‘Mass Stabbing’ At Jewish Hannukah Celebration In New York, At Least 5 Injured

At least 5 people have been stabbed after a black male entered Rabbi Rottenburg’s Shul, located in the Forshay neighborhood in Monsey, New York, and pulled out a machete.

Notably, today is the last day of Hannukah.

As VosIzNeias.com reports, the alleged assailant pulled off the cover and stabbed at least 5 people. One of the victims was stabbed in the chest. Two of the victims of the attack were taken into hospital as critical.

One of the victims was stabbed at least 6 times.

The fifth/least severe case had a cut in his hand.

The perpetrator then ran out and escaped in a vehicle. His plates were spotted before he left (HPT-5757 per the person who saw it and we confirmed it with him directly – a Gray Nissan Sentra), and the police are currently searching for him.

Videos of the stabbing attack began disseminating on social media.

Horrifying!!! #nycstabbing pic.twitter.com/wI7ejhhMJE

— Mark Kennedy ?? (@RealMarkKennedy) December 29, 2019

Up close. #NYCStabbing pic.twitter.com/i1UZbO5VwK

— Mark Kennedy ?? (@RealMarkKennedy) December 29, 2019

Motti Seligson, director of media for Chabad.org, told The Jerusalem Post that the congregants, Hassidim, were gathered for a Hanukkah party and confirmed the preliminary details of the event.

Video from the scene of the stabbings at a synagogue in Monsey where Chassidim were gathered for a Hanukkah celebration. pic.twitter.com/wQhWp9SrdA

— Motti Seligson (@mottiseligson) December 29, 2019

Video from the scene pic.twitter.com/anPwVW1Jhv

— Jacob Kornbluh (@jacobkornbluh) December 29, 2019

The Orthodox Jewish Public Affairs Council said five people, all Hasidic, were transported to local hospitals with stab wounds. 

At 9:50 this eve, a call came in about a mass stabbing at 47 Forshay Road in Monsey (Rockland County; 30 miles North of NYC). It’s the house of a Hasidic Rabbi. 5 patients with stab wounds, all Hasidic, were transported to local hospitals.

— OJPAC Hudson Valley (@OJPACHV) December 29, 2019

OJPAC also noted that “the perp’s face was partially covered with a scarf but skin showed him to be an African American.”

New York Attorney General Letitia James tweeted support for the Jewish community shortly after the reported attack.

“There is zero tolerance for acts of hate of any kind and we will continue to monitor this horrific situation,” the tweet read in part.

“We are closely monitoring the reports of multiple people stabbed at a synagogue in Monsey, NY (Rockland County),” a representative of the New York City Police Department Counterterrorism Bureau tweeted.

Hatzalah emergency response team is on scene and victims have been transferred to the hospital.

One of five (total number is developing) reported stabbing victims tonight after a man brought a knife into a rabbi’s house during an anti-Semitic attack https://t.co/vQ5mgLdKZM pic.twitter.com/A3QazlqEBN

— Mike Cernovich (@Cernovich) December 29, 2019

As JPost.com notes, this is the second stabbing attack in Monsey in the last two months.

In November, a man jumped out of his car in stabbed a father on his way to synagogue, gauging his eye.

In the last week, a spate of antisemitic crimes has swept the city.