Windows smashed at Lubavitch primary school in Paris
Authorities investigate potential antisemitic hate crime amid a surge in incidents nationwide
French prosecutors are investigating a possible hate crime incident after unknown assailants targeted a Jewish primary school in Paris on Saturday 31st January.
Several windows were smashed, surveillance equipment damaged and a plaque clearly identifying the school’s religious identity removed and later found in a nearby park.
French media report that five people attacked the Beth Loubavitch–Beth Hannah building located on Passage des Saint-Simoniens, a dead-end street near the Télégraphe metro station, in the city’s 20th arrondissement.
The perpetrators did not enter the premises, no one was injured and as yet no arrests have been made.
Authorities say an investigation has been opened for “aggravated damage due to two circumstances (in a group and because of religion)”.
Speaking to the press, district mayor Éric Pliez said: “I condemn in the strongest possible terms the attempted break-in and vandalism targeting a Jewish school in our district. These acts are unacceptable and contrary to our values. The safety of the students is an absolute priority. Along with the municipal team, I reaffirm my total rejection of all forms of antisemitism .”
Echoing the sentiments, the European Jewish Congress wrote on Twitter/X: “This attack is yet another reminder of the alarming level of antisemitism facing Jewish communities in France and across Europe. Acts of hatred directed at Jewish institutions, especially those involving children, must be met with absolute zero tolerance. We call on the authorities to identify those responsible swiftly and ensure they are held accountable. Protecting Jewish schools, synagogues and community institutions is not optional, it is a fundamental responsibility. Europe must ensure that Jewish life can exist safely, openly and without fear.
The Israel Foreign Ministry said: “We strongly condemn the antisemitic acts of vandalism perpetrated against the Beth Loubavitch – Beth’Hannah Jewish primary school in Paris’s 20th arrondissement. Targeting a school, a place of learning and gathering for children, constitutes a grave and deeply alarming act. We trust the French authorities to take firm measures and swiftly bring the perpetrators to justice. Hatred must be combated with determination, before it turns into violence against human lives.
According to the country’s Interior Ministry 1,570 antisemitic incidents were recorded in France in 2024 and 889 in the first eight months of 2025. Full figures for 2025 are expected to be released later this month.
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