Someone smashed the door of the Chabad of Utah County's new Lehi office on Sunday, Sept. 27, and the organization says it believes the attack was driven by hate.

Lehi City Police responded to an alarm at the Chabad office that day, according to ABC4, which first reported the incident Wednesday, Sept. 30. The door had been "completely destroyed," the Chabad of Utah County said. No one was inside.

No one was hurt.

Nothing appeared to have been stolen. Rabbi Chaim Zippel, who runs the Chabad House, said the lack of theft points to a hate-driven motive. The characterization is the organization's own assessment; Lehi City Police have not publicly commented on whether the case is being investigated as a hate crime.

The Chabad of Utah County said the police department's chief has been personally involved in the investigation to ensure the case receives the highest level of attention. ABC4 reported that it had reached out to both the department and the Chabad for additional details and was awaiting a response as of Sept. 30.

The office had been open barely a month when the vandalism occurred. On Aug. 28, the Chabad posted on Instagram that Rabbi Zippel had affixed a mezuzah to the door that evening, formally inaugurating the space as the organization's headquarters for all of its activities across Utah County. A mezuzah is a small case containing a parchment inscribed with Hebrew scripture, traditionally placed on the doorframe of a Jewish home or institution.

Rabbi Zippel and his wife, Esty, moved to Lehi in 2022 to launch Chabad of Utah County. The organization provides Jewish education and outreach programs to community members regardless of background or level of observance, according to its website.

Zippel grew up in Utah. His father, Rabbi Benny Zippel, established Chabad Lubavitch of Utah, the state's first Orthodox synagogue, more than 30 years ago, according to a 2023 Daily Herald profile.

The Chabad asks anyone who has received threats or witnessed similar incidents to contact Lehi City Police at (385) 201-1005.