Hanukkah Stabbing at Rabbi's Home in Monsey, NY

Yesterday evening during a Hanukkah celebration, a man with a knife attacked the home of Rabbi Chaim Leibish Rottenberg in Monsey, New York and stabbed five people. We join with the entire Jewish community in expressing outrage at this attack, which is part of a growing epidemic of anti-Semitic violence. It is incomprehensible to think that we are not safe in a home, a supermarket, or a sanctuary for prayer. It is unacceptable.

The Jewish Federation of Greater New Haven condemns this anti-Semitic attack in the strongest possible terms. Addressing this scourge must be the highest priority of government officials and communal organizations. In Monsey, elected officials have already made commitments to redouble efforts to patrol neighborhoods and reinforce its police presence.

Here in Connecticut, Governor Lamont has been in touch with his New York counterparts and assures us that he is taking proper precautions. He reminds us that there is no known threat to the Jewish community in Connecticut at this time. We thank the Governor and we thank Woodbridge Police and the State Police for their vigilance as they work to keep our local community safe. Their increased presence today at our community campus during our family Hanukkah celebration is appreciated.

Our Federation will continue to closely monitor this situation as well as continue to keep security of the Jewish community as a high priority. We join with our colleagues across North America who have been working hard to secure their local communities, raising the funds needed to build comprehensive community security initiatives.

You may notice some of these changes as you visit local institutions. Please be patient and understand that changes to access points and requests for identification are designed with your safety in mind. We must all work together to keep the community safe. If you see something that is odd or out of place or just raises concern, please say something.

We will remain in close contact with our partners at Secure Community Network, ADL, local and state law enforcement, JFACT and others while we continue to monitor the situation. The man who was apprehended last night is being held on $5,000,000 bail. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, called the attack an act of domestic terrorism. “These are domestic terrorists. They are trying to inflict fear. They are motivated by hate,” he said. He also stated that he would propose a domestic terrorism law this January during his state of the state address.

We wish our community a safe and secure continuation of Hanukkah celebrations. Let us take inspiration from our ancestors who overcame the violent hatred of our people that desecrated the holy Temple and found the strength to celebrate the miracles that followed.

Chag urim sameach and happy New Year,

Judy Alperin
CEO

Jeffrey Hoos
President

News Items

• 5 Wounded in Stabbing at Rabbi's Home in NY Suburb, New York Times, Dec 28, 2019

• Jews Are Going Underground, The Atlantic, Dec 29, 2019

• New York Rabbi Whose Home was Scene of Machete Attack Speaks Out: 'We Will Forge Forward in Faith", Fox News, Dec 29, 2019

• Suspect in Hanukkah Celebration Stabbings Arrested in New York City with 'blood all over him' source says, CNN, Dec 29, 2019

• Guardian Angels to patrol Jewish neighborhoods in New York City after recent attacks, NBC, Dec 29, 2019

• US Jews need more funds to protect themselves- American security leader, Jerusalem Times, Dec 30, 2019

• Hanukkah stabbing suspect charged with hate crime; prosecutors cite his journals, Washington Post, Dec 30, 2019

• Mulitple People Stabbed At New York City Area Synagogue,The Forward, Dec 30, 2019

• It's Not The Jews' Job To Figure Out How To Stop Anti-Semitism. It's Yours, The Forward (Op-Ed), Dec 30, 2019

• Should American Jews Stop Tryint to Defeat Antisemitism, The Times of Israel (Op-Ed), Dec 30, 2019

• Should American Jews Stop Tryint to Defeat Antisemitism, CT Insider, Dec 31, 2019

• Unpacking the origins of violent anti-Semitism, CT Post, Dec 31, 2019

• Connecticut's Jewish Community Reacts to Hanukkah Attack, NBC CT, Dec 30, 2019

• Security discussion planned at Jewish center in Connecticut, security discussion planned at Jewish center in Connecticut, The Associated Press, Jan 1, 2020

Statements:

ADL

“It is time for leaders everywhere, Jewish and non-Jewish, to recognize that additional actions to protect the Jewish community are urgent. The Jewish community is under assault.  All of America must hear our cry. These heinous attacks make something abundantly clear: the Jewish community needs greater protection, and we are committed to stepping up and working together to do so."

Muslim Coalition of Connecticut

The Muslim Coalition of Connecticut strongly condemns the vicious attack on our Jewish brothers and sisters celebrating the seventh day of Hanukkah in the home of a Monsey, New York rabbi on Saturday. We stand in support and solidarity with our Jewish brothers and sisters in the face of this senseless act of hatred. We call on all people to stand together to oppose violence against any group of people.  The freedom to celebrate a religious holiday in safety must be protected from fear, intimidation, and violent acts. All of us have a stake in this, no matter the faith tradition.

American Jewish Committee

"We condemn in the strongest possible terms the antisemitic attack in a rabbi's home in Monsey, New York, during the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah. We pray for the full recovery of those wounded by the assailant, who was reportedly carrying a machete. And we thank law enforcement for its swift response and the later arrest of the alleged suspect in New York City. We are witnessing a full-fledged epidemic of antisemitic attacks in the New York region. In the last week alone, there has been at least one each day. What we need is a sustained, get-tough, zero-tolerance policy by local and state officials. And that policy must take equally seriously each incident, whatever its source might be. Antisemitism is antisemitism."

Congresswoman Rosa Delauro 

The recent rise in anti-Semitic attacks in America is profoundly disturbing. No one should ever have to fear for their lives in their communities—especially for exercising their religious beliefs. Anti-Semitism in every form must be confronted, condemned, and combatted by public servants, community leaders, and people of good faith. As hatred and intolerance continues to drive our national conversation, we all have a moral obligation to speak up and take action

Governor Lamont

“Acts of anti-Semitism have no place anywhere in our society. Tragically, these attacks occur all over our country and around the world—and are becoming increasingly all too common. This must stop. We must come together across religions, political affiliations, denominations, and states to put an end to these attacks and ensure all feel welcome in our communities.”