(NEWS) Torah And Other Religious Items Stolen From Phoenix Synagogue

"Video below: Several religious items including a torah were stolen from a Phoenix synagogue.

Police say the theft took place at Young Israel Synagogue of Phoenix located near 7th Street and Maryland.



A torah was the most significant item stolen, which is Holy Scripture in Judaism.

Members of temple realized a torah had been stolen when they arrived at the synagogue Monday morning and found a vacant space within the ark where the holy scriptures are kept. The temple door had been broken open.

Rabbi Reuven Mann explains, 'It’s emotionally devastating to the community. The torah became a part of our lives and our soul.'

In the Jewish religion, the torah is a scroll that contains the five books of Moses. It is handwritten on special parchment paper and can take more than a year to write in its entirety.

Rabbi Mann says the stolen torah is valued at around $35,000 but carries a much higher spiritual value. 'They are treated with tremendous reverence, passed on from generation to generation.'

Police say they have no leads and do not yet have a motive in this crime." (source)