A $100,000 fire virtually gutted an annex of the 25-year-old Yeshiva of Hartford, a Hebrew day school, here last night. It is believed the fire was set by vandals who first ran amok through the building, desecrating the sanctuary, throwing torah scrolls to the floor, ripping open Jewish National Fund collection boxes, breaking tables, chairs and a piano, and looting the cafeteria. The fire was discovered at 2 A.M. when, after smoldering for some time, it burst forth and exploded through the windows of the building.
Dr. Aaron Baer, principal of the school, told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency that, because there was no history of anti-Semitic activity in the area, he was convinced the outrage was the work of teen-age vandals. Hartford police believe the vandals broke into the building sometime after it closed for the Sabbath, Friday afternoon. The Yeshiva was the first Hebrew day school to be established in Connecticut.
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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.
