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Jewish Community Mourns with Ancient Rites Loss of Synagogue

August 5, 1924
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A unique scene took place in the city of Joszahely, Transylvania, where the entire Jewish community sat in mourning for its synagogue, which had been dynamited by three Roumanian students.

According to ancient Jewish custom, the members of the Jewish community took off their shoes and sat the entire day on the ruins of the synagogue, praying and weeping for the desecration of the Holy Scrolls, which had been destroys.

Three students, named Pavel, Ivan Talochner and Paul Serb, who were arrested by the authorities, confessed that they had placed dynamite in the arch of the Holy Scrolls, intending that the explosion should take place during evening services when many worshippers would be assembled. Fortunately the explosion occurred two hours later than they had planned and no lives were lost.

The Union of Transylvanian Jews has wired to the government to send an investigating commission, which should hand over the arrested criminals to a court martial.

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