Man disrupts synagogue services in Manhattan, arrested for assault

A 46-year-old man was arrested on Friday night for allegedly assaulting a Jewish worshipper and a security member at Central Synagogue, a reform congregation in Manhattan, New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said in a statement.

Named Larry Montes, the suspect was charged with two counts of assault as a hate crime and one count of criminal mischief as a hate crime, among other charges, Tisch wrote on X.

“As synagogue security was escorting him [Montes] out, he struck a member of the congregation, damaged synagogue property, and then spit at and headbutted a member of the security team,” the commissioner relayed.

The injured were treated at the scene and no one was seriously hurt, she said, adding that an investigation into the incident is ongoing.

“I understand the sanctity of this space and its meaning for congregants,” Tisch continued. “Central Synagogue is where I grew up. In joy and in sorrow, it has always been a place of comfort and peace. What happened there tonight is deeply painful. A place of worship should never be a crime scene.”

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul described the attack as “appalling,” adding that Jews in her state have “every right to worship openly, proudly, and without fear.”

Israeli ambassador to the U.N. Danny Danon, in a Hebrew-language post, said the assault is “another chilling reminder” that antisemitism is not a phenomenon of the past but is happening “here and now, in the heart of New York.”

He moreover accused the anti-Israel mayor of New York City, Zohran Mamdani, of spreading hatred that results in these types of incidents.

Mamdani, meanwhile, tweeted he was “horrified” by the assault.

“I can only imagine the pain and fear an attack like this, during Shabbat services, causes for the congregation and for Jewish New Yorkers across our city,” he said.

He added that every New Yorker must be able to observe his or her religion “without fear of violence.”

Mamdani has called Israel an apartheid state that is committing genocide in Gaza—allegations disputed by the U.S., Israel and its allies. During last year’s mayoral campaign, Mamdani repeated and defended the slogan “Globalize the intifada,” before saying he would discourage it following a backlash.

Last month, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar blamed Mamdani for “creating the climate in which Jews are targeted” following the stabbing of two people, including one Jewish man, by an assailant who reportedly shouted “Allahu akbar.”

“Appalled but sadly not surprised,” Sa’ar wrote on X. “This violence did not happen in a vacuum. Months of incitement against the Jewish state from Mamdani have helped create a climate in which Jews are targeted.”

Following Mamdani’s recorded message on July 21 in which he said that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was unwelcome in the Big Apple, the leader of the Jewish state said, “No one will stop me from fighting for Israel’s truth,” referring to his expected attendance at the U.N. General Assembly’s annual debate in New York in September.

The New York mayor is “foisting hate and fear” among American Jews, the prime minister said on July 29.

Anti-Jewish hate crimes up 53.3% in NYC

Netanyahu accused Mamdani and his wife, Rama Duwaji, of “celebrating” the Hamas-led invasion and massacre in Israel’s south on Oct. 7, 2023.

City data released in the beginning of August showed that Jews were the targets of nearly 70% of all hate crimes in the Big Apple in the previous month, and anti-Jewish hate crimes were up 53.3% compared to the same period last year.

Jews make up about 10% of the city’s residents.

The New York City Police Department said that it recorded 33 “confirmed” hate crimes in the city last month, of which 23 targeted Jews (69.6%). In July 2025, there were 15 anti-Jewish hate crimes in the city, it said.