Overview
- A Bronx man, 46-year-old Larry Montes, ran into a Shabbat service at Central Synagogue, shouted antisemitic remarks and assaulted a congregant and a security guard one week ago, and police say no one was seriously injured.
- Montes has been charged in state court and was hit with federal hate-crime counts by prosecutors in Manhattan, with federal filings saying he faces up to 40 years in prison if convicted.
- NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch spoke at Central Synagogue and vowed the department will work directly with Jewish institutions, deploy counterterrorism and hate-crimes resources, and not leave congregations to rely on themselves.
- Religious and community leaders from multiple faiths attended services in a show of solidarity, and congregants described returning to worship as meaningful and reassuring despite trauma from the attack.
- Officials and news coverage point to a broader rise in antisemitic incidents in New York City this year, with reporting citing an 8.5% year-to-date increase and a sharp month-to-month jump in July that has driven calls for stepped-up protection.