Today, the leadership of the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America (Orthodox Union), the nation’s largest Orthodox Jewish umbrella organization, expresses its horror over the brutal attack of a Chabad rabbi on a street outside of a synagogue in Boston, Mass. on Thursday. The Orthodox Union condemned the attack, an apparent act of anti-Semitism, and called for greater action by elected officials and society at large to aggressively combat the ongoing and alarming rise of anti-Semitism in the United States.

The rabbi, Shlomo Noginski, who teaches at the Brighton neighborhood’s “Shaloh House” where he was attacked, was reportedly approached by the suspect, who first pulled out a gun and tried to force the rabbi into a vehicle before stabbing him several times. Rabbi Noginski is reportedly recovering from his wounds. His assailant, identified as 24-year-old Khaled Awad of Brighton, was apprehended by Boston Police.

Rabbi Moshe Hauer, Executive Vice President of the Orthodox Union, stated:
“The horrific attack upon Rabbi Noginski, in the light of day and on a city street, appears to be yet another in an unprecedented surge of attacks in recent months on American Jews. The growing frequency of these assaults indicates that perpetrators are not being deterred in targeting Jews for attack. Even worse, some politicians, celebrities and other so-called influencers have been allowed to fan the flames of violence and hatred, justifying age-old antisemitic tropes, exaggerated claims, and inflammatory rhetoric.”

Orthodox Union President Mark (Moishe) Bane stated:
“This is a time for leaders across all segments of our society — government, business, entertainment, faith, and more — to demonstrate that they stand with America’s Jews and against anti-Semitism. We are looking for all people of good will to speak out clearly and repudiate the current surge in anti-Semitism.”

Nathan Diament, the Orthodox Union’s Executive Director for Public Policy, added:
“We have repeatedly asked federal and state elected leaders to do more to combat and deter the ongoing wave of anti-Semitism. There are steps they can – and must – take immediately to better protect American Jews. These include, at the federal level, dramatically increasing funding for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program; passing legislation such as the bipartisan “Pray Safe Act of 2021” that would establish a clearinghouse on safety and security for faith-based organizations; and filling the post of State Department Special Envoy to Combat anti-Semitism and other key government posts with responsibility for combatting anti-Semitic hate crimes.”