On Friday, vandals broke the entrance door of the Minchat Chovav synagogue in Ramat Gan for the second time in a matter of weeks. The incident followed an earlier case in which the synagogue’s mezuzah was stolen. Police have not yet identified any suspects, and the motive remains under investigation.
Ramat Gan city officials described the incident as a “shocking hate crime” and said Mayor Carmel Shama-Hacohen came to the site to support worshippers and offer full municipal assistance. The mayor met with community leaders before Shabbat and promised to return to pray with them, though he had to leave quickly because of a personal duty at his mother’s hospital bedside.
The city said Minchat Chovav is an old synagogue located in a complex of six synagogues, with no internal disputes and no known conflict with neighbors. Officials stressed that there is no indication so far of an internal quarrel or a local dispute behind the attack.
The municipality also said the mayor’s aide arrived on Friday morning to handle the broken glass and arrange installation of a new door, even though the synagogue is privately owned. City officials said Ramat Gan will continue to back anyone targeted by hate crimes, whether the attack is vandalism at a synagogue, an arson at a weekend cafe, or another similar act.
