Man hits temple with Molotov cocktail

A man wearing a ski mask lit the wick of a Molotov cocktail and hurled it at the front door of a Bloomfield, N.J., synagogue early Sunday, authorities said.

The Molotov cocktail’s bottle broke and the synagogue, Temple Ner Tamid, was undamaged, the Bloomfield Police Department said in a news release.

The man was wearing black clothing, according to the synagogue’s surveillance footage. Police said the man “fled down the driveway,” though it was unclear if he got away on foot or by car.

About six hours after the attack, temple staff members discovered what had happened and notified police. The synagogue said in a statement the fire went out on impact and that the door was secure.

Marc Katz, the temple’s rabbi, said in the statement, “Our cameras recorded the incident, and our shatter-resistant doors held.”

State Attorney General Matthew Platkin said in a statement his office was also made aware of a separate “attack on members of a church in Monmouth County” on Saturday.

He did not offer details or say whether the attacks were linked but described the attack on the church as “another incident being pursued as potentially bias-motivated.”

A representative from his office was not immediately available to comment Sunday.