Jennifer Millman

14-Year-Old Boy Arrested for Allegedly Torching Historic Manhattan Synagogue

The blaze destroyed the historic Beth Hamedrash Hagadol building

What to Know

  • The 19th century Congregation Beth Hamedrash Hagadol on Norfolk Street was completely destroyed by the fire
  • Hours before the arrest, authorities said they had recovered video evidence as part of their ongoing investigation
  • According to the Lower East Side Jewish Conservancy, the congregation is the oldest for orthodox Russian Jews in the United States

A 14-year-old boy has been charged with igniting the inferno that destroyed a historic synagogue on Manhattan's Lower East Side over the weekend, law enforcement sources familiar with the case said Wednesday. 

The boy was arrested late Tuesday on a charge of third-degree arson in connection with the fire that eviscerated the 19th century Congregation Beth Hamedrash Hagadol on Norfolk Street Sunday night. He is being charged as a minor and being held at a juvenile detention facility; the boy's name will not be released.

The sources say the boy was arrested at his home, not far from the synagogue. They say investigators don't consider the arson to be a hate crime. 

The arrest came hours after NYPD officials said video evidence had been recovered as part of the investigation. It's not clear exactly what the video showed, but authorities had said three young people were seen fleeing the site of the blaze.

According to the Lower East Side Jewish Conservancy, the congregation is the oldest for orthodox Russian Jews in the United States, and occupied the 1850s-era building since 1885. The synagogue closed in 2007.

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