Vandals Ransack Jerusalem Synagogue

 Jerusalem - Vndals ransacked a Jerusalem synagogue Monday night in an attack labeled an “antisemitic pogrom,” the second time in a week a synagogue was vandalized.

The synagogue, located in the Kiryat Yovel neighborhood, was broken into and its ritual objects- including a Torah scroll and prayer books - were destroyed. Photos from the scene showed Torah scrolls strewn across a floor full of dirt and dust and a hole cut in into the side of the ark, from which the vandals extracted the scroll.

Kiryat Yovel has been the scene of significant inter-communal conflict between the original, secular residents and the large numbers of families from the haredi community who have moved to the area in recent years due to housing shortages in more traditionally haredi neighborhoods.

The two communities have argued about several issues including the use of the community center on Shabbat, use of neighborhood resources and infrastructure and other issues.