Hanukah stabbings: five hurt in Monsey, New York state

An attacker has stabbed five people during Hanukah festivities at a rabbi’s home in New York state.

The Orthodox Jewish Public Affairs Council said an attacker wearing a scarf fled after stabbing the victims at a house in Monsey, Rockland county, about 30 miles north of New York City, on Saturday night.

All five victims were taken to hospital, the council said, and two were in critical condition with one of them stabbed at least six times. The local police chief, Brad Weidel, said New York City police officers later located a suspect and possible getaway vehicle connected with the stabbing.

Aron Kohn, 65, told the New York Times that he was inside the house when the stabbings occurred. “I was praying for my life,” said Kohn, 65. “He started attacking people right away as soon as he came in the door. We didn’t have time to react at all.”

The New York attorney general, Letitia James, said she was “deeply disturbed” by the situation in Monsey. “There is zero tolerance for acts of hate of any kind and we will continue to monitor this horrific situation.”

Reports said the attack took place at the rabbi’s house just before 10pm on Forshay Road in Monsey. Some accounts of the situation said the attacker set upon people with a machete or large knife.

The NYPD Counterterrorism Bureau said it was closely monitoring the situation and Jewish organisation the Anti-Defamation League of New York and New Jersey said it was sending someone to the scene. Monsey is about 30 miles north of New York City.

Jewish communities have been troubled following a deadly 10 December shooting rampage at a northern New Jersey kosher market. Six people died including the two killers, a police officer and three people who had been inside the store. The New Jersey attorney general, Gurbir Grewal, said the attack was driven by hatred of Jews and law enforcement.

The stabbings in Monsey also come on the heels of apparently antisemitic attacks reported throughout New York during Hanukah. Saturday was the seventh night of Hanukah. Around New York City, police have gotten eight reports since 13 December of attacks possibly motivated by hatred of Jews.

The New York state governor, Andrew Cuomo, called the stabbings a “cowardly act” and said he had directed the state police hate crimes taskforce to investigate. “Let me be clear: antisemitism and bigotry of any kind are repugnant to our values of inclusion and diversity and we have absolutely zero tolerance for such acts of hate.”

The attack occurred a month after a man was stabbed while walking to a Monsey synagogue. The man required surgery.