Congregation Beth Israel synagogue in Portland, Oregon sees arson attack and antisemitic graffiti

A synagogue in Portland, Oregon has reportedly been subject to an arson attack and vandalised.

Community leaders at Congregation Beth Israel on Northwest Flanders Street say that the synagogue, which was built in 1859, shows the remains of a fire that had been set in front of the building and graffiti containing an antisemitic message had been spraypainted on the building’s exterior wall.

Rabbi Michael Cahana said that this is not the first incident of this kind to have happened at Congregation Beth Israel, but nothing to date has been as brazen as this.

Rabbi Cahana said: “The message I’m giving to my community is that I don’t want anyone sitting in fear. We don’t believe that this is part of a larger threat, there haven’t been other antisemitic incidents reported around town.”

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