Extremists Cause Damage at Ancient Tiberias Site
Haredi Orthodox extremists are suspected of causing irreparable damage to an ancient mosaic on the floor of a fourth century synagogue in Tiberias.
Some of the mosaic tiles at the Hammat Tiberias synagogue in northern Israel were smashed into tiny pieces and other parts were deeply scratched in an attack that occurred between Monday night and Tuesday morning. Graffiti also was sprayed on the site.
The damage reportedly will cost millions of dollars to repair.
Those suspected of causing the damage are opposed to archeological excavations of ancient graves, according to reports. Graffiti at the site read, “on each grave – a site” and “a response over the years.”
The mosaic is the earliest such synagogue mosaic to have been discovered in Israel.
Why I became the Forward’s editor-in-chief
You are surely a friend of the Forward if you’re reading this. And so it’s with excitement and awe — of all that the Forward is, was, and will be — that I introduce myself to you as the Forward’s newest editor-in-chief.
And what a time to step into the leadership of this storied Jewish institution! For 129 years, the Forward has shaped and told the American Jewish story. I’m stepping in at an intense time for Jews the world over. We urgently need the Forward’s courageous, unflinching journalism — not only as a source of reliable information, but to provide inspiration, healing and hope.
— Alyssa Katz, editor-in-chief
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
