Israel Police returned seven Torah scrolls that were stolen from a synagogue in Sderot after a week-long investigation that resulted in the arrest of five suspects on Thursday.
The Torah scrolls and megillot were stolen last week during the night.
"Sderot police officers immediately understood the significance of the theft of Torah scrolls and their great importance to the city's residents, including the police officers, and began to carry out a variety of covert investigations while combining technological means and other units in the Lachish area, which led to the identification of five suspects," said Israel Police on Thursday.
After the arrests, the scrolls were all found at a farm in Moshav Noga. The commander of the Sderot police station, Meir Hochmon, notified the synagogue's gabai (beadle) and invited them to identify them and receive them at the police station.
"We are very excited and happy to inform you that we were able to locate the Torah scrolls tonight," said Hochmon to the gabai. "All the police officers enlisted for the mission to investigate the case that entered our blood and soul, with a lot of personal emotion, and we knew we were going to do everything to return the Torah scrolls back to the city."
Immediately after the scrolls were identified, the policemen accompanied the scrolls back to their spot in the ark in the synagogue.
"I thank the commander of the Sderot station, Meir Hochmon, and the station policemen, for their hard and quick work in finding the holy books stolen from the Decker Synagogue," said Sderot Mayor Alon Davidi. "To see this morning the excitement and joy on the faces of gabai and the synagogue worshipers was heartwarming and the event takes place on the eve of Rosh Chodesh Adar, which we all rejoice in and now the joy is double."