Chabad official speaks out after car-ramming of Jewish center, as NYPD probes motive

Chabad is speaking retired astir an incidental successful which a operator was taken into custody aft allegedly repeatedly and intentionally ramming his conveyance into the Jewish organization's office successful New York City connected Wednesday. 

The man's motive is inactive being investigated.

Motti Seligson, manager of media astatine Chabad, told Fox News that Chabad has received an outpouring of enactment from elected officials since the car-ramming. The Chabad authoritative said helium had received a telephone from Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., connected Thursday morning. Additionally, helium praised New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch and New York Attorney General Letitia James for coming to the country soon aft the incident.

DRIVER RAMS CAR REPEATEDLY INTO DOORS OF NYC JEWISH SITE, SUSPECT DETAINED

The New York Police Department and Department of Justice are investigating a imaginable hatred transgression aft a car repeatedly rammed the doorway of Chabad-Lubavitch World Headquarters successful Brooklyn Wednesday.  (Daniel David Yeroshalmi via Storyful)

Seligson said Wednesday nighttime successful a station connected X that a conveyance "crashed into the broadside entrance" of Chabad Lubavitch World Headquarters astatine 770 Eastern Parkway.

"This individual, according to reports, has attempted to participate assorted Jewish institutions successful NJ, including Chabad, but was rebuffed and successful astatine slightest 1 incidental the constabulary were called," Seligson aboriginal added successful a abstracted station connected X.

Video circulating online shows a conveyance being driven into the broadside entranceway earlier it backs up and goes forward, hitting the doors different time.

Chabad Lubavitch World Headquarters, besides called "770" owed to its address, is 1 of the astir iconic Jewish buildings successful the world, with replicas built successful Israel, California, Italy and Australia. It functions not lone arsenic a synagogue but besides arsenic a spot for gathering and learning. The gathering became the office of the Chabad-Lubavitch Chassidic question successful 1940.

Workers repair a doorway extracurricular the Chabad Lubavitch satellite headquarters, wherever a antheral was arrested Wednesday evening aft repeatedly crashing his car into a doorway of the building, which is simply a gathering spot for members of the Hasidic Jewish community, connected Jan. 29, 2026, successful New York City. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

The NYPD and Seligson person said that determination were nary evident injuries related to the conveyance ramming incident.

The conveyance was inspected by the NYPD weaponry squad, and nary explosives were found. The operator shouted to bystanders that "it slipped" and said thing to constabulary astir attempting to park.

RABBI ATTACKED ON NYC STREET ON INTERNATIONAL HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE DAY

While the motive down the car-ramming has not been determined, respective officials, including Mamdani, person addressed described the incidental arsenic an antisemitic attack.

Police portion marks the country wherever a car slammed into the entranceway of the office of a Jewish spiritual order, the Chabad Lubavitch World Headquarters, successful the Brooklyn borough of New York City, Jan. 28, 2026.  (REUTERS/Madison Swart)

"This is profoundly alarming, particularly fixed the heavy meaning and past of the instauration to truthful galore successful New York and astir the world. Any menace to a Jewish instauration oregon spot of worship indispensable beryllium taken seriously. Antisemitism has nary spot successful our city, and unit oregon intimidation against Jewish New Yorkers is unacceptable," Mamdani wrote successful a station connected X. "I basal successful solidarity with the Crown Heights Jewish community, and I americium grateful to our archetypal responders for taking swift action."

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul besides suggested that the incidental was antisemitic successful a station connected X, linking the car-ramming to an onslaught connected a rabbi that occurred connected Tuesday successful New York City.

"For the 2nd time successful a row, Jewish New Yorkers were the targets of antisemitic violence. Thankfully, determination look to beryllium nary injuries — but an onslaught against the Jewish assemblage is an onslaught against each New Yorkers," Hochul wrote.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch clasp a property league astatine the country wherever a car slammed into the entranceway of the office of a Jewish spiritual order, the Chabad Lubavitch World Headquarters, successful the Brooklyn borough of New York City, Jan. 28, 2026. (REUTERS/Madison Swart)

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The car-ramming comes connected the heels of a abstracted incidental impacting New York City's Jewish assemblage earlier this week. 

On Tuesday, which was International Holocaust Remembrance Day, a 32-year-old rabbi was allegedly approached by an idiosyncratic who made antisemitic remarks successful Queens. After a verbal dispute, the idiosyncratic past punched the unfortunate successful the thorax and face, according to police. The victim, who assemblage leaders identified arsenic a rabbi, was treated for insignificant injuries, portion officers took the fishy into custody.

The fishy was aboriginal identified arsenic Eric Zafra-Grosso. He is facing charges of hatred transgression assault, hatred transgression aggravated harassment and battle causing injury.

Fox News' David Hammelburg and Maria Paronich contributed to this report.