Messianic congregation in North Carolina vandalized following threats
An unidentified person threw a brick through the windows of Shaarei Shalom, a house of prayer affiliated with ‘Jews for Jesus,’ in Cary
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A house of worship in Cary, North Carolina that has previously been the target of threats was vandalized, police said.
The vandalism at Congregation Shaarei Shalom in Cary was reported around 6 p.m. Thursday, CBS17 reported. The building’s front door and windows were damaged. A board member told the television channel that an unidentified person threw bricks through the windows.
Cary police, who are investigating the incident, told CBS17 that they had no indication that it is a hate crime or ethnic intimidation. Shaarei Shalom is a Messianic temple.
Messianic Judaism, commonly known as Jews for Jesus, combines Jewish traditions with the idea that Jesus Christ is the coming Messiah.
In November, the son of a North Carolina Court of Appeals judge made threats against the same congregation.
William Warden, 20, also burned a cross in a local park, the Charlotte News & Observer reported.
On Saturday night, Warden rang the smart doorbell of Congregation of Shaarei Shalom in Cary. When a temple official remotely answered the bell, Warden made a “number of disparaging statements against the Jewish religion and people of the Jewish faith,” police told the newspaper. He also threatened to damage the building, according to the report.
Times of Israel staff contributed to this report
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