Man arrested in connection with suspected arson at New York rabbi’s home
Menachem Karelefsky held by authorities over a blaze at Rabbi Jonathan Max's home, in which 12 people were sent to hospital
A Pennsylvania man reportedly has been arrested in connection with a fire in the home of a Brooklyn rabbi that investigators suspect was an arson attack.
Menachem Karelefsky of McKeesport, Pennsylvania was arrested by officers from the New York Police Department at about 1:30 a.m. on Sunday and charged with two counts of attempted murder and one count of arson, the Vosizneias Jewish news website reported.
Thirteen people, including a 6-week-old baby, were injured in the early Friday morning fire. None of the injuries were life-threatening, although 12 people were sent to the hospital, including nine civilians, two firefighters and an EMS medic.
He was arraigned Sunday night in Brooklyn Criminal Court, where the judge ordered him held without bail, the New York Daily News reported.
Prosecutors told the judge that Karelefsky was in possession of lighter fluid, an axe and knives at the time of his arrest in Manhattan. There are also receipts showing that he had purchased charcoal and matches prior to the fire, as well as reports that he was seen near the rabbi’s home when the fire broke out, according to Vosizneias.
A neighbour told the New York Daily News that he saw Karelefsky around the neighbourhood the day before the fire looking for Max.
Karelefsky, who also goes by the name Matthew, posted on his LinkedIn profile that the homeowner, Rabbi Jonathan Max, a teacher at the Chaim Berlin Yeshiva, molested him in the yeshiva’s dormitory.
There do not appear to be any other public accusations of sexual misconduct against Max. Karelefsky has repeated his allegations on various Orthodox blogs had reportedly has threatened to kill the rabbi for at least a decade. He allegedly has a tattoo on his right arm expressing his desire to kill the rabbi.
Karelefsky, who was born Jewish to non-Orthodox parents and later became religious and attended the yeshiva, has converted to Christianity and according to writings obtained by Matzav.com claims to be “healing in church almost every Sunday.”
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
