A 24-hour police guard was still maintained today over the 65-year-old Chevra Torah Anshe Chesed synagogue, in the Brownsville section of Brooklyn, which sustained $10,000 in damages when it was entered and vandalized last Thursday night. The holy ark was broken into, and the Torah scattered; prayer books were ripped, memorial plaques were torn from the walls, and windows were smashed. Several religious tapestries were stolen.
Police believe the synagogue, located in the heart of what is now a Negro and Puerto Rican neighborhood, was not the victim of racial or anti-Semitic assault, but of burglars who broke into the synagogue through the side door during the night. When nothing of marketable value was found, they apparently vented their frustration by tearing the place apart. The synagogue was built in 1863 when the first wave of Jewish immigrants arrived in Brownsville. Today, many of its former Jewish residents live in other parts of the city and in the suburbs.
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.
