A vehicle repeatedly rammed into the Chabad Lubavitch World Headquarters in Brooklyn on Wednesday night, causing the Jewish staple to be evacuated.
Photo by Lloyd Mitchell
A driver repeatedly rammed his vehicle into the Chabad Lubavitch World Headquarters in Brooklyn on Wednesday night in an alleged, bizarre attempt to convert to Judaism, causing the house of worship to be evacuated.
Members of the Jewish community watched in horror in Crown Heights at 8:46 p.m. on Jan. 28 as the operator of a vehicle with New Jersey license plates repeatedly rammed into the doorway of 770 Eastern Pkwy. in Crown Heights.
As shown in video circulated on social media, the driver reversed and then accelerated the car forward repeatedly, sending the wooden front doors imploding inward.
“Call the police,” one person could be heard screaming in an online video.
After several minutes, the driver emerged from the vehicle and told a responding officer, “it slipped,” referring to his vehicle. He was then immediately taken into custody.
“A car just drove into the side doors of 770 at Chabad Headquarters. Baruch Hashem, there are no injuries. Witnesses report the driver yelled for people to move as he drove in. It appears intentional. The synagogue has been evacuated as a precaution. Please stay away from the area while authorities ensure there are no additional threats. Driver was arrested,” Yaacov Behrman, public relations at the Chabad Headquarters, wrote on X.
According to police sources, the NYPD Emergency Service Unit responded to the scene, evacuated the building, and swept the vehicle for weapons. The NYPD Bomb Squad was also called in as a precaution.
“The bomb squad has responded to the scene and conducted a full sweep of the vehicle. The car has been cleared, and no explosive devices were found. There are no reported injuries at this time. This incident is currently being investigated as a hate crime by the NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force,” Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said.
While the police say the incident is still officially under investigation, sources with knowledge of the situation report that the driver attempted to visit a synagogue in New Jersey in recent days with the aim of seeking help from faith leaders and possibly even converting to Judaism, but was turned away. They say the man allegedly had the same intention at the Chabad Headquarters and tried to force his way inside with his vehicle.
Police have set up a perimeter around the Chabad Lubavitch headquarters and asked the public to maintain a distance as they conduct an investigation.
“I am relieved that no one was injured in this horrifying incident. This is deeply alarming, especially given the deep meaning in the history of the institution to so many in New York and around the world,” Mayor Zohran Mamdani said. “Any threat to a Jewish institution or place of worship must be taken seriously. Antisemitism has no place in our city.”
The headquarters serves as the central hub of the worldwide Chabad Lubavitch Hasidic movement — housing its synagogue, offices, and study halls. An iconic site in Judaism, the building has served as the spiritual and administrative center for thousands of Chabad institutions worldwide since 1940.
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