Stolen Torah scrolls recovered outside Manchester church and returned intact

Two historic Torah scrolls stolen from the Etz Chaim synagogue in Manchester, Britain, were found abandoned outside a Methodist church and returned in good condition. The discovery came nearly four months after the theft, which had shocked the city’s Orthodox community in the Salford neighborhood.

A local resident recognized the scrolls and contacted a figure in the local Jewish community. Photos of the Torahs then circulated on social media, helping confirm that they were the same scrolls stolen from the Manchester synagogue. The community later celebrated their return on Friday with music and dancing in the synagogue courtyard, thanking God for finding them.

The circumstances of how the scrolls reached the church are still being investigated. The Shomrim organization is reviewing security-camera footage in the area in an effort to identify those involved.

According to the report, the burglary took place in March 2026 at about 5:30 a.m. at the Etz Chaim synagogue on Bury New Road. Thieves broke in, loaded an entire sacred ark containing the two Torah scrolls onto a cart, and dragged it into a vehicle.