Professional burglars broke into the main study hall of the Tchernobyl Hasidic court in Bnei Brak and stole silver ritual items worth about 120,000 shekels. The pieces are used by the rebbe during his Sabbath gatherings with followers, giving them significant sentimental value as well as monetary worth.
Police in Bnei Brak, in the Dan district, received the burglary report on Tuesday in the Hebrew month of Sivan and immediately began collecting evidence at the scene with forensic teams. Security footage and initial findings showed the thieves were masked, used specialized tools and methods, and appeared to have avoided leaving fingerprints or other traces.
Investigators said the gang seemed to have precise inside knowledge of the synagogue complex. They went straight to the rebbe’s private room near the large tisch hall, where the court’s silver items were kept, and took only the silver objects while leaving other valuables behind.
After extensive investigative operations, police located the stolen items where they had been hidden. Officers are now examining whether the burglary is connected to an unusual incident last Shabbat, when, according to Hasidic witnesses, suspicious people were seen in the area while the rebbe was in Jerusalem. The recovered items have been transferred to police and will be returned to the synagogue after inspection, while the search for the suspects continues.
