Overview
- Kol HaNeshamah in the Baka neighborhood was broken into over the weekend when youths smashed a window, entered the prayer hall, damaged property and tore down Pride flags.
- The Reform movement released security footage that shows at least three people at the scene and the congregation handed those recordings to police.
- Israel Police opened an investigation through Jerusalem’s Moriah station, sent a detective to examine the footage and collected fingerprints at the site.
- Synagogue leaders condemned the vandalism and vowed to remain an open, LGBTQ‑inclusive community while local and national politicians called for a firm response to what they described as hostility toward non‑Orthodox Judaism.
- Kol HaNeshamah has been targeted before in incidents tied to its LGBTQ inclusion, and the latest attack could influence police handling of similar cases and deepen debate over protection for liberal Jewish communities in Jerusalem.