Car rams into Chabad headquarters in New York; police probing possible hate crime motive

New York: A man was arrested on Wednesday night after repeatedly driving his vehicle into the rear entrance of the Chabad-Lubavitch World Headquarters in Brooklyn, prompting New York police to investigate the incident as a possible hate crime. No injuries were reported, though the crash sent alarm through one of the most significant Hasidic Jewish institutions in the world.

Police said the driver struck a basement-level door of the Crown Heights complex before reversing and hitting it several more times while worshippers were gathered inside for evening prayers.

New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said it was too early to determine the suspect’s motive but confirmed the crash was being treated as a potential hate crime. “This is deeply alarming, especially given the deep meaning and the history of the institution to so many in New York and around the world,” Mayor Zohran Mamdani said, calling the act “intentional.”

Video shows driver ramming building repeatedly

Footage circulating online shows a car with New Jersey plates sliding back and forth on an icy driveway before slamming into the building’s rear doors. After the collision, the driver – wearing shorts despite the freezing weather – exits the vehicle, tells bystanders “It slipped,” and appears to tell officers he was attempting to park.

Chabad spokesperson Motti Seligson said the impact caused visible damage to several doors.

Neither explosives nor weapons were found in the vehicle, Commissioner Tisch said, adding that investigators had not yet assessed the driver’s mental state.

Historic site and previous security incidents

Commonly known simply as “770,” after its Eastern Parkway address, the Chabad headquarters draws thousands of visitors each year and is considered the spiritual centre of the global Chabad movement. The complex’s iconic Gothic Revival façade has been replicated in Jewish communities around the world.

The crash took place on the 75th anniversary of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson assuming leadership of the movement. Schneerson, who died in 1994, remains deeply revered among Chabad followers.

The site has long been under tight police protection. It was at the heart of the 1991 Crown Heights riots, and in 2014 a mentally disturbed man entered the synagogue and stabbed a rabbinical student before being fatally shot by police.

Officials condemn the attack

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez described the driver’s actions as “disturbing and unacceptable.” “This could have been much worse and I’m grateful that no one was hurt,” he wrote on X. “My office is working closely with the NYPD to ensure justice is done and the community is safe.”

Commissioner Tisch said the NYPD has “significantly increased security” at Jewish institutions citywide, including deployments from counterterrorism units and the bomb squad.

New York, home to the world’s largest Jewish population outside Israel, has been on heightened alert amid rising reports of antisemitic incidents. Mayor Mamdani reiterated that “Any threat to a Jewish institution or place of worship must be taken seriously. Antisemitism has no place in our city, and violence or intimidation against Jewish New Yorkers is unacceptable.”

(With inputs from agencies)