A shul in Obninsk, Russia, was firebombed Tuesday night in what its rabbi says was a clear and calculated act of antisemitism — the second such attack on the building in just over a year.

According to the Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia, at least three Molotov cocktails were thrown at the building. The incendiary devices scorched the shul’s front door and warped the metal canopy above the entrance.

The incident comes almost exactly 13 months after the same shul was targeted in an arson attack on July 10, 2024. In that case, vandals set fire to the building’s electrical box, shattered windows, and damaged the fence, but were unable to break inside. Police later detained two minors in connection with the attack — one of them not yet eight years old — but the shul’s leadership was not satisfied with the investigation.

“This is an act of antisemitism — that is the only way to classify a second arson attack on a synagogue,” said the shul’s rav, Rabbi Aaron Golovchiner, in a statement after the attack.

Rabbi Golovchiner voiced frustration over the handling of last year’s case, insisting that the damage inflicted then could not have been carried out by young children alone. “We pointed out to the police that the nature of the building’s damage was such that children could not have done it on their own,” he said, alleging that malicious actors were using minors to carry out attacks in order to escape criminal responsibility.

“Now this impunity has led to a new crime,” he added.

Local authorities have not yet announced any arrests in connection with Tuesday night’s attack.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)