BROOKLINE, MASS. (WHDH) - A large menorah that was taken from outside a temple in Brookline was found in West Roxbury on Wednesday morning, Brookline police said.
Boston police officers in the area of Weld and Church streets discovered the menorah in the middle of the road around 6 a.m.
The menorah was stolen from Temple Emeth, which is located less than a mile away from where it was found.
The biblical statue sustained heavy damage but it was later returned to the temple.
Rabbi Alan Turetz says the menorah has stood outside the temple for several decades.
“It stayed lit from morning to night,” he said. “In a way, it represents the fact that we believe that the Jewish people and all who adhere to its priorities can be a light to the nation.”
It’s believed the menorah was targeted by scrap metal thieves due to its size, according to investigators.
“The officer, when he located it, was able to push it to the side of the road (and) recognize what it was,” said Brookline Police LT. Philip Harrington said. “He searched the area, and knowing Temple Emeth’s location, the officer came up here and realized it has been stolen from Temple Emeth.”
Turetz says he remains optimistic that the temple’s place in the community is strong.
Police are investigating the act as a possible hate crime.
“I’m very surprised because I’m here 30 years, never happens, anything like that. Everyone knows we’re Jewish,” said Ludmila Leventhal.
Leventhal is the daughter of a Holocaust survivor and owns the cleaners across the street. The temple’s rabbi is urging her and others to stay calm during the investigation, while he has strong words for whoever is behind this theft
“Instead of saying, ‘Gee, sorry you’re that desperate,’ I’d say, ‘Shame on you for ripping something like that out of its roots and defacing something sacred to many people, not just the Jewish people,'” Turetz said.
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