Man held in attack on rabbi’s NY party
Officials offer support for Jewish community
A witness gave police a license plate number Saturday night, allowing them to capture a suspect now charged in an attack at a New York rabbi’s Hanukkah celebration.
Grafton Thomas, 37, is accused of attempted murder and burglary. His bail was set at $5 million.
The knife attack left five people wounded, including the rabbi’s son. Officials were quick to condemn the stabbing and express support for the Jewish community.
It was the latest act of violence directed at Jewish people in the Greater New York area: At least eight have been reported in the past week, and three people died in a shooting spree at a Jersey City kosher market earlier this month.
MONSEY, N.Y. – One person was in critical condition Sunday after a knifewielding attacker stabbed five people during a Hanukkah party in a rabbi’s home Saturday night, the latest in a string of assaults apparently targeting Jews in the region.
Grafton Thomas, 37, was ordered held in lieu of $5 million bail after pleading not guilty to five counts of attempted murder and one count of burglary. He was to return for a hearing Friday.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo called the attack “an act of domestic terrorism” and directed the State Police hate crimes task force to investigate. He said the incident was at least the 13th of anti-Semitism in the state in the past few weeks.
“This is intolerance meets ignorance meets illegality,” Cuomo said. “This is an intolerant time in this country. We see anger and we see hatred exploding. It is an American cancer in the body politic.”
State Attorney General Letitia James said she is “deeply disturbed” by the attack. There is zero tolerance for acts of hate of any kind and we will continue to monitor this horrific situation,” James tweeted. “I stand with the Jewish community.”
The attack took place in the home of Rabbi Chaim Rottenberg, who heads Congregation Netzach Yisroel next door. Police said officers received reports of a stabbing just before 10 p.m., and witsuspect’s nesses described the weapon as a large knife or machete.
Thomas, wearing a shaggy beard and dressed in white prison garb with his hands cuffed behind him, did not speak during the arraignment. His lawyer, Christine Ciganik, entered the plea on his behalf.
Cuomo, who said he visited the rabbi Sunday morning, said Rottenberg’s son was among those wounded and that another person was in critical condition with head wounds.
A video posted by Monsey News on Twitter shows a massive response on Forshay Road as paramedics rushed stretchers to ambulances. Forshay Road is a predominantly ultra-Orthodox Jewish neighborhood.
Ramapo (N.Y.) Police Chief Brad Weidel said a witness gave police the fleeing license plate number; the vehicle was located when it entered New York City.
At least eight attacks have been reported in New York City over the past week, and three people were killed in a shooting rampage at a Jersey City kosher market earlier this month.
Monsey was also the scene of an attack on Nov. 20 when a 30-year-old rabbi was stabbed on his way to a Howard Drive synagogue just before dawn.
The Anti-Defamation League reported “near historic” levels of antiSemitic activity nationwide in 2018. CEO Jonathan Greenblatt said his group is “saddened, disturbed and outraged” by the Monsey and other recent attacks. He called for aggressive investigation and prosecution.