By Yochonon Donn – Hamodia
Two explosive devices went off within seconds of each other outside the homes of two Chabad rabbis in Rockland County Tuesday night, and the chairman of the county’s legislature is blaming a “climate of hate” fostered by the county executive.
The first incident occurred at about 10:15 p.m. at the home of Rabbi Simcha Morganstern, an associate rabbi at the Chabad of Rockland in New City. There were about 15 adults and children gathered for a birthday farbrengen when an incendiary device exploded under the gas tank of a car parked outside.
Rabbi Avremel Kotlarsky, who heads the Chabad center, told Hamodia that they were just about to daven Maariv when the explosion was heard. A few seconds later, a similar attack took place a block away at his own home.
“I got a phone call from my house, ‘do you know what’s happening here? A tree is on fire,’” Rabbi Kotlarsky said. “My 16-year-old daughter had been looking out the window when she saw three or four teenagers running. She saw one of them throw something.”
A bush near the house had been set ablaze.
The New City Fire Department responded and put out the fires. Clarkstown’s police department is investigating.
“It’s obviously premeditated,” said Rabbi Kotlarsky, who founded the Chabad center 33 years ago. “It was not just one rabbi, it was two. It was clear that we were targeted.”
He said that the Anti-Defamation League and the Jewish Community Relations Council have called him to find out if there is anti-Semitism involved.
Rockland County has seen an uptick in anti-Semitic rhetoric since the election three years ago of County Executive Ed Day. While Rabbi Kotlarksy says that he has known Day personally for many years, a chilling atmosphere has enveloped the neighborhood recently. Day has accused the Orthodox community of a litany of offenses, including unsafe schools. The state inspected the yeshivos a few months ago and found his accusations to have no merit.
“A day doesn’t go by without the Journal News or some other site out with a negative story on the Jewish community,” Rabbi Kotlarsky says. “It’s not uncommon for people in our shul to get catcalls, people honk their horns — not only at us, at anyone wearing a yarmulke.”
Rockland County Legislature Chairman Alden Wolfe condemned the acts of violence, blaming heated rhetoric on the presidential trail and locally by Day.
“The climate of hate that has been created on both the national stage and here in Rockland is unacceptable,” Wolfe said. “Words have consequences. A climate of hate has consequences.”
Wolfe, a Democrat from Montebello, warned Wednesday that, “legitimate policy issues are continually being mixed in with anti-Semitic rhetoric. I’ve been saying for months that such words eventually turn into hateful, violent actions.”
“Elected officials should examine their own behaviors and take the appropriate steps to squash the use of hateful language and to quell any hateful and potentially deadly behavior,” Wolfe said.
No love lost between the secular Jews and ultra Othodox. Not anitsemitism. More annoyance and mistrust. Don’t have to like everybody.
WE are the ones who need to take action. Do teshuva! There are myriad and infinite ways of doing so. Don’t be immature souls who do whatever you feel like. There is a Torah whose mission is to bring peace–but it’s not a dry scroll, it has to be LIVED!
To all that are surprised, dont be. There isnt a big media outcry because when the victims are amongst us Yidden, the media and world dont feel the need for an outcry. Same goes with terror in Israel which is taken as a norm and even gets Israel blamed for it, with the contrary being a terror attack anywhere else in the world or Europe, in which these hypocrites outcry as if there is no tomorrow.
כשהן שמחין אין אומה שמחה עמהם
Chabad is a well organized global organization with many political/powerful contacts. Where’s the outcry? We blame the world for remaining silent, but some shluchim as a whole have a very influential voice in the secular world.
Speak up and stand up for one of your own!
Demand change, I’ve seen enough back door dealings in my time to know that this Day character can be properly dealt with through the right channels
Rabbi Kotlarsky runs a school for grades 1-8. I pray that some nut doesn’t target the students. Hope he has an armed guard on patrol during the school year.
Where is the grand corporate Chabad leadership??
What’s the point of being an ‘official’ Chabad representative if no one has your back???
This is downright scary
I was shocked and saddened when I read this article, and especially to see that the Morgenstern’s had been targeted. They are such a wonderful family, BH, and are still very much missed in Overland Park, KS. Moschiach now!
It was posted on Yeshiva world today.
CHJCC -program GYMNASTICS. ACROBATICS. SELF-DEFENCE CLASS for BOYS 5-9 years – at 4.15, 10-15 years- at 5.15. 718 288 2947 YEHOSHUA TUBIS. FACE BOOK—- BITACHON frum defence . e-mail [email protected] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABoR39RDgYg 899Montgomery
New City is town that is very close to Monsey area and New Square. The County Exec. is clearly an anti-semite. New City is home to a very very large population of secular Jews most of whom are even the ones that are self hating and anti-semetic routinely crying out against the frum community and writing hate messages all over Facebook along with goyim of course. There’s a lot of potential in New City, a lot of work to been done for shlichus, but something needs to be done here enough is enough. It’s a dangerous climate in New City.
Wake up call! Day and the rest know well the effect of their words and what they are doing. Reminiscent of 1992 CH. It’s no coincidence it’s in the 9 days.
Hashem should have mercy and watch over us!
Have rachmonus and bring us Moshiach!
“The climate of hate that has been created on both the national stage and here in Rockland is unacceptable,” Wolfe said.
That’s a backdoor way to blame Trump. It’s important to focus on the local problem and not let this turn into a political football.
Since the Shluchim are obvious targets, the FBI should be called in.
2 explosions on Tuesday. No arrests. No action taken against them county executive’s incitement. No comment from the media. Nothing even on Yeshiva World yet. Wow looks like you can get away with anything these days.
BS”D
2 places at the same time by 2 Rabbis-pure coincidence
I live in Monsey. We have a County Executive named Ed Day who remains silent when Facebook groups run by residents of the county spew hate towards the Orthodox Jewish community. He also doesn’t waste a moment going after us as well. Just look at his Facebook page…scroll down… Look at the comments that are made on HIS own page. ENOUGH!!!!