Arson is suspected by police in a fire that today destroyed 150 stores, mostly Jewish-owned, in this city’s Jewish business quarter, Bom Retiro. Damage is estimated at $1 million. The shops were located in a large commercial center and in two adjacent textile warehouses that were filled with merchandise for the winter season. Sources said most of the destroyed shops were-not insured against fire and that the insurance on others would not cover the full losses.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.