The Kahal Adass Jisroel Synagogue on 33 Brunnenstrasse in Berlin was firebombed early Wednesday. The synagogue tweeted: “Tonight (October 18th) an attempted arson attack was carried out on our community Kahal Adass Yisroel. Unknown people threw two Molotov cocktails from the street in the direction of our community center on Brunnenstrasse in Berlin-Mitte (Berlin’s central borough, home to the Brandenburg Gate – DI).”
Heute Nacht (18.10.) wurde ein versuchter Brandanschlag auf unsere Gemeinde Kahal Adass Jisroel verübt. Unbekannte warfen dabei 2 Molotow-Cocktails von der Straße aus in Richtung unseres Gemeindezentrums in der Brunnenstraße in Berlin-Mitte. pic.twitter.com/tnh0UIV9mw
— Kahal Adass Jisroel (@KAJ_Berlin) October 18, 2023
The synagogue added two videos of police investigating the attack.
— Kahal Adass Jisroel (@KAJ_Berlin) October 18, 2023
In 22 days, on November 9 Jews (and neo-Nazis) around the world will mark the 85th anniversary of Kristallnacht, the 1938 Night of Broken Glass, a pogrom against Jews that was carried out by the Nazi Party. The name Kristallnacht comes from the shards of broken glass that littered the streets after the windows of Jewish-owned stores, buildings, and synagogues were smashed. Rioters destroyed 267 synagogues in Germany, Austria, and the Sudetenland (former Czechoslovakia). More than 7,000 Jewish businesses were destroyed, and 30,000 Jewish men were sent to concentration camps.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz stated: “We will never accept when attacks are carried out against Jewish institutions.”
The Kahal Adass Jisroel Synagogue’s website used to say: “We are a tradition-conscious, fast-growing Jewish community.” But as of Wednesday morning, the website has been deleted and replaced by the message: Der Wartungsmodus ist eingeschaltet (The maintenance mode is switched on).
The website used to feature many pictures of synagogue celebrations with the faces of young and old congregants.
Berlin police reported on Wednesday morning that two unknown people came to the building on foot around 3:45 AM and threw two Molotov cocktails at the synagogue.
According to Bild, While the crime scene was being investigated and despite the cordon, a 30-year-old man drove up to the synagogue on an e-scooter around 8 AM. According to the community, he was wearing a PLO scarf. The man threw the scooter away and wanted to run into the building. Police officers intervened and arrested him.
