PARIS (VINnews) — More than a dozen Torah scrolls were stolen from a synagogue in a Paris suburb in what local Jewish leaders and officials described as an antisemitic attack targeting one of Judaism’s holiest religious objects.

The burglary occurred between Sunday night and Monday morning at the Grand Synagogue of Levallois-Perret, an affluent suburb northwest of Paris. Authorities are investigating.

According to local officials, two suspects entered the synagogue through a window using a rope before stealing between 13 and 15 Torah scrolls. No other property was damaged or taken. Surveillance cameras captured images of the suspects, Mayor Agnès Pottier-Dumas said.

Rabbi Chalom Lellouche said the theft deeply affected the local Jewish community.

“It is, of course, a criminal act, but it is also an antisemitic act that specifically targeted the Torah,” Lellouche said in a video statement alongside Philippe Cohen, president of the local Jewish community association.

Cohen said those responsible appeared to be professionals who bypassed the synagogue’s security systems.

“It was the Torah — and only the Torah — that was targeted,” Cohen said, describing the burglary as “a profound spiritual trauma for the entire Jewish community in France and around the world.”

En dérobant des rouleaux de la Torah de la grande synagogue de Levallois, ce n’est pas un simple vol qui a été commis, c’est toute une communauté de croyants qui a été blessée au plus profond de son âme.

Ce soir, Alexandre Brugère, préfet des Hauts-de-Seine, et les élus de la… pic.twitter.com/CUr0JsKz8V

— Préfet des Hauts-de-Seine 🇫🇷🇪🇺 (@Prefet92) July 27, 2026

Levallois-Perret Mayor Agnès Pottier-Dumas condemned the burglary, saying she learned of the incident with “shock and anger” and that “the antisemitic nature of this vile act must be condemned.” She said municipal and national police were investigating.

Alexandre Brugère, prefect of the Hauts-de-Seine region, met Tuesday with local elected officials and Jewish community leaders, pledging that authorities would identify those responsible and work to recover the stolen scrolls.

“The theft of Torah scrolls from the Grand Synagogue of Levallois wasn’t just a simple crime; it wounded an entire community of believers to the depths of its soul,” the prefecture said in a statement.

🔴 Réaction de Philippe Cohen, Président de l’ACCIL après le vol de “13 à 15 Sifrei Torah” dans la nuit
– La police a sécurisé la synagogue
– “Les systèmes de sécurité ont été déjoués, des personnes sont entrées avec un pied de biche et ont escaladé des murs”
– “Nous avons lancé… pic.twitter.com/C8GzEGGhcu

— Radio RCJ (@RCJRADIO) July 27, 2026

The synagogue’s security measures are being reassessed following the burglary, Cohen said.

The theft comes amid heightened concern over antisemitism in France, home to Europe’s largest Jewish community. France recorded 1,320 antisemitic incidents in 2025, accounting for 53% of all reported anti-religious acts, according to the Interior Ministry. Jews make up less than 1% of France’s population.