Folks, I almost spilled my coffee reading this one. A man, identified as 46-year-old Larry Montes from The Bronx, was arrested and charged with multiple hate crimes after disrupting Shabbat services and injuring a woman at Central Synagogue in Manhattan on Friday night. According to New York police, Montes also damaged synagogue property and spat at and headbutted a member of the synagogue’s security team as he was escorted out of the building. Commissioner Jessica Tisch said Montes has been charged with two counts of assault as a hate crime and one count of criminal mischief as a hate crime, along with other charges.
I mean, what’s wrong with people these days? A 63-year-old woman suffered a small cut to her lip and injuries to her right forearm after being struck by Montes. Bless their hearts, the folks at Central Synagogue are shaken but grateful that no one was seriously injured. The synagogue’s rabbi and the security team did a great job in handling the situation, and I’m sure it’s a relief that the perpetrator is now facing justice.
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani was quick to condemn the attack, saying that “this despicable act has no place in our city, and our administration will do everything in our power to keep Jewish New Yorkers safe.” You can’t make this stuff up – the mayor’s statement is a great example of how leaders should respond to such incidents. Somewhere in Atlanta, a producer thought this sounded terrifying, and now we have a news story that’s getting a lot of attention.
The incident is still under investigation, but it’s clear that Montes’ actions were motivated by hate. Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, condemned the attack, saying that “this is another chilling reminder that anti-Semitism does not belong in the past, it’s occurring here and now, in the heart of New York.” New York Governor Kathy Hochul also called the attack “appalling” and said that “Jewish New Yorkers have every right to worship openly, proudly, and without fear.”
As I finish reading this article, I’m reminded that there’s still a lot of work to be done to combat hate and intolerance. The fact that antisemitic assaults reached a record high in the US last year is a disturbing trend that needs to be addressed. But for now, I’m just going to sit back, sip my coffee, and appreciate the fact that the good guys are still out there, working to keep us all safe. And to Larry Montes, I say: you should’ve just stayed home and watched TV on Friday night – now you’re facing a whole lot of trouble.
Armchair patriot. Believes in the free market, cold beer, and that there’s always a guy named George behind every CNN segment.
Former remote-throwing champion turned #1 couch commentator on liberal panic in the media. Born in Texas (or so his mug says), he earned a degree in Fake Newsology & Beer Philosophy from YouTube University.
