New Yorkers are reacting after a man repeatedly tried to ram a car through Chabad Lubavitch World Headquarters in Brooklyn Wednesday night — an act the NYPD is investigating as a possible antisemitic hate crime.
Thousands of people were gathered at the site when the suspect, who has not yet been identified, intentionally and repeatedly drove a car into the main entrance of the Crown Heights building on the night of Jan. 28.
No one was killed or hurt, but the community was left in shock and outrage.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani called the incident “deeply alarming,” especially given the institution’s prominence within the Jewish community and alluded to it being an act of antisemitism.
“Any threat to a Jewish institution or place of worship must be taken seriously,” the mayor said during a late-night press conference. “Antisemitism has no place in our city, and violence or intimidation against Jewish New Yorkers is unacceptable.”
The scene of the crime remained cordoned off with yellow tape, as the NYPD boosted its presence at houses of worship throughout the city following the incident. The perpetrator was arrested at the scene. An NYPD detail had been assigned to the front of the building, which is located at 770 Eastern Pkwy., before the crash.
The incident took place just a day after International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Rabbi Marc Schneier, president of the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding, had just penned a letter in the Daily News on Jan. 27 that highlights the importance of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) definition of antisemitism, which the city had adopted via an executive order signed by then-Mayor Eric Adams last year that was among a number of executive orders Mayor Mamdani voided upon taking office.
According to multiple sources, the suspect had visited other synagogues recently with the possibility of converting to Judaism, but was turned away.
amNewYork contacted the Chabad Lubavitch headquarters for comment on the case and is awaiting a response. Video of the shocking incident continued to circulate online Thursday.
Meanwhile, in addition to the mayor, other city and state politicians are reacting with outrage and concern a day after the incident.
City Council Speaker Julie Menin called the crash a “horrifying incident” and has been in touch with the NYPD.
U.S. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, who was raised in Crown Heights, said the perpetrator “must be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.”
“Antisemitism has no place in our nation or throughout the world,” he said. “We can never allow this poison to be normalized and must stand shoulder to shoulder with our Jewish brothers and sisters to crush it.”
Ofir Akunis, the Consul General of Israel in New York, described the car-ramming as the “new reality” for Jewish New Yorkers. He highlighted the increase in antisemitic attacks targeting Jewish houses of worship.
“We are seeing one antisemitic attack followed by the next on houses of worship, targeting Jews simply because they are Jewish,” Akunis said.
In November, hundreds of protestors gathered outside the historic Park East Synagogue in Manhattan, rallying against a Jewish immigration organization’s event inside the house of worship. Videos showed the demonstrators chanting antisemitic rhetoric.”
“The attacks are only intensifying in New York, and the response requires more than a statement. We warned that changing the definition of antisemitism and lifting the ban on boycott initiatives against Israel could lead to an increase in attacks, and regrettably, that is what is happening,” Akunis said
The Anti-Defamation League of New York/New Jersey said in a statement that the incident is “deeply disturbing.” Leadership from the organization said it is in touch with the NYPD.
“This building is not only a synagogue, but also the worldwide Chabad Headquarters and a beloved symbol of Judaism around the world,” the statement read. “ADL is in touch with law enforcement and local partners on the ground.”
Madison Mounty, director of government relations and advocacy at the Simon Wiesenthal Center, told amNewYork that the crash is a “warning,” meant to break a sense of safety.
“It tells us that even our most sacred spaces are not off limits,” she said. “The attack at Chabad Lubavitch World Headquarters shows us that antisemitism comes right to the heart of Jewish life. It targets the places where we gather, celebrate, and hope to feel safe.”
She added that communities feel the impact when a synagogue is attacked.
“We are grateful that no one was physically hurt,” Mounty said. “But just because no one is hurt does not mean there is no wound. When a synagogue is attacked, it is not just a building. The whole community feels the impact. This moment demands more than concern. It calls for the urgency that history has taught us we need.”
Meanwhile, the investigation into the crash by the NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force remains ongoing, including details on motive and the suspect’s mental state at the time of the incident.
