By Melanie Grayce West
The attack on a Jerusalem synagogue Tuesday rattled nerves in
Jewish communities across the U.S.--particularly in the New York
City area, where American ties to Israel run deep.
Political leaders and Jewish community leaders condemned the
attack, in which four people were killed during prayers by
Palestinians with butcher knives and a gun. A fifth victim, a
police officer, was also killed during the assault. Synagogues and
Jewish centers in the New York region stepped up their
security.
Protesters, many waving Israeli flags, gathered Tuesday
afternoon in the wintry cold outside the Palestinian mission to the
United Nations in New York to join in prayer and denounce the
attacks.
Asked for a reaction to the attacks, the Palestinian mission in
New York said in a Facebook message: "President Abbas made
statements condemning the acts at the synagogue and the killing of
innocent civilians on both sides and condemned attacks at places of
worship regardless of religion."
An Israeli official said three victims were rabbis who had
emigrated from the U.S. to Israel.
Among them was Rabbi Moshe Twersky, 59 years old, who served as
head of Yeshivas Toras Moshe, a school for English-speaking
students in Jerusalem. Raised in the Boston area, Rabbi Twersky
came from a family of distinguished religious thinkers. His
grandfather, Rabbi Joseph Soloveichik, was a Talmudic scholar and
leader of the modern Orthodox movement; his father, Isadore
Twersky, founded Harvard University's Center for Jewish Studies;
and his brother, Mayer Twersky, is a rabbi and professor at Yeshiva
University.
Rabbi Yosef Blau, a religious leader at Yeshiva University, said
he has known the Twersky family for decades and first met Rabbi
Moshe Twersky as a boy. He described the younger man as studious,
caring and quiet.
Others slain in the Jerusalem attack were identified by Israeli
authorities as Rabbi Aryeh Kupinsky, 43; Rabbi Kalman Ze'ev Levine,
55; Avraham Shmuel Goldberg, 68; and Zidan Saif, 30.
The New York Police Department said it would increase security
as it follows developments in the attack and works with a Federal
Bureau of Investigation Joint Terrorism Task Force. "As of now,
there is no specific credible threat to New York City," said Police
Commissioner William Bratton. "The NYPD has increased its attention
to synagogues and other symbolic locations around the city."
Sue Gold, executive director at Brooklyn Heights Synagogue, said
an expanded security detail would be on higher alert as police
patrol the synagogue's block, home to several temples. "This is not
the first occasion where we've had heightened security," said Serge
Lippe, the rabbi at the synagogue. "We're not interested in
disregarding what's going on in the world, but neither are we
interested in over-responding or creating unnecessary anxiety."
Across the New York region Tuesday, politicians and Jewish
organization leaders roundly condemned the attacks.
In a statement, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo called the killings a
"deplorable act of evil."
Eric Goldstein, chief executive of UJA-Federation of New York, a
Jewish philanthropic network, said, "The spilling of our people's
blood in synagogues is reminiscent of the darkest days in our
history."
In New Jersey,Democratic state Assemblyman Gary Schaer, an
Orthodox Jew, said his office had been flooded with calls from
local synagogue and Yeshiva leaders concerned about security. Mr.
Schaer said the rabbis killed in the attack were revered figures in
the Orthodox community. "We are a very identifiable community.
There is tremendous concern," said Mr. Schaer, who expected some
Jewish institutions to beef up security.
Rabbi Mendy Carlebach, director of the Chabad House, a Jewish
center at Rutgers University, said many Jewish parents and students
were concerned for their safety, and the facility was taking steps
to increase security. The dorm houses about 100 students and its
dining hall feeds kosher meals to about 300 people.
Rabbi Carlebach said he had been in touch with Department of
Homeland Security officials Tuesday and knew of no threats to New
Jersey-based Jewish institutions.
"People would normally feel safest in their place of worship.
It's a senseless killing," he said."Everyone is shaken up."
Yoni Bashan, Mike Vilensky, Lucette Lagnado and Heather Haddon
contributed to this article.
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