Melbourne, Australia, synagogue set ablaze in suspected arson attack

A synagogue in suburban Melbourne, Australia, was set ablaze on Friday, causing congregants to flee and injuring at least one person.

The fire before dawn on Friday at Adass Israel, a haredi Orthodox synagogue in the town of Ripponlea, sent congregants gathered for morning prayers into the streets at 4:10 a.m. Those who fled the fire reported assailants breaking windows and throwing firebombs into the building.

The damage from the fire appeared to be extensive and was brought under control by 5 a.m. by a team of 60 firefighters and 17 trucks, according to The Age, an Australian publication.

“I unequivocally condemn the attack on a Melbourne synagogue early this morning,” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said in a statement. “I have zero tolerance for antisemitism. It has absolutely no place in Australia.”

He added, “The people involved must be caught and face the full force of the law.”

Benjamin Klein, a board member of the synagogue, told the Sydney Morning Herald that congregants reported that in addition to the firebombs and broken windows, assailants tossed in a flammable liquid and set it afire. One person’s hand was burned, he said.

“They heard banging on the door and the window, and some liquids came through which were lit,” he said. “The whole thing took off pretty quickly and was on fire.”

The alleged attack occurred as the Australian Jewish community reported a fourfold increase in antisemitic incidents since Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Physical attacks on Jews spiked from 11 the previous year to 65.

“This morning’s fire has devastated Melbourne’s Jewish community and caused deep angst,” said David Southwick, a Jewish lawmaker. “Amidst the worst levels of antisemitism in living memory, the community needs clear answers as soon as possible.”

Adass Israel had about 200 member families as of 2016, according to The Age. It is affiliated with a school of the same name that was formerly led by Malka Leifer, who was convicted in 2023 of sexually abusing students when she served as its principal.

The police arson squad is investigating the incident, which it believes was a “targeted incident,” according to The New York Times. That would make this the second time the synagogue has been purposefully set on fire, following a 1995 attack of the same nature.

“My grandfather was the president at the time,” Klein told The Age. “He was a Holocaust survivor and I will never forget him standing among the smoke and ash and just crying.”