Report: Multiple People Stabbed in Attack on NYC-Area Hanukkah Celebration
Five people were stabbed Saturday night at the home of a rabbi during a celebration of the seventh night of Hanukkah.
The attack took place in Monsey, New York, a small community in Rockland County about 35 miles north of New York City.
Yossi Gestetner, co-founder of Orthodox Jewish Public Affairs Council for the Hudson Valley Region, said two of the wounded were in critical condition, according to CNN. Other reports said one of the victims was in serious condition.
A suspect was later arrested in Harlem, police said, according to NBC. No motive for the attack was disclosed.
“I was praying for my life,” said witness Aron Kohn, 65, said, according to The New York Times. “He started attacking people right away as soon as he came in the door. We didn’t have time to react at all.”
“We saw him pull a knife out of a case. It was about the size of a broomstick,” Kohn said.
*BREAKING NOW* Multiple people stabbed inside Rabbi Rottenberg Shul in Forshay (Monsey). Reports a black man armed with a knife began stabbing people.
Credit – Monsey News. pic.twitter.com/butbeZmSYf
— Mike Cernovich (@Cernovich) December 29, 2019
Kohn said at least 100 people were in the house at the time of the attack and that the rabbi was “lighting the candle” when the violence started.
Ramapo Police Chief Brad Weidel said the attack took place at about 10 p.m. He said the suspect was described as a tall black male.
A masked man interrupted a Hanukkah celebration at the home of Rabbi Chaim L. Rottenberg, stabbing five people on Saturday. All the victims were taken to the hospital and at least one is “seriously hurt.” @KathyParkNBC has more. pic.twitter.com/nqChyv5Elm
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) December 29, 2019
The website Chabad.org, which calls itself the “website of the Chabad-Lubavitch Hasidic movement,” reported that the incident took place in the home of Rabbi Chaim L. Rottenberg.
It reported that the attack “took place after Rottenberg had kindled the menorah on the seventh night of the holiday in the presence of family and community members. As those gathered began to leave and make their way to the synagogue next door, witnesses say the attacker calmly walked in, drew his weapon, and stated that ‘no one is going anywhere.’ He then began swinging the knife wildly at people in the room.”
The report said one man threw items at the attacker and chased him out of the house.
New York stabbing is the latest incident in a string of anti-Semitic attacks that took place over Hanukkah https://t.co/drAjCN8PQP pic.twitter.com/mviVzNO8oX
— Haaretz.com (@haaretzcom) December 29, 2019
As noted by USA Today, the attack in Monsey comes after eight attacks on Jewish citizens in New York City over the past week.
Earlier this month, three people were killed in a Jersey City, New Jersey, kosher market. On Nov. 20, in Monsey, a 30-year-old rabbi was stabbed.
Moses Kahan, an Orthodox Jewish community activist, said the climate of hate against Jews has been building, according to USA Today.
“The hate, negativity and lies targeting Orthodox Jews is part of the problem, as is anti-Semitism in general,” he said.
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