Romania’s Jewish community has moved to block the Israeli auction of a Torah ark because they believe was fraudulently removed from the northern town of Siret.

The Federation of Jewish Communities in Romania (Fedrom) says it learned only last week that the aron kodesh from Siret’s Great Temple was listed for auction at the Moreshet Auction House in Bnei Brak, near Tel Aviv, on Wednesday.

But David Mena, the lawyer representing the auction house, told the JC that they have documentation proving the aron kodesh was brought into Israel legally in 2016.

After making an emergency inspection, Fedrom said it discovered the aron kodesh currently in place in Siret, supposedly restored in 2016, was not in fact the original but a replica.

Photographs published by Jewish Heritage Europe, which broke the story, showed sloppy woodwork and crude, simplified lettering above the doors of the ark revealed it was not an original.

This was confirmed by a conservators’ report commissioned by Fedrom.

Last Friday, the federation filed a criminal compliant with local police in Siret “in order to avoid the sale of a valuable piece belonging both to the Jewish and Romanian national heritage,” its president Aurel Vainer said.

Mr Mena confirmed a copy had replaced the original aron kodesh, which was transferred to Israel, but added this was done legally in cooperation with authorities in Siret.

Neither Mr Mena nor the auction house he represents responded to written requests to share the relevant paperwork with the JC.

In a telephone interview, Mr Mena disputed Fedrom’s charge that they were robbed or defrauded, claiming the aron kodesh was found in a damaged condition “at the court near the synagogue” in Siret, he said. He declined to name the Judaica specialist who made the discovery.

The description of the aron kodesh provided by the auction house states, mysteriously: “A few years ago, during a visit to…Siret, it became clear that the ancient Holy Ark was meant for some reason to be dismantled. …In a complex operation and after great efforts, the ark was brought to Israel.”

Romania’s Jewish community today numbers only 8,000. Based in the capital Bucharest, Fedrom is tasked with maintaining 83 synagogues across the country.

Siret, a town in the historic Bukovina region on Romania’s northern border with Ukraine 12 hours from Bucharest, no longer has a resident Jewish community, the last member having died in 2002. A caretaker maintains Siret’s synagogue.

In an earlier statement, Fedrom indicated they had found “no visible signs of forced entry or robbery” at the Great Temple.

The federation said they intended to notify the relevant authorities in Israel, were the auction to go ahead on Wednesday.

Moreshet does not plan to delay the auction but will halt the transfer of ownership to the winning bidder until the dispute with Fedrom is resolved.

Mr Mena added he believes the restored aron kodesh will be installed in a synagogue and that a bidder from London is already interested in the piece.