Early Friday morning, worshippers at the Adass Israel synagogue in Melbourne were forced to flee after the building was deliberately set on fire in a shocking act of hate.

The fire, which broke out around 4:00 AM local time (17:00 GMT Thursday), completely engulfed the synagogue in Ripponlea, Melbourne's southeast.

Firefighters arrived at the scene to find the structure ablaze, as several people inside during morning prayers narrowly escaped the inferno. One person sustained injuries. Witnesses reported seeing masked individuals hurl fireworks and spread accelerants before igniting the flames. Police have confirmed the fire was intentionally set, but the motive is still under investigation.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned the attack as “an act of hate” and vowed to take strong action against such violence. “This violence, intimidation, and destruction at a place of worship is an outrage. I have zero tolerance for antisemitism,” he stated, promising that the Australian Federal Police would assist local authorities in the investigation.

Victoria Police are urging the public to come forward with any relevant information, including CCTV or dashcam footage, to aid their inquiry. Detective Inspector Chris Murray confirmed that an arson chemist would assess the scene, and additional patrols would be sent to safeguard the community.

Eyewitnesses described the terrifying moments of the attack. Benjamin Klein, a member of the synagogue board, recalled hearing loud banging and seeing liquids being thrown through windows before the fire started. Yumi Friedman, a worshipper who injured her hand while trying to re-enter the building to fight the flames, described the scene as chaotic, with shattered glass and the fire spreading rapidly.

This incident comes amid a troubling rise in antisemitism across Australia, according to Jewish community leaders. Daniel Aghion, president of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, expressed concern, stating, “None of the Jewish community is surprised. We’ve known this has been coming.”

Authorities are determined to bring those responsible to justice and ensure the safety of all places of worship. "We are committed to ensuring the community can worship without fear,” said Detective Inspector Murray.