👮‍♂️ Authorities have made an arrest within the tried firebombing of Temple Ner Tamid, officers say

🔥 Rabbi Marc Katz says safety upgrades stopped the Temple from going up in flames

🕊 The synagogue is internet hosting an interfaith rally in opposition to hate with native rabbis, pastors, and imams

BLOOMFIELD — The masked man who threw a Molotov cocktail at a Jewish Temple on Sunday morning is in custody, in line with the mayor.

“I’m proud to announce that the suspect within the Temple Ner Tamid firebombing is within the custody of the FBI and Bloomfield Police Division,” Bloomfield Mayor Michael Venezia stated on social media Wednesday night.

A spokesperson for the FBI in Newark was not instantly out there for extra info.

Hours earlier than the mayor’s announcement, the reward for info resulting in the suspect’s arrest had risen to $15,000 complete.

🔥 Molotov cocktail stopped by safety upgrades

In line with Bloomfield police, a person in a ski masks walked up the driveway of Temple Ner Tamid on Broad Avenue early Sunday morning round 3:15 a.m. with a Molotov cocktail in hand. He ignited the home made weapon and threw it on the constructing’s entrance doorways.

Nevertheless, the glass bottle broke and solely induced minimal harm. Rabbi Marc Katz confirmed to New Jersey 101.5 that bolstered doorways stopped the bottle from going threw the glass and igniting the constructing from inside.

Whereas Katz is grateful that state grants helped to pay for the safety upgrades, he worries that smaller synagogues with out an govt director to spend time filling out pages of varieties for grant functions shall be susceptible. He sees a world the place larger synagogues will preserve getting extra “hardened” however smaller ones won’t.

“Sadly, we reside in an period the place we do should take these precautions. We most likely do not want them in every single place, however once we do want them, they’re actually essential,” Katz stated. “Who would have guessed that any individual would’ve proven up in the course of the evening with a Molotov cocktail outdoors of our congregation.”

🕊 Bloomfield interfaith rally in opposition to hate

After the tried firebombing of the Bloomfield synagogue, religion leaders and elected officers are coming collectively for a rally to unite in opposition to hate Thursday evening. The congregation at Temple Ner Tamid will hear readings from native rabbis, pastors, and imams.

“This assault on our congregation was seemingly motivated by antisemitism and that’s one type of hatred, however that does not essentially imply that there aren’t others who’re dealing hatred in different varieties in their very own manner,” Katz stated.

Katz stated that because the rabbi of the synagogue, his job is to remind his congregation that they’re secure and have allies of their neighborhood to unite in opposition to a rising development of hatred.

The rally is scheduled for six:30 p.m. at Temple Ner Tamid situated at 936 Broad Avenue in Bloomfield.

Rick Rickman is a reporter for New Jersey 101.5. You may attain him at [email protected]

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