Rabbi stabbed near school; suspect in custody

A rabbi stabbed near a Jewish day school in Boston is recovering in the hospital and a suspect has been charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, authorities said.Rabbi Shlomo Noginski is in stable condition and in good spirits after being stabbed several times in the arm, Rabbi Dan Rodkin, executive director of Shaloh House, posted on Facebook.

A rabbi stabbed near a Jewish day school in Boston is recovering in the hospital and a suspect has been charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, authorities said.

Rabbi Shlomo Noginski is in “stable condition and in good spirits'' after being stabbed several times in the arm, Rabbi Dan Rodkin, executive director of Shaloh House, posted on Facebook. The injuries are not considered life-threatening, according to police.

The stabbing occurred just after 1 p.m. Thursday in the city's Brighton neighborhood, police said in a statement.

Khaled Awad, 24, was arrested soon after the incident and faces arraignment Friday. It could not be determined if he has an attorney.

The motive for the stabbing remains unclear and police are still investigating.

The suspect approached the rabbi while he was talking on the phone, sitting on the steps of the school, Rodkin told WCVB-TV.

The suspect demanded the rabbi's car keys and Noginski ran across the street to a park where he was stabbed, Rodkin said.

As soon as the school became aware of the stabbing, the facility went into lockdown and no children were ever in danger, Rodkin said in the Facebook post.

Noginski is an Israeli citizen who came to the Boston area as an emissary to spread the Chabad message, Consul General of Israel to New England Meron Reuben told the Boston Herald.

“We are horrified by what has happened,” Reuben said. “We are very concerned, and we are following the situation very diligently.” Noginski spoke to Lubavitch.com from his hospital bed.

“I am grateful to the Boston Police Department for their rapid response, and relieved that the perpetrator is in custody. I am looking forward to returning to my work as soon as possible,” he said.

The Anti-Defamation League of New England in a statement said the stabbing “sent a shockwave of fear and anxiety throughout the community.” “As this investigation unfolds, we call for full transparency so that the community gets answers as to why a rabbi was stabbed outside of his house of worship,” Robert Trestan, the organisation's regional director, said in the statement.