Hospitalized Hasid Arraigned In Hospital

18-year-old Shaul Spitzer, the butler of the Skvere Rebbe (pictured at right), was arraigned on charges of arson and attempted murder.

 

New Square arson victim hires lawyers; suspect arraigned in NYC hospital
Steve Lieberman • Journal News

NEW SQUARE — An attorney hired by the family of a man severely burned during an arson attempt early Sunday reiterated the family's claim that the attack was orchestrated by religious leaders of the Hasidic Jewish village.

Michael Sussman will hold a news conference Wednesday afternoon in front of Aron Rottenberg's Truman Avenue home where Sunday's attack occurred.

Sussman said Rottenberg had no personal issues with the suspect, Shaul Spitzer, 18, contradicting the position of a village leader.

Sussman said Rottenberg's rights to practice his religion were violated by the leadership of grand rabbi David Twersky, the dynastic spiritual leader of the Skver Hasidic Jewish community.

"Rather this event culminated months of increasingly violent and coordinated religiously based attacks on Mr. Rottenberg triggered by the victim's choice of synagogue and religious leader," Sussman said

Spitzer was being arraigned this morning in a Manhattan hospital burn unit room. He suffered severe burns to his arms and hands.

Ramapo police charged Spitzer with felony counts of second-degree attempted murder, first-degree arson and first-degree assault.

Spitzer is accused of tossing a flammable item onto the rear porch of Rottenberg's home on Truman Avenue.

Rottenberg, a plumber, and his family have been the targets of community intimidation since last year, police reports and Internet videos show.

Mobs of people descended on his house, demanding he leave the Skver Hasidic Jewish community.

Rottenberg and his family said his refusal to pray in Twersky's synagogue led to retaliation from community members. Rottenberg's family and residents say Spitzer worked as a butler in the grand rabbi's home.

After 4 a.m. Sunday, Rottenberg confronted Spitzer outside his house. Both of them caught fire, police said.

Rottenberg suffered third-degree burns across 50 percent of his body. He's being treated at the Westchester Medical Center.

Spitzer is being treated at the Cornell Medical Center in Manhattan with serious burns to his hands and arms.

Ramapo Detective Lt. Mark Emma said this morning that a video from Rottenberg's house shows one man outside.

He said detectives are investigating all avenues of the case, including who broke Rottenberg's windows last week and those who attacked his house last autumn.

"We're looking at all the incidents together," Emma said as he drove to Manhattan for the arraignment. We're looking at whether the incidents were done collectively or by people acting individually."

Emma said one other family on Bush Lane has reported being targeted, but "Mr. Rottenberg for some reason has been the principal victim."

Emma said detectives spoke to Rottenberg, but he was under heavy sedation. His son-in-law, Moshe Elbaum, said Rottenberg has been in great pain.

Spitzer declined to talk to police without his attorney, James Licata, the county public defender, Emma said.

[Hat Tip: CS.]

Comments

[Garnel Ironheart]

Oh that's not good. Now Rottenberg's gonna get in trouble for going to the secular authorities instead of the Square Rebbe's beis din.

[corn popper]

The Rebbe is unfortunately for him furnishing his own squatting space in Ottisville.

[corn popper]

In the clinka he'll be in competition with the Spinka - who will win that turf war?

[seymour]

amazing but to the skver rebbie and by extension his devoted followers

davening in another shul, bigger shandha bigger sin than stealing millions from the government.

are there any letters from skver beis din saying anybody sought committing fraud should be barred for public buildings.

NO

[seymour]

amazing but to the skver rebbie and by extension his devoted followers

davening in another shul, is a bigger shandha bigger sin than stealing millions from the government.

are there any letters from skver beis din saying anybody caught committing fraud should be barred for public buildings.

NO

Posted by: seymour | May 24, 2011 at 01:04 PM

[JJJ]

I don't think murderers go to Otisville.

[Hakham Yosef Haim]

Shaul Spitzer should be put in jail for the rest of his life and not have the opportunity to ever get married. Because he won't be married he will lead a life of sin his whole life and will need Reb Nachman Breslaver to shlep him out of gehinom by his peot. Even if he does get out of jail in a few years, no woman will ever want to marry him and he will be without a wife his whole life and lead a life of sin his whole life and go to gehinom for his sins and need Reb Nachman Breslaver to shlep him out of gehinom by his peot.

[moshy]

people are saying police are not letting the skvere rebbe leave his house as they are preparing for his arrest can anyone confirm?

[Hakham Yosef Haim]

Mashiach was supposed to come on lag b'omer. Shaul Spitzer's attack on the Rottenbergs prevented mashiach from coming on lag b'omer. Skver's hatred of breslev is preventing mashiach from coming. Skver's hatred of anybody who is not skverer is preventing mashiach from coming.
Jews hating each other is preventing mashiach from coming.

[a]

I suspect something big is gonna happen in the New Square part of town... The DA and police stop taking bribes, and there are mass arrests for fraud and child abuse.....

[David]

Apart from his choice to exercise his Constitutional Right and daven where he wants, I wonder how much of the animosity toward him is because he has a proper job (plumber)?

After his recovery, Jews should help him and his family leave the New Square cult and set up elsewhere. And without a plumber in New Square, I hope all their toilets block and flood.

[jancsipista]

hakham- youre stupidity is also preventing moshiah from coming you big shoite with youre moshiah fantasy.

[jancsipista]

hakham- how will spitzers payet withstand gehenem it will burn off instantly you fool.:)

[Devorah]

No way will there be mass arrests. St. Lawrence will never allow that to happen and if it does happen, the DA/Judges will let them off with community service. Goyim steal in Rockland and go to jail...Chasids steal and serve community time. There are dozens of Rubashkin-like crimes, but word never leaves the ghetto.

[Jeff]

Posted by: Hakham Yosef Haim | May 24, 2011 at 01:21 PM

God, can you imagine living among them and listening to this crap all day long? It would be gehinnom.

[Hakham Yosef Haim]

If the skverer rebbe does not condemn this attack and all the sinat hinom of the skverer hasidim against breslevers and everybody else who they hate, nobody should be mshadech with the skverer rebbe or any of his children or grandchildren and people who have allready made shiduchim with the skverer rebbe should break the shiduchim, break the engagements.
The people who live in New Square should all move away. The problem is that almost nobody in New Square has money to move away and that those who own homes instead of rent would not be able to move away because nobody would buy their homes from them unless the rebbe would approve of the sale of the house which is highly unlikely to happen if the rebbe wants them to stay in New Square and if the rebbe does not want them to stay in New Square they have to leave without getting paid for their house.
na nach nachma nachman m'uman

[Hakham Yosef Haim]

Reb Nachman Breslever promised anybody and everybody who says tikun haklali by his grave on erev Rosh Hashana That he will shlep the sinner out of jail by his peot. Even though Shaul Spitzer will never get out of jail and therefore never get the opportunity to go to Uman for Rosh Hashana, he should at least say tikun haklali at least 100 time a day in his jail cell and pray that Reb Nachman Breslaver should shlep him out of gehinom by his peot.

[Outsider]

I belive the Rebbei owns all the houses in New Square

[Ashame]

Sad Hillary or Sarah Palin can't help. The Rebbie doesn't speak to women

[Dr. Dave]

Some thoughts:

1) Third degree burns over 50% of the body is extremely serious and this could become, G-d forbid, a homicide investigation

2) Has anyone brought up the fact that Mr. Rottenberg's right to worship was infringed upon and that this is at least a first amendment issue and even a hate crime.

3) RICO has been mentioned regarding the skverers, but could that also apply to the police and other officials covering up the case?

[aron]

They should burn the skver new square town down like the ihr hanidachas which it is. With some of the people in it as well. Al quaida is short of a leader the skver rebbe fits the bill. His chasidim are more 'farbrent' than the muslim suicide bombers.

[Yechiel]

ימים יגידו...
I hope that this is a wake up call for all parties involved...

[monsey rabbi]

the feds should put the entire skver ona no fly list because. everyone is a flight risk everyones gotta be investigated. its no joke

[David]

Here is the location of the victim's house:

http://tinyurl.com/3cqfp32

His house is in the heart of New Square. Just down the block from the main shul.

[Hakham Yosef Haim]

The skverer rebbe should run away to Uman before he is arrested if it is not too late for the rebbe to run away. For the rebbe to go to uman would be tantamount to the rebbe resigning because going to breslev and uman or even opening up a breslever sefer is 100% against everything that skver has ever stood for. The skverer rebbe, because of his horrible sin of not condemning the attack on Rottenberg and allowing and encouraging the sinat hinom that led to this attack, will burn in gehinom for this attack even if he did not tell his housebachur to do it and even if he did not know that his housebachur was going to do this. The skverer rebbe needs Reb Nachman Breslaver to shlep him out of gehinom by his peot and the skverer rebbe should start wearing his peot down instead of rolling up his peot so that Reb Nachman Breslever should be able to grab onto the skverer rebbe's peot to shlep the skverer rebbe out of gehinom.
na nach nachma nachman m'uman

[Jeff]

Yosef, Rebbe Nachman isn't available. He's too busy keeping Eliezer Berland out of car accidents.

[corn popper]

Post at lohud.com

LittleLuke
2:37 PM on May 24, 2011
More filtering in. FBI seized Rebbe and Rebetzen's passports. Not confirmed but clearly stated by two.

[Hakham Yosef Haim]

By the way, where did Rottenberg daven.

[tooclose2detroit]

i have a solution for spitzers burn problems with his hands and arms-easy-chop them off, so that this little bastard doesnt destroy anyone else's life-and, send them to the rebbeee so that that putz gets a message.

[Hakham Yosef Haim]

New Square is a cult. If anybody wants to leave the New Square cult, they have to run away without getting any money for their house and they have to leave with so little possessions that nobody will think that they are moving away which means that they can't even hire a moving truck to move their furniture. But if the rebbe wants somebody to move away they are able to take their possesions with them in a moving truck.
na nach nachma nachman m'uman

[Deremes]

Is Arson a federal crime?
Anyone?

[Alter Kocker]

It would serve these cultists well if their rebbe & rebbitzen served some long stretches in the crowbar hotel. Imagine the jew on jew hatred spewing from these people. Wouldn't hurt if the FBI started investigating the entire movement.

[Leah]

Why no pictures of Mr Spitzer? If these is then please post link.

[Russian PhD]

In addition to the state charges of attempted murder, arson and assault Spitzer can be charged by the Feds for the violation of civil rights-that may result in life without parole. Actually the Rebbe too can and should face federal charges and hopefully life imprisonment.

[seymour]

Is Arson a federal crime?
Anyone?

Posted by: Deremes | May 24, 2011 at 03:02 PM

they can charge him with hate crime or civil right violation and arson was used to accomplish that

but arson itself is a state crime

[masortiman]

federal prosecution for civil rights violation was originally created when Southern states wouldnt prosecute, or southern state juries wouldnt convict, in cases of murder, arson, etc against blacks.

If there is any hint that the Rockland DA is A. Going easy on the assailant or B. Letting the assailant take the fall and not trying to find out about who may have instigated it, there would be a strong case for a federal investigation.

[New Circler Rebbe]

Spitzer is 18 years old and a "tamim" he is just a tool of others in NS. Lets cool it about his punishment. He is no hero , but just a yold whho believes he is a soldier in G-d's army.
His punishment should be to forced to attend YU or Touro for 4 years get a job and make a normal living .
The policy makers in NS should be prosecuted even if that means the Zaddik himself. I am nto going to defend Twersky , but he may not be the person ordering this sort of thing.
I think the victim should file a civil case agisnt rabbi Twersky as the spiritual leader of the town.

[A. Nuran]

Deremes, arson is not a Federal crime. It's a State crime. But as I mentioned earlier a strong case could be made that this crime was an attempt to deny him Constitutionally protected rights.

In such cases sentences up to life in prison are possible. If there is an attempted murder those involved could get the death penalty. It wouldn't just be Spitzer. If he had accomplices or was acting under the direction of someone else they could all be subject to the same penalty.

The same section of the US Code provides for extra penalties if explosives or fire are used in the commission of a felony. For a first offense I believe it is 5-15 years. For subsequent crimes an extra 25 years can be tacked on.

[Hakham Yosef Haim]

The skverer rebbe has to do teshuva and become an openminded breslever hasid.
na nach nachma nachman m'uman

[busy]

For what it's worth, 80 out of 81 comments on VIN are "normal", ie, horrified at the crime, the NS rebbe, support for the victim, reiteration that he should have the right to pray where he pleases, hope that the perpetrators will be incarcerated for a long time, etc.

[Yochanan Lavie]

Apologies to Steam:

Na na Nachman, na na Nachman, oy vey-ey, goodbye

I'll never burn you, the way that I burned him
'Cause if I did, nu nu, I would've make you die
He might wear tefillin, rabbi but gevalt(gevalt, gevalt)
In the wrong shul he's chillin'
So kill him (I wanna see you kill him. Wanna see you kill him)
Go on and kill him goodbye, nu

Na na Nachman, oy vey-ey, goodbye
Na na Nachman, na na Nachman, oy vey-ey, goodbye

Listen to me, nu

Here in New Square to murder and jeer Jews
When all those croc tears are fallin' Rebbe from your eyes
He might wear tefillin, Rebbe but gevalt (gevalt, gevalt)
That shul is illin'
So kill him (I wanna see you kill him. I wanna see you kill him)
Go on and kill him goodbye, na-na Nachman -na na Nachman

Na na Nachman, oy vey-ey, goodbye

[fade in]
Oy vey-ey, goodbye
Na na Nachman, na na Nachman, oy vey-ey, goodbye

[repeat many times and fade out]

[new guy]

i just had to post this ... this hahkam wtvr guy with the na nach nachma nachman thing....

im breslov 100% but your embarassing yourself and others..including me....
not all breslovers share the same views as this so called "chaham" does even in breslov we have the fringe breslovers... take care

lashon hara , pedophilia , fraud , theft , assaults WHEN WILL MOSHIACH COME AND SAVE OUR PEOPLE!

[new guy]

and i dont think rabbi nachman is the moshiach..just clearing that up....and this hacham so called needs to read more seforiim because his brain lacks actual knowledge

[Gevalt!]

"Rottenberg and his family said his refusal to pray in Twersky's synagogue led to retaliation from community members."

what is the backstory to this? why did he stop davennig at the main shul? there is more to the story that needs to be researched..

[alwaysright]

despite the horrific crime, i hope the young criminal will express remorse and beg for forgiveness, and the courts will be lenient with the juvenile offender (18yo is still young)
I hope the ones that planned and orchestrated this violent attack will be brought to justice
the govt should order all hareidi and other religious radicals to reeducation camps, to cure them of their mental illness

[Deremes]

Unconfirmed rumor that bail is set @$300,000.

[Rochel]

There is a new video up on the YouTube site. I don't know enough about New Square to judge its validity - perhaps people who understand the politics and power structure there can better comment.:

"Mandy Berger unveils David Twersky complicity of the New Square terror attacks: Mandy Berger claims that David Twersky gave him the authority to 'do whatever they deem appropriate' after the windows of five cars were shattered."

http://www.youtube.com/user/SkverahShtatel#p/u/0/a0coQyPjv2I

[Deremes]

What he says:

That in order to reside in NS there is price to pay and the price is to follow the Rebbes order

[seymour]

http://www.youtube.com/user/SkverahShtatel#p/u/0/a0coQyPjv2I

Posted by: Rochel | May 24, 2011 at 04:44 PM

thanks maybe cracks are starting

[seymour]

What he says:

That in order to reside in NS there is price to pay and the price is to follow the Rebbes order

Posted by: Deremes | May 24, 2011 at 04:54 PM

exact orders every little thing full control

[Rochel]

Well, let's hope that the people who are volunteering information and making it available to the wider world remain safe and are not attacked.

[seymour]

this must be a well know issue since vin

is letting it fly will many comments calling for the rebbeis arrest
seems he is letting it fly

[A. Nuran]

alwaysright & Hakham Haim:

Teshuva is good. But that's between them and God. If convicted the young would-be murderer should get the same sentence that anyone else who committed such a horrific crime would. In this country we put people his age to death and lock them up forever for crimes like this. His position in that inbred little hell-hole, his job and the fact that he goes to a yeshiva should mean nothing. The idea that he should get mercy and special consideration because he's a Jew is so abominable and repugnant to decent people as to not even require refutation.

If the Skverer Rabbi had anything to do with this he should spend the rest of his natural life in prison on Federal civil rights charges as an example to all.

If we are "a light unto the nations" it means we have to be held to at least as high a standard of behavior as everyone else. That means when we do the crime we do the time, not that we have a whole bunch of special taboos and rituals to make us feel special.

[Malach Hamovies]

If this goes on it's the end of chassidus as we know it. It has already been documented on this blog that there was major fights among chassidic groups in europe (in the heim).

A friend of mine has a brother-in-law who is a gerrer chosid. He went to daven at the kevarim of the rebbes of Gur about 20 years ago.

The one who took care of the cemetary was an old jewish man who was not religious and who was married to a non-jew.

The chosid asked the old man "could you please tell me something from the old gerrer rebbe" The old man responded "i forgot how to daven, i don't keep shabbos and you want me to tell you over something from the Rebbe ???

He paused and he said Yes there is one thing i remember. Then he said in Yiddish "Eich Hub Nuch Feint Alexsander Chassidim" Meaning i still hate Alexsander chassidim (99% of whom were murderd by the Germans!!!!)

That's all that was left. The hate.

[twitter.com/shortyoni]

pics of the skverer pope with Hillary. http://nochemrosenberg.blogspot.com/2011/05/blog-post_1283.html#links

[Critical minyan]

Hillary should cut off the foreign aid to new square. The chasidim nedcvto chuck most of their inane chumrahs and return to their 67 borders.

[alwaysright]

Posted by: A. Nuran | May 24, 2011 at 05:47 PM
You misunderstood me. I would never suggest to be lenient on a criminal because he is a jew, and much less a religious fellow.
I only suggested that the little fool better own up to his crime, and beg the court and his victims for forgiveness.
I am just trying to think of mitigating circumstances, such as, his age
The american justice system is fatally flawed IMHO, in part because minorities (jews being the exception) tend to get much stiffer sentences, then the rest.
I am against harsh prison sentences for any human, regardless of gender, race, or religion
I am also against the death penalty under any circumstances. I reject violence (including torture for any reason) and murder (including murder by state)

[A. Nuran]

alwaysright, then we're in agreement. This country keeps a greater percentage of its population locked up and for longer than any other nation on Earth. It's ridiculous.

[abandoning eden]

wtf is a "grand rabbi"