He Had a Gun to His Head – And Survived

By COLlive reporter

Rabbi Zalman Spitetzky, 36, a teacher in the Chabad Cheder on Baltimore and Director of Chabad on Call of Greater Baltimore which caters to Jewish patients and medical staff of local hospitals, was the one who had a gun pointed at his head this past Shabbos.

As reported on COLlive.com, the men entered the Khal Chassidim shul in Baltimore this past Friday night and threatened his life while attempting to rob him.

Spitetzky spoke with the Israeli website ch10.co.il about his harrowing experience:

What happened?

It was after davening. I stayed behind to learn since it was between the hours 6 and 7 PM when I couldn’t make kiddush (according to Chabad custom). Most of the congregants went home and I was left there with one more person.

And then what happened?

I raised my eyes from the sefer and saw a black man pointing his gun at me. He didn’t say a word… He stood a meter and a half away from me. I thought that if he does not ask for money, and is just staring at me, then he will pull the trigger any second.

I thought about the attacks in Jersey City and Monsey. I thought he might be here to kill…

Because he didn’t ask for money?

Correct. I thought that either I remain seated and get killed or I fight for my life…

I jumped out of my chair and tackled him with all my might. I assume he got scared. Most probably, he wasn’t expecting such a reaction.

In retrospect, I don’t think he came to the shul to kill and was shocked to see me in the shul. The whole shul was empty and I was behind the mechitza, near the women’s section, so when he went there, he suddenly saw me. Either way, he ran away and his friend who was waiting for him outside ran with him.

The other Jew in the shul didn’t get involved?

No. All this happened in seconds. After the thief ran off, the other Jew came over to me running and we both went outside. There’s a complex there where some 40 members of the kollel of Khal Chassidim live. We went into a home and they called the police and Shomrim.

Spitetzky said that the police took his statement, but that the thieves have yet to be caught. The next morning, he recited the blessing of Hagomel for the miracle he experienced.

“There are miracles even in 5780,” he says. “A friend told me that after he watched the surveillance footage, you see them running with the gun in their hand, as it says, ‘Then all the peoples of the earth will see that the name of G-d is called upon you, and they will fear you.'”