A City Unites After Synagogue Arsons

An excerpt from Not In Our Town Northern California, a city unites in action after three synagogues are burned.


In the early morning hours of June 18, 1999, arsonists attacked three Sacramento area synagogues. Congregation B'nai Israel, Kenesset Israel Torah Center, and Congregation Beth Shalom were set ablaze within a 45-minute period. The fires destroyed thousands of books and historic Holocaust documents, and investigators found anti-Semitic fliers within the wreckage of two of the three synagogues. The attacks not only shook the foundation of Sacramento's Jewish community, but also shocked and horrified people of all faiths and backgrounds. Almost as quickly as the fires were started, the community of Sacramento mobilized to take a stand against anti-Semitic hate crimes.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• sacramento
• synagogue burning
• anti-semitic
• hate crime
• not in our town
• jewish community