A rabbi and his wife who are formerly of Brooklyn were attacked by home invaders who hurled anti-Semitic slurs at them at their Jewish community center home in Kenya, according to reports.
Five men burst into the Chabad House in the capital, Nairobi, before dawn Wednesday and assaulted Rabbi Shmuel Notik, a native of Israel, and his wife, Chaya, who operate the center for travelers, according to Arutz Sheva.
Chaya Notik required surgery after being struck in the head with clubs while in her bed, .
“She woke up from sleep and started to scream, so the burglars beat her until she was bloodied up. They also threatened to kill her while making anti-Semitic references. ‘If you keep resisting, your life will be ended,’ they said. ‘Where is the money?’” Moshe Notik said.
The rabbi was lightly injured after being tied up, his brother added.
“They bound his arms and legs and tried to get money from him. During the burglary, they stole computers, cellular phones, phylacteries, jewelry, money, a Hanukkah menorah, candle holders, Kiddush cups, food, and things from the kitchen. They also trashed the house,” he said.
Chaya escaped further injury by fleeing with the couple’s three children, who were not hurt, into a bathroom and locking the door behind her until police arrived.
“They’re in a state of shock,” Moshe said. “As far as they can tell, the burglary was motivated by anti-Semitism. They estimated that the total losses incurred total in the tens of thousands of dollars.”
During the home invasion, the burglars came across two young Orthodox Jewish men, whom they tied up and gagged.
Authorities suspect that local guards worked with the burglars, according to Ynet, another Israeli news outlet.
The rabbi told local media that he, his family and the two yeshiva students were doing all right, .
“They’re just suffering from trauma, they weren’t badly hurt,” he said. “My wife is injured, but she is being treated well — all is well.”
In 2014, when the family moved to Kenya, Rabbi Notik was robbed at knifepoint in Nairobi and managed to escape unharmed after giving the robbers his prayer book, lapel pin and shofar, the ceremonial horn that Jews blow on Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year.