Muslim Women Cause Concern at Local Miami Synagogue

Two Muslim women who entered a Miami Beach synagogue and asked multiple questions has put some members of the congregation on edge.

The two women, wearing hijabs, approached a man sitting outside the sanctuary and asked him a variety of questions. "The question basically was, 'What are the lecture times here and when do people come for lectures?'" said Shy Zimor. "It was very odd. They actually, eventually, conveyed that to me, that they were Muslim."

Zimor thought it was strange, especially when one of the women pulled out a Quran. "I explained the similarities, that Arabic is also written from right to left," he said.

According to the police report incident report, the women asked, "Did you have services already?" and "when are you saying Yisker?" Yisker is a prayer for those who have died.

The same women were at the synagogue the previous Friday where they also asked questions of congregants. Law enforcement sources later told 7News that one of the women seen in the video has terminal cancer and was visiting different houses of worship with her mother to learn about different religions.

North Miami Beach Police released a statement which read, "At this point, we don't believe there is a public safety threat."

Rabbi Yona Lunger said that the community cannot let its guard down. "We gotta be vigilant, we can't be vigilantes," he said.

A similar incident happened at another synagogue and authorities are still investigating that situation. However, they believe that this woman was just seeking out different religions with her mother.


The Women Explain Their Visit