Jerusalem Synagogue Targeted for Fourth Time in Month as Pride Flag Ripped Down
Unknown attackers targeted the Kol HaNeshama synagogue in Jerusalem for the fourth time in a month, tearing down a pride flag on Yom Kippur night following Kol Nidre services.
Unknown perpetrators broke into the Kol HaNeshama synagogue in the Baka neighborhood of Jerusalem on Yom Kippur night and tore down a pride flag displayed on the premises. The incident took place following the Kol Nidre prayer and marks the fourth time the synagogue has been targeted within roughly a month.
A String of Vandalism Incidents
On August 16, teenagers smashed a window in the prayer hall, entered the building, and ripped down the pride flag. On September 13, the second day of Rosh Hashanah, eggs were hurled at congregants exiting the synagogue, though fortunately no one was injured. Additionally, on the eve of Yom Kippur, structural damage was caused after an intruder tore a screen in the men's restroom and shattered a glass object inside.
Complaints have been filed with the Israel Police in all instances, alongside security camera footage. However, the Reform Movement in Israel states that no suspects have been apprehended in connection with any of the attacks so far.
Community Response
Anna Kislanski, CEO of the Reform Movement in Israel, addressed the repeated vandalism:
Exactly on the night of Yom Kippur, following the Kol Nidre prayer, intruders broke into our synagogue and violently tore down the pride flag. This is the fourth time in a month that our community has been targeted, and the police have yet to track down those responsible.
Kislanski urged the police and authorities to treat the string of incidents with utmost severity, protect communities, and bring the perpetrators to justice. She emphasized that the community will not be deterred and that their synagogues will remain open to all while egalitarian prayer continues.
Representatives of the Kol HaNeshama community noted that these events unfold against a backdrop of what they describe as delegitimization directed at Reform and liberal Judaism in Israel. They pointed out that over 55 liberal communities operate across the country, with hundreds of worshippers attending Yom Kippur services at the Jerusalem congregation, which practices egalitarian prayer without gender separation.
