A rabbi and his family’s apartment in Grenoble, France, was completely destroyed in a suspected arson attack on Saturday, July 5, the rabbi’s daughter told Radio Judaica on Wednesday.
Rabbi Yhia Lahiani and Rebbetzin Batcheva Lahiani had left for a special celebratory meal at the synagogue with the rest of their family when, less than 10 minutes later, three successive explosions were heard in the apartment.
There is nothing left of the family’s home.
Their daughter, Sarah Perets Lahiani, told Radio Shalom, “Someone tried to murder my family.”
“Ten minutes before the house exploded, my sister and her baby and my other sister were there,” she said, calling the fact that they were in synagogue and not at home “a miracle.”
Perets Lahiani later interviewed with Radio Judaica, saying that authorities continue to call it an “arson attack” as “no one wants to call it antisemitic.”
She added that this “really upsets” the family because “Why else, specifically, would the rabbi’s house be set on fire on a Saturday during mealtime?”
“My personal opinion is that if we say it was antisemitic, we’d have to admit there’s a problem to address,” she noted.
They don't want to use the word antisemitic to describe the attack
“As for the criminal aspect, everyone acknowledges it. They know it was a criminal act. There was no hotplate, no candle, it was Shabbat at noon, there was absolutely no reason for the house to catch fire – and only the rabbi’s house. But they don’t want to use the word ‘antisemitic.’ For me, this is antisemitic. I have no doubt about it.”
She explained that the investigation is still ongoing, and that police had found traces of accelerant, which they believe is kerosene, on the stones outside the house.
“It was a two-story apartment at the bottom of a large building, and there was a small garden in front where my parents had a little barbecue with a gas bottle attached to it.
“The neighbor told my parents that her son saw some young people throwing something – we don’t know what because we weren’t there – but they saw young people passing by and throwing things just before the house exploded. According to the police’s deductions so far, it seems that they set the barbecue on fire, and there was also an electrical panel, so the fire spread and the explosion occurred.”
According to Perets Lahiani, the apartment above her parents’ was also destroyed.
“When you see the photos, it’s terrifying. There’s nothing left. It’s all gone up in smoke.”
She added that 12 firefighters and police officers were injured in the blaze, but that they are recovering well.
Her father told her a few days later that he needed a suit. “He was in shock. It took him almost two days to realize he had no clothes left. We had to go buy everything from scratch.”
“My sister told me that she accompanied them on Shabbat. They were coming back from synagogue – and they’re currently staying with my sister. But when my father and mother took the road back to the house, they looked at each other, and they both teared up because they realized they no longer had a home.”
Her other sister was also with the parents. She, too, lost all her belongings in the fire, as did her children.
Perets Lahiani thanked the community for their support, recounting how one woman reached out on social media to say she has a clothing store in Grenoble and could provide clothes. Perets Lahiani also said they have received help from CRIF (French Jewish representative council) regional lead, Eric Hattab.
“My parents have lived in Grenoble for over 45 years,” she said. Mostly, they had lived without any issues, she said. October 7 changed this.
“After October 7, it wasn’t ‘Rabbi Jacob’ anymore, it was ‘Jewish bastard.’
“My father had his car tires slashed multiple times to the point where he had to park his car in front of the house because he didn’t trust the parking lot anymore.
“My mother, of course, had cameras around the school. We caught a young man several times with a gun, firing at the school. We even had people yelling – I experienced this myself when I went to visit them – and shouting ‘Palestine, Gaza.’ And just after the fire, some young people passed by again, shouting ‘Jewish bastard.’”
“The authorities still want to play the game, claiming it’s not so serious, that it’s an accident. First, you insult, then you slash the tires, then you try to break into the house, and eventually, the house explodes.”
The Jerusalem Post has reached out to Rabbi Yhia Lahiani, the local prosecutor’s office, and the police for comment.