The Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne, Australia, was heavily damaged in an arson attack on Friday, local time.
The fire was reported at 4:10 a.m. local time in the suburban area of Ripponlea, the Victoria Police Center told JNS.
According to the local authorities, Fire Rescue Victoria responded to a call of a synagogue on fire. “Firefighters arrived on scene to find the single-story, 30×20-meter building fully involved in fire. The response was escalated to a third alarm with crews wearing breathing apparatus attacking the fire,” they said.
Media reports say several men were inside the synagogue at the time. According to a report on Channel 7 Melbourne, the men heard banging at the door and when they went to answer it, saw two men standing there after having poured “petrol on the front of the synagogue and then lit it on fire.”
An investigation is underway, the Victoria Police Center told JNS; police are asking witnesses to provide dash cam or other information.
“An absolute travesty. This is the realization of the worst fears of many in the Jewish community,” James Paterson, a senator in Victoria, said on X.
Jeremy Leibler, president of the Zionist Federation of Australia, posted on X: “The firebombing of a synagogue in Melbourne appears to be another shocking escalation of the hate that we have seen brazenly displayed on the streets of Melbourne every week for over a year. No one should be surprised; this violent attack is a direct consequence of words turning into actions. Jew-hatred, left unchecked, endangers all Australians. Enough is enough, this is a stain on our nation. It’s time for all levels of government to turn their words into actions to stamp out this Jew-hatred.”
The Chassidic synagogue was the subject of a 2016 documentary film called “Strictly Jewish: The Secret World of Adass Israel.”
According to a synagogue listing page from the St. Kilda Historical Society, this is not the synagogue’s first arson attack. The synagogue was severely damaged in an incident in January 1995 and was rebuilt.
“The dark shadow of antisemitism has been spreading from nation to nation, and over the last year, the warning signs have all been there that the Australian Jewish community is a direct and vulnerable target,” said organizers of the International March of the Living. “The time for words of condemnation is over; it’s now a time for strong action from governments around the world.”
They added that “the International March of the Living will continue to expand its footprint in Australia and beyond, spreading the important message of tolerance and understanding between religions and nations, and warning against the dangers of baseless hatred and the dangerous results of what it means to forget the lessons of history.”