12 Torah Scrolls Stolen in Suspected Antisemitic Break-In at Paris Suburb Synagogue

In the night between Sunday and Monday, two suspects bypassed advanced security systems to break into the Great Synagogue of Levallois, a suburb of Paris, and stole 12 Torah scrolls. The theft was confirmed by the synagogue's rabbi, Rabbi Shalom Laloosh, and the French Jewish Community Protection Service (SPCJ). The break-in was discovered Monday morning by Rabbi Laloosh as he prepared for a bar mitzvah celebration. Community security personnel conducted searches and alerted police, who launched a wide investigation to locate the suspects and recover the sacred items.

Authorities suspect the incident was a planned antisemitic hate crime rather than a routine theft, especially since valuable items were left behind and only the Torah scrolls were taken. Agnès Pottier-Dumas, mayor of Levallois, expressed shock and anger, stating the community was harmed in its most sacred place. She condemned the crime's antisemitic nature, emphasizing the symbolic targeting of the Torah scrolls.

The police investigation continues as the community and officials seek justice and the return of the stolen religious artifacts.