“We’re still reeling from the shock that someone attempted to destroy a house of worship, a place that offers inspiration and acceptance to so many,” Rabbi Chuni Vogel said today, several long days after an arson attempt was made at the Chabad Lubavitch of Delaware in Brandywine Hundred.
The fire was luckily spotted by Vogel’s son, who lives behind the Silverside Road center, at about 12:30 a.m. Friday while he was taking out the garbage. Damage was estimated at $200.
The center’s security systems will be upgraded, Vogel said.
The crime follows an arson fire on Aug. 25 that destroyed the Chabad Center for Jewish Life in Newark. A GoFundMe campaign has raised more than $500,000 to rebuild that center, which caters to University of Delaware students.
“Do we connect the dots?” Vogel asked. “That’s for the authorities to say.”
An investigation of what happened in Brandywine Hundred is underway, and anyone with information is asked to call the state fire marshal at 302-323-5375 or Crime Stoppers at 800-TIP-3333.
