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A New Jersey synagogue was almost set ablaze by an unidentified arsonist early on Sunday, January 29, 2023.
As per multiple reports, surveillance footage from Temple Ner Tamid, New Jersey, captured the horrific act of an unidentified assailant who hurled a Molotov cocktail at the synagogue's front door. The incendiary device reportedly failed to ignite at the scene.
Law enforcement is reportedly in pursuit of the assailant responsible for the heinous crime that targeted a Jewish temple in New Jersey and has released two images of the suspect.
The footage showed a suspect dressed in all black and donning a ski mask walking up to the temple before throwing a flammable bottle at the temple's front entrance. The suspect then fled the scene on foot.
Officials at the New Jersey Synagogue discovered they had been attacked the next morning
Law enforcement is reportedly looking for the suspect who threw a lit Molotov cocktail around 3.20 am on Sunday at the Temple Ner Tamid door in New Jersey. The remnants of the glass bottle and the gasoline, which failed to ignite upon contact, were reportedly discovered around 9.30 am by a temple official who alerted the authorities.
Addressing the attack on the synagogue, Rabbi Marc Katz told the Bergen Record before the recent incident, the temple had fortified security measures at their premises, anticipating an anti-Semitic attack that he described as a prevalent issue in this day and age.
The temple has reportedly added shatter-proof barriers over the glass of the windows and doors, expecting the worst-case scenario. The Rabbi added that they had also lined up boulders around the front of the property to prevent anyone from purposely crashing their vehicle into the temple. He said:
“People have been on heightened alert because of this and are feeling rightfully worried about the state of anti-Semitism because of how prevalent it has been lately. Still, I don’t think anybody ever expects their congregation is going to be attacked.”
Meanwhile, law enforcement has increased patrols near the temple as they continue to search for the suspect still at large. Following the incident, New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin said his office was working with law enforcement agencies to determine if the recent attack on the synagogue was motivated by hate against Jews.
Platkin added that they are working with multiple agencies, including the FBI, to apprehend the suspect.
“We are cognizant of the fact that these attacks have occurred while violence continues to erupt in Israel, and while our nation reckons with violence at home. I want to reassure all New Jerseyans – especially our friends and neighbours of the Black community and the Jewish faith – that law enforcement continues to take the appropriate steps to increase our presence around the sensitive places so that everyone in our state can worship, love, and live without fear of violence or threat.”
The most recent incident comes amid the rise of anti-Semitic attacks in the country. According to the Anti-Defamation League, which has tracked incidents for four decades, 2021 had the highest number of harassment, vandalism, and violence directed against Jews. ADL also predicted a similar fate in the corresponding years.
