Borough Park, NY – Police on the scene at a Borough Park synagogue for reports of Sifrei Torahs missing.
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Worshipers early this morning at Kehal Yirei Hashem, the Kalrsburg synagogue at 1556 53rd Street, realized that five sifrei torahs, worth as much as $250,000, were missing including some silver ornaments, after the ark (Aron Kodesh) was left open overnight. Each torah is valued at up to $50,000. A police investigation is underway.
Rabbi Yechezkel Roth, the rav in the shul (Kahal Yirei H’Shem) is currently in Israel in honor of Lag Baomer.
Meanwhile Assemblyman Dov Hikind (D-Brooklyn) and Councilman David Greenfield are offering a joint $10,000 reward to anyone with information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the theft of five Torah scrolls reported stolen from Rabbi Yecheskel Roth’s synagogue, Khal Yirei Hashem, located at 53rd Street between 15th and 16th Avenues in Boro Park.
“This is just a terrible travesty,” said Hikind. “The emotional and financial loss of our precious Torah scrolls is immeasurable. There is no doubt that whoever committed this heartless act will be found and swiftly prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
Law enforcement sources said the thieves broke into the building through a back window.
In addition to the scrolls, the silver crowns and adornments which are regularly kept with the Torah scrolls were also stolen.
“It takes a depraved kind of criminal to break into a holy place of worship and steal the holiest of Jewish possessions – a sefer torah,” said Councilman David Greenfield. “This outrageous act will not be tolerated. We will do everything in our power to ensure that these criminals are brought to justice immediately.
Anyone with information is urged to call 1-800-877-TIPS
STATEMENT FROM PUBLIC ADVOCATE BILL DE BLASIO ON STOLEN SIFREI TORAH
“This disgraceful theft is an appalling affront to one of our City’s vital communities. I commend the New York City police department for responding swiftly to this deplorable crime and I urge any New Yorker who has any information related to this incident to call
Video report from FOX NYC Below
Did he not have a safe?
Possible he took them to Israel when he left.
is that the reason for the helicopters?
Hashem will most surely help this huge Tzaddik,Gaon and most revered and respected Posek in our times.
r’ cheskel shlita took only 1 small sefer tora
they don’t have a regular shamesh .
On the block there are tons of cameras so it will. Not take long untill the police will find out
As long as no one was hurt its no big deal. They can always replace the seforim (if the rav didn’t take them with him on the plane to EY) but you cannot undo physical assualts which have become all too common in these kinds of robberies.
So what’s the problem? A little hocus-pocus or forty pirouettes on a chicken liver while saying Perek Shira at Kever Rashbi and all the Sifrei Torah will immediately reappear. That’s how this religion works, right?
I wish this Tremendous Torah authority,Gaon,Tzaddik, and leading Posek of our Times, only happiness, nachas and kul tuv!!!!
this is suspected… he left yesterday… maybe inside job?
That shul should hold a kinus teshuva. It is extremely rare for a shul to lose ALL its sifrei torah.
To the esteemed Shlomo Zalman (no.10) You are right. Thats how our religion works. You do “What Hashem wants” and everything will be fine. Why the sarcasm?
What difference does it make, yes tzadik no tzadik? It’s very sad such a story no matter to whom it happens. Especially if there is a chashad that it might be an inside job. Let’s hope the sifrei torah’s will soon be found and the theives as well.
You must be a really miserable person. Get a life. no truly frum person would ever make such a nasty comment.
stop the in fighting and focus on hopefully people who have any cameras aimed toward the shul will be able to show some information on the theft.
hopefully they will all be found in perfect condition and returned asap.
With all the people on the block and the constant activity on BP streets at all hours how it it possible that no one saw anything?
If and when it turns out that they were stolen by a Yid. Are we allowed to prosecute him? Isn’t that called Mesira? Is Dov Hikind a practicing Jew?
you can almost write a new one for that kind of money 🙂
I’m thinking maybe Rav Roth told someone they can borrow the Torah’s overnight and the person is just late returning them. though it would be quite an odd thing to offer ALL of them!
So the Aron was left open one night and a thief just “happened” to know it was open…Doesn’t make sense. Either an inside job or something completely innocent has happened
feel very suspicious about this.. with all the local politics going on.. i would refrain from any major investigation here.. we might end up looking like big fools.
this could be a great problem for R’ Yechezkel.
When a person writes a sefer torah and gives it into a shul, he still owns the sefer torah. and usually the contract stipulates that the nadvan keeps the rights to the sefer and shul takes upon themselves to guard this valuable the safest way possible. leaving the safe open for the night is a breach of contract. the rav and gabbai of the shul should be held liable.
does anyone know how many were stolen?
it’s a s ad day for all of klal yisroel
My heart goes out for this great Tzadik V’kodosh!
He is one of the biggest that we still have in this Dor,
I wish this big Tzadik should.Never have to deal with such Tzar, and should only see Naches and Simcha.
This great Tzadik v’kodosh was one of the big supporters of the Eruv in Boro Park, and is Machaye thousands Mishpuchis of klal yisroel weekly.
Should Hashem bless him he should never have any more tzar in his life.
Klal yisroel wishes him:
YOMIM AL YEMI MELECH TOSEF SHNOSO KEMO DOR VDOR!
My vote is an inside job. To whom is a sefer Torah of value? Only to yidden. Safe- Aron left open, thieves arrive just that night, Rav is in Israel, – Sounds like a wired job to me.
valued
$80,000 each
When embezzlement is discovered it is usually by the most trusted person, a person above suspicion.
i wonder if they were insured
Let’s go to the video tapes.
Reply to #7 how can u say as long any one wass hirt don’t u know the hollynes of sifrie toros
We are living in days of Din. Everyone must do teshuvah. This is like a volcano erupting in BP. A siman from HKBH. Wake up !!! Stop looking at all the advertising all the time for music and dancing and levalot. Learn the Ribono Shel Olam’s TORAH !!! Yirachem aleinu RSO.
זה נעשה לפי שדרים על גבי הבית המדרש, ובפירוש יש הלכה בשלחן ערוך שאסור לדור על גבי הבית המדרש, ודברים נוראים כתב בט”ז שם, שבילדותו כשהיה דר על גבי בית הכנסת ברקאקא היה מתים כמה מילדיו, ותלה הט”ז בזה, וה’ הטוב לקח ה’ ספרי תורה לכפרה, ואף שיש איזה היתר לדור על גבו, מכל מקום אחר דברי הט”ז מי יעיז ולדור על גבי בית המדרש. גם כהיום נראים דברים נוראים מאלו הדרים על גבי הבית הכנסת
Missing from the story is whether or not the Torahs were registered. Also, I notice some black garbage bags on the side of the shul. .I wonder if NYPD has looked into those bags for clues. Also, the story does not say if the shul had any handymen employed, and how many members had the key to the aron kodesh, and where the key was kept. .These were all important details in the solution to the crime of the stolen torahs in the Jewish Center of Kew Gardens Hills last year. Also, I understand that some silver ornaments were also stolen. The current price of silver is $18 per ounce, so the ornaments would probably be more valuable if left intact..
These sifrei torah have a very distinctive k’sav ( it is from a very chusheve Sofer) teh ganavim will have a hard time selling it to any shomer torah u’mitzvos. If anyone is approached with an offer to buy a few siferi torah, remember to have them computer checked .
Reply to #21
It’s a brucha that this happened while the rebbe was in eretz yisrael, like this he is not a suspect in this case.
Also it doesn’t mention anything about taking the pushkes, i’m wondering if maybe there is some inside Karlsberg “politics” which is behind this entire maaseh.
the thief must be a guy that knows and Deals with safes, its common practice from these safe dealers