Masked man firebombs New Jersey synagogue

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Police say a suspected attacker threw a firebomb at a New Jersey synagogue in the early hours of Sunday, January 29th. recorded the approach of the suspect at 3:19 am. The man lit a Molotov cocktail, threw it at the door of the building and fled.

The bottle shattered on impact but did no damage to the synagogue, the Bloomfield Police Department said, adding that the suspect appeared to be white man. Police are classifying the attack as a biased incident and attempted arson. Surveillance footage shows a masked man dressed in black with what appears to be a skull and crossbones on his shirt.

The synagogue said the fire was extinguished by impact, visible damage to the building was not, but the door remained in place. “Ner Tamid” canceled Sunday's events and said the synagogue would likely be reinforced with a police presence in the coming days.

“Hate is everywhere, and hate wins when we let it in. Our religious traditions continue”,– said Rabbi Mark Katz.

The Anti-Defamation League, the Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey, the American Jewish Committee and two Jewish community safety groups issued a joint statement condemning the attack. The Israeli consulate in New York said it stood by “Jewish communities from New Jersey to Jerusalem in the face of anti-Semitic violence and intimidation.”

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