Smashed Window at Brooklyn Synagogue Leads to Concerns About More Hate Crimes

 

By Tyler Pager

As the Sabbath entered the early morning hours on Saturday, about 15 people remained at the Chabad of Bushwick. Rabbi Menachem Heller, seated at the long dinner table, was talking to some of the congregants. His wife was feeding one of their children, as five others played in the storefront synagogue.

Then, around 2 a.m., the jubilant celebration was interrupted by a deafening sound.

Rabbi Heller grabbed his children and hid in a corner, unsure of what caused the noise. Then, he saw two faces peer through the broken storefront and scamper away. The glass window had been smashed, leaving a gaping hole.

The police said they were investigating the incident as a possible hate crime.

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Source: The New York Times

Statement by Governor Andrew Cuomo

"I am deeply disturbed by the apparent attack on the Chabad of Bushwick Synagogue, where a window was smashed during the Sabbath. This act of hate is shocking and abhorrent, especially at a time of great division in this country. I am directing the State Police Hate Crimes Unit to assist the NYPD in their investigation into this disgusting act. 

"In New York, there is no place for anti-Semitism or hate of any kind. We will always stand with the Jewish community and we will never forget that the most powerful four letter word is not hate, it's love." 

Source: The Office of Governor Andrew Cuomo