become a Forward member today. You’ll support our mission to tell the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
Only 300 more gifts needed by April 30
