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CROWN HEIGHTS, Brooklyn [CHI] — A Sefer Torah was stolen out of a parked car last night. The incident took place in front of 1723 Union Street which is between Schenectady and Utica Avenues, after was the car was parked, which was around 11:00pm, and was discovered at around 10:45 this morning.

Shomrim received the call from the driver of the car informing them of the theft and asked for their help with what to do. After arriving on scene Shomrim called 911 and had police respond to the location to take a report and gather evidence in hopes of recovering the Torah, which has a stated value of $40,000.

More pictures in the Extended Article.

Sefer Torah Stolen from Car Overnight

CROWN HEIGHTS, Brooklyn [CHI] — A Sefer Torah was stolen out of a parked car last night. The incident took place in front of 1723 Union Street which is between Schenectady and Utica Avenues, after was the car was parked, which was around 11:00pm, and was discovered at around 10:45 this morning.

Shomrim received the call from the driver of the car informing them of the theft and asked for their help with what to do. After arriving on scene Shomrim called 911 and had police respond to the location to take a report and gather evidence in hopes of recovering the Torah, which has a stated value of $40,000.

More pictures in the Extended Article.

The Bochur who was driving the car was returning from another country where they were using the Torah for Mivtzoim, and left it in the car out of respect after he was told that you are not supposed to keep it in a house where people are sleeping.

Officers that responded called a level 1 mobilizing and enlisted the assistance of NYPD’s Evidence Collection Team as well as the 71st Precincts Detective Squad and the Technical Assistance Response team.

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33 Comments

  • stunned

    The idiot left it in full view, not in the trunk??? What was he thinking? Was he thinking???

  • get dressed

    Hat, jacket, tzitzis & checkered PJ’s in the street????? Such a chasidishe bochur.

    Very nice. Looks good on all the web sites. You couldn’t dress properly in socks & pants before you go yenta?

  • dutchie

    not so smart to leave a sefer torah in ur car overnight. people should start using their brains hashem gave them.

  • BTW

    what an idiot. why throw the mivzoim twist in it? i dont belive it for a second…becuse anyone knows you can have a sefer torah in a house where pepole are sleeping…

    how Loi Olainu do you have a sefer torah in a house wehre there is a Minyan???

    this guy is either full of baloney or he is nouts, i am not sure which is worse.

  • Security first

    With three covering on the safer torah you can bring it into a bathroom for the security of the torah. I dont understand why one would leave it in a car.

  • anonoumys

    obviously he knows he did something stupid stop rubbing it in! youre all so bored find something better to do with your time!

  • chaim

    Why would someone want to steal something which appears to be “just a big scroll”??

  • Simonetti the Incompatant

    Hey! Simnoetti! I feel so safe with all your extra cops out making sure there is no petty crime going on! Crown Heights has nothing to fear at all!

    Or do we? What is your deal? Do you not have a clue in community policing? Are you this incompetent? G-d have mercy on us all.

  • chaya m

    ummmm….
    im just wondering….
    wat happenned to Dan L’Kaf Zechus…
    think again.
    see how inportant it is for the world to know…
    and then post your comment.
    Happy posting :)

  • mendel

    A sefer torah may be in a house, just not in the room of a married couple. also, acc, to tzava’as R Yehuda Hachasid, it shouldnt be in a room underneath either

  • boruch hoffinger

    BS”D
    Perhaps the one who warned them, stole it?
    Not very smart.
    One of my family members, about 8 years ago, left a small aplliance on a back seat of a vehicle. I had told them not to leave things there.
    I covered it up, but it didn’t help. Gone with a broken window.
    However, when it’s a van it’s difficult to hide something. Vans could serve as a storage area when one has a small apt., but it’s too risky.
    Where the govt. civilized and instituted The 7 Noahide Laws, you could easily leave things exposed.

  • moshe

    you should be ashaimd of yourselfs all you have time to do is wirte lashon hara rather then help out a pure yung man who didnt know the halocho and tryed doing whats right. look in to the story befor you go out and post something.
    WHAT WOULD YOU DO AT 1:00AM AFTER A 15 HOUR FLIGHT AND DIDNT KNOW THE HALOCHO

  • bad badchan

    obviously it wasn’t a “safer torah”
    i’d like to thank my rebbeim in yeshiva for an ability to generate corny jokes at the drop of a crushed borsalino.

  • Someone who learnt his lesson

    I guess he learnt his lesson the hard way. Never leave something in open view in your car – they will break the window and steal it. This is Crown Heights after all not Beverly Hills! Same happened to me, but mines was a GPS and radar detector combined worth = $140 + broken window= $100. The break-in took no more than a half hour and in broad daylight. The only clue the thief had that these items were in my car was the GPS cradel hanging from my windshield!

  • upset tax payer!!

    same thing only the idiots broke in to steal my diaper bag(iterally some diapers and a change of clothes) but they obviously thought it was a purse don’t leave anything in your cars especially valuables even something worth a few dollars is it worth $150 broken window not to bring it in.

  • CH Mom

    The only people to blame here are the animals who perpetrated the crime. May we see the Sefer Torah safely returned and the criminals behind bars where they belong.

  • TALMID OF RAMBAM

    WHEN THE RAMBAM SAID THAT YOU ARE NOT ALOUD TO SLEEP IN THE SAME HOUSE AS A SEFER TORAH, IF YOU WOULD LOOK AT THE BOTOM IN THE HORO’OS, YOU WILL SEE THAT IT SAIS THAT SINCE IN THE OLD DAYS, PEOPLE ONLY HAD ONE ROOM IN THERE HOUSE, THEREFOR, YOU SHOULD NOT SLEEP IN THE SAME HOUSE AS A S”T. BUT TO SLEEP IN ANOTHER ROOM IS NO PROBLEM!!!

  • baa shem tov student

    there is a famous story about a guy that took from his friend his wallet for teach him a lesson. Do may be here ws only for teach him a lesson , and not because he is an idiot…..

  • me

    Hello Halacha says you cant leave a sefer torah alone, mivtzoim whatever, you gotta abide by halacha before you go on mivtzoim

  • boruch hoffinger

    BS”D
    Truly, many of the comments are cruel.
    We see the bochur came from a different
    country and perhaps was not aware of the
    situation. Since it was late at night he
    prob. went to bed with peace of mind.
    Seems like many of the commentators are
    more ‘stupid’ than the bochur.
    You’re also ‘foolish’ because you’re afraid
    to state your name.
    Get guts!

  • ceo

    how sad that most (but not all) the comments are written so coarsley.The words used are not the worst, but the commentors sound like street people. I think people should watch their dibur……
    think if the Rebbe was reading this……

  • what are we doing to find the torah?

    has anyone checked the pawn shops or wherever these guys sell their stolen goods? It’s a TORAH, who’s value extends way beyond the 40,000… I’m concerned for the Torah that is now in the hands of a goy…what a terrible thing…

  • Shmuli

    To CH.info

    As I write this comment, I see a sign saying, “Comments must be approved before being published”.

    I have noticed many negative comments about this bochur. I believe that he realized his mistake and there is no reason to for people to curse him out and embarrass him on a public website. Embarrassing another in public also happens to be one of the biggest averos in the Torah as well. With the help of the internet, it is an extremely easy Averoh to do. Heck, you don’t even need to leave your real name when you do it!

    It would therefore be appreciated if you would moderate the negative comments.

    P.S. You can post this comment as well.

    P.S.S. To all those people writing negative comments, imagine how you’d feel like if you were in his shoes.

  • lets not point the finger

    I agree- lets leave put negative comments please- its called making a mistake- and most out of towners are not used to the crime here- think before putting others down

  • B.B

    Shmuli very nice! Kol hakavod! I agree!
    Also theres always another side to every story… if you spoke to the bachur himself u would hear his side.
    And frankly if you beleive that everything is Min Hashamayim than u wouldnt be critisizing anyone. This was meant to be for whatever reason…. lets just hope and pray that we get the torah back!!

  • Yossie Jaffe

    I wanna say something. That boy is right about not bringing it in the house, but think of this idea, 1: Why not ask another jew to do a guard by the cars so that way the bad guys will run away . 2: Or why, if he’s so tired still maybe he should quickly bring it to a shul or something and put it in the aron kodesh! Number 2 is my suggestion. Hey man, next time you bring a torah from out of town, don’t forget to put it in a shul.