Jerusalem, 15 November, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Jerusalem District Police have recovered and returned an antique, valuable Torah scroll case stolen from a Jerusalem synagogue in 2005, reuniting it with the donor’s family after more than 20 years.
The ornate case was discovered during an undercover police operation targeting criminals involved in illegal weapons trafficking. An inscription bearing the donors’ names revealed its historical significance and suggested it had originally come from Iran.
Investigators traced its ownership to a former Israeli ambassador to Tehran who had donated the Torah scroll to a Jerusalem synagogue in memory of his father. After discovering that the donor had died, police located his son and returned the heirloom on Thursday, November 12.
In a remarkable coincidence, the case was seized on the Hebrew anniversary of the grandfather’s death.