- Title: Attacker stabs five at rabbi's home in New York
- Date: 29th December 2019
- Summary: MONSEY, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (DECEMBER 29, 2019) (REUTERS) ONLOOKERS GATHERED WITH POLICE VEHICLES IN DISTANCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) VILLAGE OF SPRING VALLEY TRUSTEE, ZACK CLERINA, SAYING: "First this is a terrible tragedy. We stand in solidarity with the Jewish community. This is the first time in my life, in my entire life, I've seen such an incident. And we just want to affirm an incident like that we will not tolerate. We're not going to tolerate, we're going to make sure we're working - the Village of Spring Valley is going to work with the police. We'll make sure we catch the perpetrator who committed such an act. And this community is a beautiful, peaceful community and I cannot have any other community to live by, this is a Jewish community, good people, we live together. We've never had that kind of an incident before. It's outrageous, I'm upset, I will defy anyone who wants to come into this town and commit this type of a crime to not come in anymore. This is not tolerated." GENERAL VIEW OF ONLOOKERS WITH POLICE CARS IN DISTANCE ONLOOKERS ON SCENE
- Embargoed: 12th January 2020 08:13
- Keywords: Hanukkah celebration Hasidic rabbi's home Rockland County
- Location: MONSEY, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES
- City: MONSEY, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES
- Country: USA
- Topics: Crime/Law/Justice
- Reuters ID: LVA001BC13B5Z
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: An attacker stabbed five people late on Saturday (December 28) at a Hasidic rabbi's home in New York state and fled before apparently being arrested, a Jewish organization said, a rampage that came after days of increased tension over anti-Semitic assaults.
The Orthodox Jewish Public Affairs Council (OJPAC) said on Twitter an attacker wearing a scarf stabbed the victims at a house in Monsey, Rockland County, about 30 miles north of New York City.
All five victims were taken to hospitals, the council said, adding that two of the victims were critical, with one of them stabbed at least six times.
Zack Clerina, an official with the local board of trustees, said that the incident was unprecedented.
"We've never had that kind of an incident before. It's outrageous, I'm upset, I will defy anyone who wants to come into this town and commit this type of a crime to not come in anymore. This is not tolerated," he said.
The police department confirmed that five people were stabbed and said that the investigation was going on. The department did not provide any more details.
An OJPAC official, Yossi Gestetner, told the New York Times the attack happened at around 10 p.m. (0300 GMT) during a Hanukkah celebration that was being attended by many dozens of people at the rabbi's home.
About a third of the population of Rockland County is Jewish, including a large enclave of Orthodox Jews who live in secluded communities.
New York Attorney General Letitia James said she was "deeply disturbed" by the events in Monsey.
"There is zero tolerance for acts of hate of any kind and we will continue to monitor this horrific situation," she said in a Twitter post.
New York City's police department said on Friday its officers were stepping up patrols in heavily Jewish neighborhoods following a spate of anti-Semitic attacks. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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