The damage was discovered at a temporary Shul location used by the Ohalei Yaakov Jewish community on Rue Burnouf. Its regular synagogue on Rue Henri-Murger is currently inaccessible due to construction work in a neighboring building.

Congregants arriving for Shacharis on Sunday found the premises in disarray. Prayer books and Tefillin had been thrown to the floor, lockers and cupboards had been emptied, and the rabbi’s office had been ransacked. The Sifrei Torah were left untouched.

A representative of the community told the French Jewish news outlet IsraJ that the scene appeared consistent with an attempted theft, possibly involving a search for money. No items were reported stolen, and initial reports said there were no obvious signs of forced entry. French police and the Jewish Community Protection Service are investigating.

France Grapples With Escalating Unrest

The incident came amid one of France’s most serious episodes of civil unrest in years. Protests that began around grievances over living costs, public services and conditions in schools have spread across the country in recent weeks, with violent groups engaging in looting, vandalism and clashes with law enforcement.

French authorities have blamed left wing groups and criminal elements for helping fuel the violence. On Saturday, October 17, hundreds of thousands of people participated in demonstrations across France. In several cities, the protests descended into violent riots, with shops looted, police vehicles attacked and public buildings damaged. In Limoges, the city hall was set ablaze.

President Emmanuel Macron condemned the destruction and said those responsible would be held accountable. However, he stopped short of declaring a state of emergency.

The government’s handling of the unrest has drawn criticism from center and right-wing politicians and other public figures, who have called for a stronger response to restore public order and prevent further violence. The scale of the destruction has also raised questions about whether the authorities have done enough to deter organized groups from exploiting demonstrations to carry out attacks and vandalism.

The ransacking of the Paris synagogue has intensified concerns among French Jews, who continue to face the threat of antisemitism amid an increasingly tense atmosphere. Jewish communal leaders have called for stronger protection of Jewish institutions as the authorities work to contain the wider unrest.

At this stage, there is no confirmed evidence that the synagogue was deliberately targeted because it was Jewish.