From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, January 20, 2026
Bulgarian synagogue vandalized with antisemitic slurs, swastika
Zev Stub is the Times of Israel's Diaspora Affairs correspondent.
Antisemitic slurs and a swastika were spraypainted on a synagogue on Saturday in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, according to Hebrew media reports.
Plovdiv police are investigating the incident.
“This outrageous incident will not deter us,” Rabbi Mendi Mendelsohn, the city’s Chabad emissary, tells the Hebrew daily Israel Hayom. “Plovdiv is a tolerant and safe city. This is an unusual act, and we are in constant coordination with the police forces.”
???????? — ANTISEMITISM: This morning in Bulgaria, antisemitic graffiti including slurs and swastikas was sprayed on the gate of the community synagogue in the city of Plovdiv, and local police opened an investigation into the incident pic.twitter.com/rogtuyfANO
— Belaaz News (@TheBelaaz) January 20, 2026
The Times of Israel Community.