11 mezuzot burned at entrances to apartments of haredim in Williamsburg

Shock in haredi community of Williamsburg, Brooklyn: Yesterday, when Israel marked the Holocaust Memorial Day, 11 mezuzot were set on fire in Williamsburg in a multi-story building populated mostly haredi families.

The incident took place at number 85 on Taylor street. Chairman of Hashomrim of Williamsburg, Yankie Itzkowitz, said arsonists went door to door in a building with 18 floors, spraying the doorposts with a flammable material and set fire to them. The result was that only the mezuzot and mezuzah boxes were burned, but no harm was done the threshold of the door or the door itself, since they are made of metal.

"This is also the reason that the act was not discovered immediately," said Itzkowitz and added: "As of now, at least 11 mezuzot were totally burned."

The ignition sparked immediate reactions from government officials and police, who were quick to respond in the media about the incident. Police officials sent department seniors and the district commander himself came to the scene.

Politicians who are candidates for mayor or city council member rushed to the neighborhood to condemn the heinous act. One of them condemned the act and said: "Only hatred. This is the only reason I can think of, when people burn mezuzot on Holocaust Remembrance Day - the day when we remember the six million Jews murdered in the Holocaust. This is something sickening which stems from prejudice, which offends and harms the principles which underpin this city. I promise that soon we will find the culprits and punish them accordingly. I thank the chief of police of the 90th district for his rapid response and I am sure they will do everything to find the criminals."

'בחדרי' גם ברשתות החברתיות - הצטרפו!