Local News in Brief : Fullerton : Vandals Set Three Fires at Temple Beth Tikvah

Vandals set three fires in an attempt to burn down a Fullerton synagogue and then made threatening calls Friday saying, “As long as you harass the Palestinians, this will continue,” Fullerton police said.

Police Sgt. Jeff Roop said officers were called to Temple Beth Tikvah of North Orange County on Acacia Street early Friday when employees discovered that three structural fires had been set with gasoline on the grounds, including one at the front door of the sanctuary and another at a school building on the temple grounds. An empty gasoline can was found in the temple’s parking lot.

Although the fires charred walls and doors, no serious structural damage was reported. No one was injured.

Roop said officers returned to the temple several times Friday after a series of threatening telephone calls were received.

“The callers had knowledge of earlier bomb threats made to Temple Beth Tikvah and the fires,” Roop said.

Rabbi Haim Asa said everything was normal when he left the synagogue at 10 p.m. Thursday evening. A teacher who arrived Friday morning found evidence of the three fires. The rabbi said one of the fires may have been extinguished by lawn sprinklers that turn on automatically at 1:30 a.m.

Roop said the temple has been the target of other anti-Semitic actions such as threats and swastikas being painted on the building.

Meanwhile, Concerned Christians Against Anti-Semitism, a coalition of 120 churches, offered to help pay the cost of damages and work with temple members to repair the buildings.