N. Hollywood Synagogue Attacked With Firebombs : Violence: Mayor and Jewish leaders condemn act as part of rise in anti-Semitic violence nationwide.

Firebombs gutted a North Hollywood synagogue early Thursday in what Mayor Tom Bradley, police and Jewish community leaders said was probably part of a rising tide of anti-Semitic violence nationwide.

The attack “came as a total surprise” to police because no threats had been made against the synagogue in the 12400 block of Chandler Boulevard or its members, said Los Angeles Police Capt. Bruce Mitchell.

Police officials said there are no suspects in the case, but Bradley--after inspecting the damaged building Thursday morning--promised the full resources of the police and fire departments to find those responsible.

“All of us in this community should . . . oppose any act of hatred or violence, or even the threat of such, based on race or religion or sex,” Bradley said. “That kind of despicable act will not be tolerated.”

Fire officials said an “incendiary device” caused the fire at 12:45 a.m., with damage estimated at $120,000. The fire was put out in less than 15 minutes, officials said.

Yonatan Tzion, 23, a member of the congregation, said he saw a Molotov cocktail on the ground near the building. Tzion lives across the street and was one of the first people at the scene after the fire broke out.

“I saw a glass bottle filled with a liquid with a cotton wick sticking out of it,” he said.

Tzion said fire investigators told him they believe at least one firebomb was tossed into the building from a small courtyard separating two buildings owned by Yeshiva Aish HaTorah Institute, an Orthodox congregation that also offers an extensive adult education program. A second firebomb apparently was thrown from the street.

The gutted building housed a secondary sanctuary used for religious services by another congregation, Yad Avraham, and kitchen and dining facilities used for community celebrations. The other building, which houses the main sanctuary and many classrooms, was not damaged.

Zvi Block, the synagogue’s rabbi, has close ties to the militant Jewish Defense League, and Irv Rubin, the group’s national chairman, maintains an office at the synagogue. Rubin has often been the target of criticism for advocating violence to advance Jewish causes.

Officials tried to downplay any connection between the firebombing and recent developments in the Middle East, particularly Iraq President Saddam Hussein’s threat to attack Israel if war breaks out. But Block said the growing tension may have intensified a climate of anti-Semitism.

“Perhaps (the firebombing) is a result of the climate, but the fact is that it is nothing more than an act of persecution, of anti-Semitism and a wanton act of destruction against the house of God,” Block said.

“I resent the idea of attempting to portray our synagogue as an area of controversy that would attract crazies who would perform crazy acts against us. It’s an act that is a definite expression of religious persecution, an act perpetrated against the Jewish people.”

Councilman Zev Yaroslavsky, who said he plans to ask the City Council on Friday to offer a $25,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of a suspect, dismissed any connection between the bombing and the JDL.

“There is no evidence to suggest this is anything other than an isolated incident at this point,” said Yaroslavsky, whose district includes part of North Hollywood. “Nevertheless, the Police Department . . . is prepared to provide additional patrols and have greater sensitivity to religious institutions . . . because of the general situation we have at this time.”

Two Torahs--the five books of the Old Testament written by hand on lambskin parchment--were not damaged in the blaze.

“It was a miracle of miracles that the scrolls were not harmed,” said Block, who added that the incident will not frighten or intimidate the congregation, and that they intend to rebuild the synagogue.

Meanwhile, leaders at many of the San Fernando Valley’s approximately 37 synagogues moved to step up their security, including posting 24-hour guards. Officials of the Jewish Federation Council of Greater Los Angeles said they plan to organize a conference to provide synagogues with security tips.

The Anti-Defamation League reports that there is a rising pattern of anti-Semitic crimes across the country. The ADL recorded 1,452 anti-Semitic acts in 1989, the most recent statistics available and the greatest number of such incidents in the last 11 years, ADL officials said.

Steve Smason, president of Kach International, the right-wing organization founded by Rabbi Meir Kahane, said that “regardless of whether this was an attack because it was a Jewish religious institution or because the JDL uses it, it should upset everybody in the community.”

Rubin could not be reached for comment on Thursday. He was on his way to New York to testify against the leader of a rival organization who is charged with firing a semiautomatic assault rifle at Rubin during a confrontation in Greenwich Village. Rubin was not harmed, but a bystander was injured.

Rubin and other JDL members have inspired intense criticism over the years with their militant tactics, which have included cheering others’ violent acts against Arabs and disrupting public speeches by those with whom he disagrees. They have also been linked to terrorist acts here and abroad.