Rappers break into closed, historic synagogue to film music video, Indiana cops say
A group charged with trespassing said they broke into a historic Indiana synagogue to film a music video, according to police.
The Indiana Metropolitan Police Department responded to a call about a burglary at the Beth-El Zedeck Temple, a vacant building on the National Register of Historic Places, on Saturday, March 15, at 5:30 p.m. according to WTHR. The building has been out of use since 1958, according to NRHP documents.
Upon arrival, WTHR reports police saw multiple people in the building’s driveway and four more inside. They arrested a 20-year-old, 24-year-old, 26-year-old and 27-year-old on a charge of criminal trespassing, along with another unidentified person..
Inside the building, police said they found a camera propped up on the glass door the group broke to get in, multiple pieces of camera equipment and a firearm, WXIN reported.
According to WTHR, court documents say Young was hired as a videographer to shoot the video, which has not been made public.
The property is currently owned by Indiana Landmarks Foundation, a nonprofit specializing in historic preservation, according to WXIN. Mark Dollase, vice president of preservation services for the foundation, said the broken door has been repaired, but the interior needs to be examined for damages.
“I wish that everyone would treat historic places and historic properties with…the same reverence that I do,” Dollase told the outlet.
Neighbors in the predominantly residential area told WRTV they could see the police presence from their homes.
Historical significance
The building, with its neoclassical architecture, limestone carvings and terra cotta flourishes, is considered an important cultural and religious site. The nomination paperwork submitted to the National Register of Historic Places named the building, constructed in 1924, the oldest surviving synagogue in Indianapolis, and “one of the most well preserved places associated with the history of the Jewish community in Indianapolis.”
“Jews were a socially distinct group within the broader European and Ottoman influx that shaped Indianapolis in the late 19th and early 20th centuries,” the application said. “This building is the oldest synagogue extant in Indianapolis and represents the architectural heritage of the Jewish community. It represents a distinctly American Jewish congregation that became established in Indianapolis during the 1920s through the 1950s.”
This story was originally published March 20, 2025 at 8:16 AM with the headline "Rappers break into closed, historic synagogue to film music video, Indiana cops say."
