Overview
- The attack, which took place on Thursday, September 17, saw a man pour a flammable liquid on steps at a side entrance of the Bergische Synagoge and set it alight, and synagogue staff extinguished the blaze with no injuries and only minor damage.
- Police arrested a 37-year-old Afghan man minutes after the incident and prosecutors applied for an arrest warrant; a judge has since ordered the suspect held on charges including attempted serious arson.
- Officers who searched the suspect's apartment found several knives and a machete and seized a mobile phone that forensic teams are examining, and prosecutors say the man made antisemitic remarks at the scene.
- State security investigators are pursuing video, forensic traces and witness interviews and are asking the public to help locate two young women seen near the synagogue at the time to clarify the sequence of events and motive.
- Local Jewish bodies and city officials condemned the attack as part of a broader rise in antisemitic incidents, called for stepped-up protection for Jom Kippur services, and warned the attempt deepens fear among community members.