Miami-Dade synagogue under construction damaged by vandals

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – A new synagogue under construction in southwest Miami-Dade County is out thousands of dollars after vandals broke into the site and damaged much needed equipment.

Rabbi Yossi Harlig of the Chabad of Kendall spoke to Local 10 News’ Rosh Lowe and said it won’t stop them from moving forward.

“All these wires were running up top and they ripped them all down,” he said. “This is the electric box, they came in and cut it all out.”

Harlig awoke Tuesday morning to see his new synagogue under construction had been vandalized.

“One thing we know is that we are not going to let a story like this to stop us from opening up a center,” he said.

On the campus, there will not only be a synagogue but also the new home for the Friendship Circle, which provides 26 programs for 300 families with special needs children.

“From here, you have to pull it out and re-run it,” Harlig said of the wiring that was pulled out.

Harlig said there were so many people who were looking forward for the completion of the project.

“We came in the morning, especially for a building like this, this will cost hundreds of thousands of dollars,” he said. “That’s why it was so painful when we walked in. Why would someone wants to do something like that?”

A GoFundMe page was started to help the synagogue pay for the cost of repairing the damage, and that page can be found by clicking here.