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Report: Multiple People Stabbed in Attack on NYC-Area Hanukkah Celebration

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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.”

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“We saw him pull a knife out of a case. It was about the size of a broomstick,” Kohn said.

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.

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.

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As noted by USA Today, the attack in Monsey comes after eight attacks on Jewish citizens in New York City over the past week.

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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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Jack Davis is a freelance writer who joined The Western Journal in July 2015 and chronicled the campaign that saw President Donald Trump elected. Since then, he has written extensively for The Western Journal on the Trump administration as well as foreign policy and military issues.
Jack Davis is a freelance writer who joined The Western Journal in July 2015 and chronicled the campaign that saw President Donald Trump elected. Since then, he has written extensively for The Western Journal on the Trump administration as well as foreign policy and military issues.
Jack can be reached at jackwritings1@gmail.com.
Location
New York City
Languages Spoken
English
Topics of Expertise
Politics, Foreign Policy, Military & Defense Issues




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