Twelve Torah Scrolls Stolen From Synagogue Near Paris

Rabbi Chalom Lellouche discovered the theft Monday morning as he arrived to prepare for a bar mitzvah ceremony.

By United with Israel Staff

French police are investigating after 12 Torah scrolls were stolen overnight from the Grand Synagogue of Levallois, northwest of Paris, in what Jewish leaders described as a devastating antisemitic attack.

According to initial reports, two suspects broke into the synagogue Sunday night and stole the scrolls despite the building being protected by surveillance cameras and extensive security systems.

Rabbi Chalom Lellouche discovered the theft Monday morning as he arrived to prepare for a bar mitzvah ceremony.

The Jewish Community Protection Service (SPCJ) immediately conducted a thorough sweep of the synagogue to ensure there were no additional threats before police bomb disposal officers entered the building, in accordance with standard security procedures.

French police have launched an investigation, collecting forensic evidence, interviewing witnesses and reviewing security camera footage. Authorities have also located a vehicle believed to be connected to the theft.

“It was with shock and anger that I learned this morning that the Jewish community of Levallois had been struck at what is most sacred and precious to it,” Levallois Mayor Agnès Pottier-Dumas said.

“Whatever the motives of those who committed this sacrilegious act, which has profoundly shaken the Jewish community to its core, the antisemitic nature of this despicable crime must be denounced,” she added.

In a joint video statement, Rabbi Chalom Lellouche and Philippe Cohen, president of ACCIL Levallois, called the theft both a criminal and antisemitic act.

“It was clearly a criminal act, but also an antisemitic one,” they said. “This is a spiritual trauma for the entire Jewish community of France, and indeed for Jews around the world.”

The motive for the theft has not been officially determined, and no arrests have been announced.