A group of people were recently charged with trespassing after breaking into a vacant historic synagogue in Indianapolis, Ind., to allegedly shoot a music video, The Kansas City Star reported.
Local police responded to what was reported as a burglary at Beth-El Zedeck Temple, a vacant building on the National Register of Historic Places, on March 15. Upon arrival, they saw multiple people in the driveway, with four more inside. Five individuals were arrested, reported WTHR, the local NBC affiliate.
The building is the oldest surviving synagogue in Indianapolis and has been out of use since 1958, according to NRHP documents. Authorities have not identified the incident as an act of antisemitism.
Inside the building, police recovered a camera propped up on the glass door the group broke to get in, as well as several pieces of camera equipment, a firearm, a magazine and live rounds.
Court documents state that one of the individuals arrested was a videographer hired to record a “rap music video.”
“I wish that everyone would treat historic places and historic properties with the same reverence that I do,” said Mark Dollase, vice president of preservation services for the Indiana Landmarks Foundation, which owns the synagogue. He added that while the door has been repaired, the interior needs to be examined for damages.
According to the NRHP, the synagogue is “one of the most well-preserved places associated with the history of the Jewish community in Indianapolis.” Former Indiana Gov. Edward Jackson attended its opening ceremony in 1925.
