Fire Damages Geneva's Largest Synagogue
Pastor Dale Morgan
Fire Damages Geneva's Largest Synagogue*
By BRADLEY S. KLAPPER
The Associated Press
Thursday, May 24, 2007; 10:08 AM
GENEVA -- Fire heavily damaged Geneva's largest synagogue early
Thursday, and police said they are investigating whether it was arson or
an electrical fault.
The blaze struck on the Jewish holiday of Shavuot, which celebrates
Moses' receiving of the Torah from God.
There have been incidents of anti-Semitism in Geneva recently, including
graffiti scrawled on another Jewish house of worship.
The blaze broke out at 5 a.m. in the Hekhal Haness Synagogue in Geneva's
Malagnou neighborhood. About 40 firefighters responded and had the fire
under control an hour later, police spokesman Philippe Cosandey said. No
one was hurt.
He said investigators' first impression was that it was arson, but it
wasn't clear where the fire originated. A statement later in the day
said police were also working on the possibility that it could have
started from an electrical fault.
The main entrance was completely burnt out, with windows blown out and
walls blackened by smoke. Police were removing wood and rubble from the
entrance. A heavy smell of smoke hung in the air.
Still, a group of worshippers prayed in an inner courtyard to celebrate
the holiday. They used the Torah scroll, which apparently survived the fire.
The first-floor library was destroyed, said Jose de Matos who works as a
keeper at the synagogue. The main prayer room was not damaged, according
to an Associated Press reporter who was given access to the building.
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Associated Press Writers Eliane Engeler and Frank Jordans contributed to
the report.