Update (1:07 p.m.): All stolen items, including the Star of David pendant, were returned overnight inside a backpack left outside the fraternity house, according to an updated incident report. Cash stolen during the break-in was not included with the returned items. Search for a suspect is still underway and the investigation is ongoing.
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A University of Wisconsin student’s Star of David pendant, a family heirloom that survived the Holocaust, was one of several items stolen during a burglary at a fraternity house in the 600 block of North Henry Street early Wednesday morning.
At approximately 3:07 a.m., the suspect gained entry to two rooms in the fraternity house.
Madison Police Department spokesperson Joel DeSpain said the pendant, featuring the Star of David with the Hebrew letter Shin on a gold necklace, was worth more than money to the student.
“It’s a family heirloom,” DeSpain said. “It’s priceless.”
Martin Weiss, 20, a junior at the University of Wisconsin, is the owner of the pendant. It was passed down through several generation and he received it on his Bar Mitzvah, he said.
Weiss said he’s worn it almost every day since then and it just so happens the one day he didn’t, it got stolen.
“I’m deeply saddened that I was a victim of this crime,” Weiss said. “It just happens to be more unfortunate that the artifact or pendant necklace in question was so valuable to me, as it was a tangible reminder of my family, my people’s history, the hard times we’ve been through, and that’s the thing. It’s more of a symbol of perseverance.”
According to a police report, the suspect also took electronic devices and money from the house.
Police released surveillance photos of a person of interest in the burglary.
“We’re asking anyone who can identify that person to call (Madison Area) Crime Stoppers,” DeSpain said.
Those with information can submit a tip to Crime Stoppers by calling (608) 266-6014 or texting “DANE” plus a message to 274637.