Rabbi Arye Goldberg's, RCE Director Deputy, response to the Auschwutz theft:

"It is shocking in the extreme that something which symbolises the tyranny endured by millions of Jews and others can be so wantonly desecrated. It is an utter disgrace to the memory of all those who perished in the Holocaust and only proves that lessons haven't been learnt. It remains imperative that the perpetrators are brought to justice to send out a message that the evil mindset of the modern day Anti Semite cannot and will not be tolerated.

"The timing of this malice on the festival of Chanukah is our forceful response that we will continue to combat this darkness by further spreading the light of tolerance, human dignity and values throughout."