WILLIAMSBURG – Video footage that emerged this morning from Williamsburg was more than a little shocking, both in the way that an unnamed suspect spent nearly a full minute checking out dozens of talleisim before attempting to steal one, and also witnessing how the shul in question was completely open to the general public.
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Surveillance footage obtained from Khal Yetev Lev D’Satmar on Clymber Street show an unnamed man entering the shul shortly before 8:30 on the morning of November 26th.
Dressed in a black sweatshirt, black pants and white sneakers with purple trim, the bare-headed man with the closely cropped certainly should have caught the attention of those lingering in the foyer area of the unlocked shul.
Video shows the man surveying the cubbies, removing a tallis bag and holding it in his hands, as he paced back in forth for several seconds. Even as he seemingly weighed the bag in his hands (possibly trying to discreetly verify its contents?) members continued exiting through the shul’s unlocked doors for 30 seconds, with few even giving him a second glance.
It was only after a white-bearded shul member confronted the outsider that things began to escalate. A scuffle ensued and as the man fled the scene, multiple shul members chased after him.
According to Williamsburg News, the NYPD arrested the man with Shomrim’s assistance a short distance away at Driggs Avenue South and South 9th Street for stealing religious items.
Video of the arrest shows two officers struggling to restrain the suspect, with one pulling out a Taser gun, and while the footage has no audio, the officer can clearly be seen admonishing the suspect.
A Shomrim member who had been holding the stolen tallis bag stepping in to assist, as did another NYPD officer, and the suspect, described by sources as 45 years old, was finally placed in handcuffs.
While of course every Jew should be welcome in every synagogue no matter how they are dressed, in this day and age, having even a simple combination lock on a door should be standard practice at every shul.
Yes, a determined individual might be able to figure out the combination, even if written in Hebrew, but start with the small steps to keep our shuls safe, even as we ponder larger and more secure solutions.
Today it was a simple tallis thief entering a shul.
Tomorrow it could be someone wielding a knife or a gun.
Hasn’t the time come for us to stop burying our heads in the sand and start taking shul security seriously?
All it takes is a simple, “Hi can I help You?” Hard to believe that no one questioned the man.
The short answer is yes, until something really awful happens Jewish communities don’t learn
Why doesn’t everyone of us have mace spray (a gun would be better)
our shul in lkwd advised everyone for awhile that shul will be locked and advised everyone of the combo
You’re trying to be politically correct but you can’t have it both ways “While of course every Jew should be welcome in every synagogue no matter how they are dressed” and then “members continued exiting through the shul’s unlocked doors for 30 seconds, with few even giving him a second glance” yeah maybe cuz everybody is welcomed.
Just imagine the opposite if it would have really been a Jew and people would have confronted him and giving him a glance in the first 30 seconds imagine the backlash of how intolerant we are for people being dressed different than us.
If everyone had to show a shidduch resume to walk into a shul or beis medrash, we could lick both the security and the shidduch crises at the same time.
Every Jew a .22
Every Shul received fed or state monies for security and foot locks. And no
One locks fours or closed windows after they leave. We are to fat and comfortable with it lives
I spoke to someone in the shul, he said there are many Russian home attendants that take old ppl to that shul and at first glance they yhought he was looking for his clients talis
He is just trying to break in to the safrus market, so he was going to check that pair of tefillin for free.
What about c-has vssholom our slerpaway camps
To be fair it was about 40 seconds before 2 people were eyeing him, it’s scary to confront a guy by yourself. A minute is not soo long And they did get him,, against a real terrorist we can’t do much…Oct 7 taught us just that,, the most sophisticated setup by top people in the field and……
People are walking in and out of shuls all the time. Everyone walking in has to bedavka close the door in the face of the next guy coming in, in case he doesn’t know the combination?
“tallis thief”?! obviously not for himself, so how much money would he get for a stolen tallis?
Satmar should apologize to Lipa then no harm will happen.
SET UP.
Look Closely He purposely walks around trying to get anyone attention.
LOOK AT ME…No one is realizing, so he tries even harder. Why did he not walk out of the Shul… SET UP
Hire the neutral karta
Probably looking for the korban pesach. (Pesachim 3b)
It is Mamesh beyond how the Frum institutions have zero security. Yeshivas,Shulls, girls schools, sleepaway camps etc etc non and non of them have security guards. Especially the Chasidic have nothing nothing security. Its a shame and irresponsible And is not because the money. The government gives plenty founding for security.
“A little shocking”?? Lol. No it’s not. The Chaddidishe velt lives in their very own universe and too much activity and comings and goings. Ain’t nobody got time for that. Until of course something happens and then for a couple of weeks, they’ll take care of business. After that? It will go back just to the way it was.
When they vote Democrat and those same politicians prohibit you from buying or owning a firearm to protect yourself and your loved ones. Good luck shelling out that security guard gelt. Oh well.
Unfortunately almost all of these types of crimes are committed by heimisha looking people which is why they’re usually successful. A combination lock would not deter access for people who look like they belong. Small cubbies with locks would help.
On our shul I. Lakewood we have the doors locked these days with people inside with guns. We need to do basic hishtadlus per the times we are in
He wanted to convert.