Officials Say Orthodox Priest Led Dozens of People in Smashing Menorah in Moldova

Dozens of people led by an Orthodox priest smashed a menorah in Chisinau, Moldova -- a small republic in Eastern Europe located between Romania and Ukraine -- using hammers and iron bars to remove the candelabra during Hanukkah, officials said.

The five-foot-tall ceremonial candelabrum was retrieved, reinstalled, and is now under police guard, the Associated Press reported today.

Police said they were investigating the Sunday (December 13, 2009) attack, but there was no official reaction from Moldova's Orthodox Church, which is part of the Russian Orthodox Church and counts 70 percent of Moldovans as members.

Jewish leader Alexandr Bilinkis called on the Orthodox Church to take a position over the priest's actions.