Jewish Man Stabbed After Leaving Manhattan Synagogue

A Jewish man leaving a Manhattan synagogue was allegedly stabbed in the chest with a screwdriver by an attacker who shouted “Allahu Akbar,” according to police and law enforcement sources.

Disturbing video captured the aftermath on the Upper West Side.

The victim, identified by the New York Times as 50-year-old Moshe Yezhak Grunhaus, could be seen wearing a yarmulke and clutching a tissue to his chest as he sat sprawled on a street corner awaiting emergency help.

Grunhaus had been leaving a synagogue near Amsterdam Avenue and West 86th Street when the attack occurred, police and sources said.

Authorities identified the suspect as 51-year-old Raul Morales.

Morales allegedly screamed “Allahu Akbar” before plunging the screwdriver into Grunhaus’ torso, according to police and sources. The Arabic phrase means “God is greatest,” though authorities have not established in the information provided whether religious hatred motivated the attack.

The assault came moments after another man was allegedly stabbed nearby.

Police said 57-year-old Chok Sung was stabbed in the back with a knife at West 84th Street and Central Park West. Authorities believe the same suspect carried out both attacks, according to the sources.

The two crime scenes were separated by only a few blocks.

Both victims were transported to Saint Luke’s Hospital and listed in stable condition, police said.

Watch the clip below:

A suspect is in custody after a double stabbing on the Upper West Side in New York City on Thursday, police said. Both victims were taken to a local hospital and are expected to survive.

According to authorities, the suspect ran off after both stabbings, and barricaded himself… pic.twitter.com/YNv2eIgABd

— CBS News (@CBSNews) July 24, 2026

The attack drew a furious response Friday from New York City Jewish leaders, who demanded that Mayor Zohran Mamdani “stop fanning the flames of hatred and division” and urged authorities to pursue hate-crime charges.

“We’re horrified and heartbroken by yesterday’s attacks. But to be clear, we are no longer surprised,” UJA-Federation of New York CEO Eric Goldstein said during a press conference near the scene.

NEW: “Mayor Mamdani, stop fanning the flames of hate…the consequences are not abstract.”

-UJA CEO Eric Goldstein, joined by a diverse group of Democratic leaders.

Following yesterday’s attack in NYC where a man stabbed two people yelling “allahu akbar”, a press conference just… pic.twitter.com/M2cXJnhsmn

— Tali Goldsheft (@TaliGoldsheft) July 24, 2026

Goldstein blamed Mamdani’s anti-Israel rhetoric for helping inflame tensions, an accusation from Jewish leaders that the mayor bears responsibility for his public language, not a finding by investigators.

More over at The New York Post:

NYC Jewish leaders blast Mamdani after stabbings, call for hate crime charges: ‘Stop fanning flames of hatred and division’ https://t.co/Siqd7PUhWR pic.twitter.com/t31kYYBdLn

— New York Post (@nypost) July 24, 2026