A Bronx rabbi today called upon New York police to take more vigorous action against neighborhood vandals who have repeatedly broken the stained glass windows of Anshei Emeth Synagogue. Rabbi Shimon Morchudowitz, spiritual leader of the congregation, said the synagogue has had to replace six sets of windows in the past two years. The windows were last broken on July 27.
Asserting that his appeals to the police have not brought any positive action, Rabbi Morchudowitz said that the police “come down, make a report, and that’s all we hear about it until we call them the next time.”
The vandalism, he noted, occurs after services on Friday and Saturday nights. “If only they would put a detective in the building for one night, they could catch the people,” he declared, adding that neighbors have said the culprits were boys between 18 and 20 years of age. The rabbi said that the older members of the synagogue have become worried about their personal safety, fearing that the vandals might act while worshipers were at services.
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