A Bergenfield man is facing burglary and weapons charges after police say he smashed his way into a Clifton synagogue with a hammer before dawn, grabbed a small amount of cash, and bolted into the darkness before officers could catch him. Eliyahu Davidovici was arrested on October 1, exactly seven days after the break-in, and now sits in the Bergen County Jail awaiting his first court appearance.
According to DailyVoice, the incident unfolded on September 24 when officers responded to Kehillas Beis Sholom, located on Passaic Avenue in Clifton, at approximately 4:38 a.m. A nearby resident had reported hearing loud noises coming from the building and seeing a man running away, prompting the police response.
Officers arriving at the scene found clear signs of forced entry at the rear of the building. Police say Davidovici struck a rear door with a hammer, pulled it open, and made off with cash from inside the synagogue before fleeing on foot. The station's report notes that despite deploying the Clifton Police Department's drone unit and a K9 unit from the Passaic County Sheriff's Office to search the synagogue and surrounding area, officers did not locate the fleeing man that morning.
Charges Filed After a Week-Long Search
Davidovici was eventually arrested on October 1, days after the break-in, and now faces charges of burglary, criminal mischief, theft, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, and possession of burglary tools, per police. Clifton Detective Lt. Robert Anderson said Davidovici was charged following the burglary, according to the same account. The Passaic County Sheriff's Office processed the scene and collected evidence, while Passaic police assisted in the broader investigation.
Under New Jersey law, burglary is typically a third-degree crime punishable by three to five years in state prison, but it escalates to a second-degree offense carrying five to ten years in prison and fines up to $150,000 if the person is armed with or displays a deadly weapon during the act, according to New Jersey Courts. Second-degree burglary convictions also fall under the state's No Early Release Act, which requires defendants to serve at least 85% of their sentence before becoming eligible for parole.
The weapons charge carries its own exposure. Possessing a weapon such as a hammer for an unlawful purpose is classified as a third-degree crime in New Jersey under N.J.S.A. 2C:39-4(d), carrying a potential state prison term of three to five years, per Rosenberg | Perry & Associates.
A Community Hub Beyond Sunday Services
Kehillas Beis Sholom, located at 733 Passaic Avenue, is a Jewish synagogue that has been registered as an active tax-exempt nonprofit since November 2016, according to ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer. Beyond daily religious services, the synagogue building also hosts the Impact Cafe, a weekday morning coffee shop run through a job-training program operated by Jewish Family Service, per the Passaic and Clifton NJ Kosher Guide.
Authorities have not characterized the break-in as a bias crime, and the charges filed against Davidovici include burglary, criminal mischief, theft, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, and possession of burglary tools. Still, the case lands amid heightened attention to security at Jewish institutions statewide. The Anti-Defamation League's annual audit, reported in May 2026 by the Washington Post, found that New Jersey recorded 687 antisemitic incidents involving assault, harassment, and vandalism in 2025, ranking third highest nationwide behind New York and California.
That same ADL audit identified Bergen County, where Davidovici resides, as the state's highest county-level hotspot with 139 antisemitic incidents in 2025, according to a report from CBS News New York. Davidovici is from Bergenfield, while the synagogue is in Clifton.
Security Funding Flows to North Jersey Synagogues
Federal lawmakers have recently steered substantial funding toward hardening religious facilities across the state. U.S. Senator Andy Kim announced nearly $26 million in Department of Homeland Security Nonprofit Security Grant Program funding for New Jersey faith-based organizations in July 2026, administered through the state's Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness, per Insider NJ. More recently, U.S. Representative Josh Gottheimer announced more than $1.7 million awarded to eight North Jersey faith-based organizations to install cameras, gates, and blast-resistant film ahead of the High Holidays, according to his official congressional office.
Police have not formally characterized the Kehillas Beis Sholom break-in as bias-motivated.
