Corfu, Greece — Arsonists on Tuesday broke into a synagogue on the island of Corfu and burned the community’s prayer books and torah scrolls at the start of the Jewish Passover holiday, police said, prompting condemnation from the government and Jewish groups.
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The attackers broke into the synagogue through a side entrance. Firefighters put out the flames before they spread.
On Wednesday members of the community, some distraught and weeping, gathered at the synagogue and mourned over the ashes of the Torah scrolls.
The weeklong Jewish holiday began Monday night with a traditional seder meal and marks the biblical story of the Israelites’ Exodus from Egypt.
An association of Greek Jewish groups called the incident a “shameful attack” and urged the authorities to increase protection at the site.
Government spokesman Giorgos Petalotis called the action “immoral and abhorrent,” and said police had been instructed to find those responsible for the break-in.
“The Greek government condemns this (attack) in the strongest possible manner … Bigotry and anti-Semitism are alien to Greek values,” he said.
Greek Police said Wednesday that they have arrested two suspects in the Corfu synagogue arson attack case. According to suspicions, the two are also involved in vandalizing the Jewish community’s offices on the Island.
Everyone should fast on bahab this year because of this tragedy
This is not a “tragedy” the tsumani in Japan was a tragedy…this was an outright criminal act. However give the high levels of anti-Semitism in Greece, I am sure nothing will come of it. Of course if it were a mosque and a singed Koran then the wanton beheadings of non-moslems would be well underway throughout the middle east.