Rabbi Stabbed Outside Shaloh House Jewish School In Brighton, Suspect In Custody
BOSTON (CBS) – A rabbi is recovering after he was stabbed eight times outside a Jewish school in Brighton Thursday afternoon.
Boston Police were called to Shaloh House on Chestnut Hill Avenue around 1 p.m. after Rabbi Shlomo Noginski was attacked by a man outside. Noginski was rushed to Boston Medical Center with what police described as non-life threatening injuries. He was released overnight.
The rabbi, who is Russian-born and in his 50's, is a father of 12 children.
"I am grateful to the Boston Police Department for their rapid response, and relieved that the perpetrator is in custody. I am looking forward to returning to my work as soon as possible," said Rabbi Noginski from his hospital bed.
Police arrested 24-year-old Khaled Awad in connection to the stabbing. WBZ-TV I-Team sources said he was armed with a gun and a knife.
"The attacker came to him and pointed a gun at him, and said, 'Open your car.' [Rabbi Noginski] gave him the key and said, 'Here's the key'. And he said 'No, you open the car.'" said Dan Rodkin, Executive Director of the Shaloh House.
The crime scene extended across Chestnut Hill Avenue, from where the two struggled by the van to the park where the rabbi ran to get away. Awad was quickly arrested by police.
He was arraigned in Brighton District Court on assault and battery charges Friday. Police are still investigating the motive behind the attack.
The Shaloh House was put in lockdown after the stabbing. Staff and children were there for a summer camp program, but Rodkin said none were in danger.
Security will be increased at Shaloh House throughout the remainder of the summer, Rodkin added.
"A Jewish saying says, 'A little bit of light pushes away a lot of darkness. Good has much more power than evil,'" said Rodkin about the incident.
One woman who was walking in the area said her "heart sank" when she heard what had happened.
"Jewish education is important to us, but I also don't want to have a target on our backs. And I'm scared. As a mom, I'm very scared," she said.
Anti-Defamation League responds to Brighton stabbing
Robert Trestan of the Anti-Defamation League said that while the motive for the attack is not yet known, it still sends fear through the Jewish community.
"It sends a bit of a shockwave through the Jewish community," Trestan said. "This occurred in a community where many Orthodox Jews live, worship and study. At a time when anti-Semitism is on the rise across the country, and we learn and hear about other people who are Jewish who are attacked in new York and Los Angeles in the last 4-6 weeks, this sends a message of fear through the community."
The Jewish community gathered for a vigil on Friday morning at the park where the stabbing took place.
A GoFundMe page has been created for Rabbi Noginski to help pay for his medical bills and personal bills.