Over the July 4 weekend, a man set fire to the Northeast Philadelphia Islamic Center in an incident authorities described as an arson attack.

Surveillance footage released by the Council on American-Islamic Relations showed a masked man walking up to the mosque around 2 a.m. on July 5, tossing a lit object into the entrance area and running away. No one was inside at the time of the incident, but the fire caused significant damage to the front porch and entryway.

On July 16, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania announced an arrest in the incident. Vincent Lang, 60, of Philadelphia, was charged with one count of “maliciously damaging or destroying by means of fire any building or property used in interstate commerce, or attempting to do so, in connection with an arson fire last week at a city mosque,” according to a news release.

Lang faces a minimum of five years’ imprisonment and a maximum sentence of 20 years.

This was not an attack on the Jewish community, but the Jewish community nonetheless rose up to condemn it. The Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia and American Jewish Committee Philadelphia/Southern New Jersey both issued statements to that end.

Jewish communal institutions, both in the Philadelphia area and elsewhere, have often been the victims of such attacks in recent years. The increasing prevalence of antisemitism has spawned security setups at nearly every large synagogue in the region and an advocacy agenda for security funding in Harrisburg and Washington, D.C.

But just as important as manpower, arms and funding is allyship, according to Jewish leaders. If Jewish communities want other faith groups to stand with them, then Jews must do the same when their allies are attacked.

“The Jewish Community Relations Council of the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia strongly condemns the arson attack on the Northeast Philadelphia Islamic Center,” read a July 7 Federation statement about the incident. “No one should fear gathering with their family, friends, and community to pray. An attack on a house of worship leaves people feeling unsafe in a place that should offer comfort, belonging and peace.”

“Our Jewish community understands how acts of hatred can affect everyday life — creating fear, disrupting sacred spaces, and leaving people wondering whether they are truly safe. Moments like this remind us that safeguarding one another’s freedom to worship strengthens all of our communities,” the statement continued.

“We stand ready to support the Northeast Philadelphia Islamic Center in whatever way is most meaningful to those directly affected. Together, we remain committed to building relationships across our communities and rejecting hatred, violence and intimidation wherever they occur,” it concluded.

AJC Philadelphia/Southern New Jersey released its own statement shortly after the arrest.

“We thank federal and state authorities for their swift and thorough investigation of this heinous incident at the Northeast Philadelphia Islamic Center. The wanton hatred that drives these incidents tears at the fabric of our society. Every American should be appalled by an attack on any house of worship. AJC stands with the Islamic Center as it looks to rebuild and heal,” said Marcia Bronstein, the director of the organization.

Jason Holtzman, the chief of the Jewish Community Relations Council within the Federation, described the freedom to pray as a fundamental right. It’s part of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution that guarantees free exercise of religion.

Robin Schatz, the Federation’s director of government affairs, attended the press conference in the wake of the incident alongside mosque leaders. In talking to them, she learned that they weren’t aware of Pennsylvania’s Nonprofit Security Grant Program.

The initiative distributes millions of dollars per year to synagogues, mosques and other nonprofit organizations for security funding. It was launched in the wake of the Tree of Life synagogue shooting in 2018 and expanded, from $5 million to $10 million, by the signature of Jewish governor Josh Shapiro in 2024.

“She gave them the application to apply. That’s something that came out of this incident,” Holtzman said.

In the burnt debris of a fire, a relationship was born. Holtzman said the Federation intends to keep it going.

“We’re going to continue to communicate with the leadership of the mosque, meeting them more, having more conversations and getting to know one another,” he said.

Rabbi Yitzchok Leizerowski, who leads Congregation Beth Midrash HaRav B’Nai Jacob, an Orthodox community just a few miles from the Islamic Center, said that it’s a Jewish value to respect other religions.

“Anyone who undertakes that type of an action to destroy, to harm, to hurt, to do damage to any religious thing, is deplorable. It’s against Jewish values, halacha, culture,” he said. “I think there definitely should be solidarity with the Islamic community, whether it be showing up personally or offering some type of moral assistance.”

jsaffren@midatlanticmedia.com