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Burned Orthodox Jew: My Old Rabbi Ordered My House Burned Down
By
John Del Signore
Published Jun 14, 2011
Modified Jun 14, 2011
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By
John Del Signore
Published Jun 14, 2011
Modified Jun 14, 2011
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The Rockland County man who has been hospitalized with third-degree burns over half his body following a crazy arson attempt last month has filed an $18 million lawsuit against the powerful local rabbi, whom he accuses of ordering the attack on his house. You may recall that Aron Rottenberg and his family have been subjected to violence ever since they left the village’s main synagogue to worship at Friedwald Nursing Home, instead of at the synagogue in town where Grand Rabbi David Twersky presides. And if you leave Twersky's fold for a rival flock, you'd better watch out for wolves, the lawsuit alleges.
After Rotternberg's car and house windows were smashed, he installed surveillance cameras on his property, which is how he discovered 18-year-old Shaul Spitzer allegedly pouring flammable liquid around his house, at approximately 4 a.m. on the morning of May 22nd. Rottenberg confronted Spitzer in his backyard, and in the ensuing tussle, a long, improvised fuse in Spitzer's hand sparked flames. Both men were hospitalized, and Spitzer was ultimately charged with second-degree attempted murder, first-degree attempted arson and first-degree assault.
At a press conference yesterday, Rottenberg's attorney, Michael Sussman, accused Spitzer of attempting to "set on fire a private home, kill those who were in that home and send a message to everyone else in that community that what the rabbi says, rules." To bolster his allegations, Sussman pointed out that Spitzer was living with Rabbi Twersky, "and an 18-year-old boy in that community does not act independently. Anyone who knows anything about the community knows that there's no way he would have done this on his own."
Rotternberg also explained that the $18 million sum sought in the lawsuit "was selected to ease Rottenberg's situation and for its meaning in Judaism... Giving money in multiples of 18 is common during special occasions like births and bar mitzvahs," LoHud.com reports. Grand Rabbi Twersky has stated publicly that the use of force "is never permissible," but you can see from this video how strongly people in this community feel about "going against the rabbi."
Tagged
aron rottenberg
orthodox jews
rabbis gone riled
rockland county
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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