December 29, 2019 – Late last night, following the conclusion of a Hanukkah candle-lighting in a Chasidic rabbi’s home in Monsey, in upstate New York, a masked man entered the residence and stabbed five people with a machete. Those in attendance then began throwing tables and chairs to fend off the attacker who then ran to the adjacent synagogue where congregants had barricaded themselves inside.
| He fled the scene but was arrested in his car about two hours later. He now faces five counts of attempted murder and one count of burglary. Visiting the site of the attack, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is calling the rampage “an act of domestic terrorism.” This attack is preceded by a week of antisemitic attacks in New York including: a Jewish man being punched in the back of the head while another filmed the attack on Tuesday, a man wearing a yarmulke being punched in the face on Wednesday and a woman being hit in the head while walking with her son on Thursday. The verbal and physical attacks on Jews is increasingly distressing and, in the face of such hate, we must remember that we need to continue to work together, and with other communities, to fight antisemitism and stop such acts before they happen. In metropolitan Detroit, we at the JCRC/AJC continue our work expanding our Muslim Jewish Advisory Council and our Coalition for Black and Jewish Unity to foster positive relationships and partnerships against hate. Our friends in both communities have already reached out to us today and the Coalition will shortly be issuing a statement expressing our African American allies solidarity with us against such terrible acts of terror. Together, we must understand the importance of taking the strongest stand possible fighting hatred and showing zero tolerance towards it. For coverage on the attack, click on any of the following: AJC Statement Times of Israel CNN NBC News The Jerusalem Post |