Hackers take over South Florida temple’s website, express hatred for America, Israel

An international hacking group calling itself Team System Dz took over the website of a Plantation synagogue Thursday night, expressing hatred for Israel and America.

Temple Kol Ami Emanu-El’s website has since been shut down, and the FBI has been notified. The hack came in the middle of Sukkot, a colorful Jewish holiday that celebrates the Israelites’ pilgrimage to the temple in Jerusalem, and lasts through next week.

“It’s appalling,” said the temple’s spokeswoman Jessica Shein.

The message claiming to be from Team System is over a plain blue background. At the top the hackers identify themselves. Under that it says, “I love you ISIS,” referring to the extremist group fighting now in Syria and Iraq.

Then it goes into a long, rambling message that explains injustice toward Muslims, and calls for the elimination of “America and allies.” Under that it uses a common expletive directed at Israel, next to the Jewish symbol Star of David.

The hack is the latest in a string of hateful messages aimed at Israel and America that began earlier this year as the war between Israel and Hamas intensified. Synagogues on Miami Beach and in West Miami-Dade were desecrated and a hate message was scrawled on the wall of a Publix Supermarket in Miami Beach last month.

Shein said as of Friday evening, the temple’s information technology team was working to put up an interim site.

“We’re taking extra security measures with the site as well,” she said.

Temple Kol Ami Emanu-El is Broward County’s largest reform congregation.

This story was originally published October 10, 2014 at 11:01 AM with the headline "Hackers take over South Florida temple’s website, express hatred for America, Israel."