Shul Sends Gift to Tucson Police After Recovering Stolen Items

Officials with Congregation Young Israel-Chabad in Tucson, Ariz., announced that they will be donating body armor to the Tucson Police Department after detectives there recovered several silver items that were stolen nearly two months ago from the synagogue building.

The gift will be made through the Tucson Police Foundation’s “Adopt-a-Cop” program, using funds that were earmarked by a synagogue member as a reward to anyone who provided information about the missing pieces.

Given that police officers found the items through their own legwork, officials say, it’s only fair that they get the reward.

“Our members were very distressed over this robbery because these items were more than just of value—they are sacred and served sacred purposes, and having them back was a relief for all of us,” says Rabbi Yehuda Ceitlin, outreach director of Chabad Lubavitch of Tucson and associate director of the congregation. “We salute the Tucson Police Department for their diligence and dedication in bringing this case to a swift close, although the financial loss has yet to be filled.”

The theft was believed to have happened some time during the night of Feb. 22.

“We came to shul for minyan and discovered the aron kadosh [Holy ark] open and things laying around. It was a total disappointment to us, but we were relieved to see that the sefer Torahs were not stolen, and that no vandalism was done,” recounts Ceitlin.

He adds that “we have a small, 150-year-old Torah from Russia with silver on its handle, and it looks like the thieves took out the Torah to see if they could break off the handles. Thankfully, they gave up on that idea because there’s not too much silver on it and instead took what was handy.”

Among the pieces taken were two silver rimonim (crowns that cover the handles of one Torah scroll), a larger crown that sat astride another scroll, a silver breastplate that hangs from the handles of a scroll, a handcrafted silver tzedakah box and some electronic equipment.

In all, more than $15,000 worth of items was taken, according to Ceitlin.

The recovered items include therimonim and some smaller pieces that had originally been melded onto the silver breastplate, though the breastplate itself was not found. Burn marks and scratches were visible on some of the pieces; nothing is in usable condition.

“We’re going to fix the two crowns,” says Ceitlin. As for the breastplate, “I don’t see how we can use the pieces that were found.”

Two individuals have been arrested by the Tucson Police Department and charged with third-degree burglary, criminal damage and trafficking in stolen property for their theft at the synagogue and other local houses of worship. They remain in a local county jail.

According to Ceitlin, the synagogue is taking additional security measures in coordination with the police department and community members.