Monsey, NY – Sifer Torahs Rescued From Burnt Synagogue, Most Books Destroyed.

Monsey, NY – Three holy scrolls were recovered seemingly undamaged from a safe inside the burned-out synagogue of a fiercely anti-Zionist group that is a source of tension in this largely Jewish community north of New York City.

Several other holy books were destroyed in the fire, said a Neturei Karta leader, who claimed that the Sunday night fire was deliberately set because of the group’s anti-Israeli views.

But Detective Sgt. John Lynch said Tuesday, “It does appears more likely than not that the cause was an accident.”

Members of the Jewish group routinely burn the Israeli flag. They pray for the end of the Jewish state. A few members even traveled to Iran to participate in a Holocaust-denial conference.

The blaze heightened tensions surrounding the group, which locals aren’t shy about describing with words like “traitor” and “crackpots,” as Passover began Monday.

Referring to the burned holy books, Rabbi Yisroel Dovid Weiss, a leader of Neturei Karta said: “A part of our heart and soul was taken away.”

He said critics had threatened, warned and harassed the group in the past. “Those who did this will repent,” Weiss said of the fire. “They should turn to the Torah so that we can all have peace.”

Authorities were quick to say the Sunday night fire seemed suspicious, but they backed off Monday afternoon as they got a closer look at the charred building. [AP]