Manhattan Shomrim and the New York Police Department are searching for a man who entered the Shuva Israel Synagogue in Manhattan in July during prayers and allegedly began spewing obscenities and cries of “Allahu akhbar.”
The alleged harassment reportedly began when the unidentified male entered the synagogue on July 21, at approximately 7:15 p.m.
“There are incidents which are typical and common and there are those incidents which are more severe. The NYPD Hate Crime Task Force is looking into this one. This was not a typical incident,” Shomrim volunteer Joe Richards told the Jewish Link. “NYPD is spread thin in one of the largest cities in the world. If you have responsible concerned citizens that can be eyes and ears that help, the NYPD appreciates it.”
The history of Shuva Israel Synagogue
Founded by the famous Kabbalist rabbi, Yoshiyahu Yosef Pinto, the institution reportedly has the title of the city’s most mysterious synagogue.
Originally from Ashdod, Israel, Rabbi Pinto has Moroccan Jewish heritage, and his kabbalistic teachings derive from 12th-century Jewish mysticism.