They were taken to nearby hospitals, police said.
One witness, Aron Kohn, told reporters he saw the suspect coming into the rabbi’s home and pulling out a knife from a case — which was “almost like a broomstick” in size, he said.
“He said something but I couldn’t hear what he said,” Kohn said, adding there were at least 100 people in the home and the “rabbi was lighting the candle” on the seventh night of Hanukkah.
Officials are still working an active crime scene, Ramapo Police Chief Brad Weidel said in a news conference.
He said a suspect, described as a tall black man, was apprehended by police.
Hate Crime Task Force investigating
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the stabbing was “the latest in a string of attacks against members of the Jewish community in New York this week.”
“Let me be clear: anti-Semitism and bigotry of any kind are repugnant to our values of inclusion and diversity and we have absolutely zero tolerance for such acts of hate,” the governor said in a statement.
He directed the state’s Hate Crime Task Force to investigate the incident. The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) of New York also said they were heading to the scene to learn more and coordinate with law enforcement.
New York Attorney General Letitia James said there was “zero tolerance for acts of hate of any kind and we will continue to monitor this horrific situation.”
“I stand with the Jewish community tonight and every night,” James said in a tweet.
In a statement to CNN, Israel’s President Reuven (Ruvi) Rivlin expressed being “shocked and outraged” by the stabbing.
“We are praying for the rapid recovery of those injured. The rise of anti-Semitism is not just a Jewish problem, and certainly not just the State of Israel’s problem. We must work together to confront this evil, which is raising its head again and is a genuine threat around the world,” the statement said.
‘We cannot overstate the fear people are feeling’
Police will increase visits to houses of worship and ‘other critical areas in the community,” he said.
After Saturday’s stabbing, the mayor said “many Jewish families in our city have close ties to Monsey. We cannot overstate the fear people are feeling right now.”
The ADL’s CEO Jonathan Greenblatt said it was “heart-wrenching to see the holiday of Hanukkah violated yet again” following last week’s “hateful assaults.”
“Whether worshiping in synagogue, shopping in the supermarket or celebrating at home, Jews should be safe from violence. We need authorities to provide increased protection NOW and ensure that the full force of the law is brought down on those who perpetrate such horrific crimes,” Greenblatt said.
CNN’s Oren Liebermann and Artemis Moshtaghian contributed to this report.
Source : Nbcnewyork