Rabbi And Family Barely Escape Arson Attempt

A Rutherford Rabbi and his sleeping family of 8 managed to survive an arson attempt Wednesday morning, but now say they fear that other Jews will be targeted before the attackers are caught.

Rabbi Nosson Schuman and his wife Pessy woke up to see fire spray across their bedroom after a Molotov cocktail hurtled through their plate glass bedroom window, lighting the bed covers, window and carpeting on fire.

The Rabbi beat the flames out with his hands before running for a nearby fire extinguisher, while his wife gathered her five sleeping children and in-laws, fleeing the house. All survived, but Rabbi Schuman suffered second degree burns to his hands.

Pessy Schuman is disturbed by what could have been. "I have children that sleep under other windows. I have images of children on fire that just keep flashing through my mind."

Her husband described how the couple woke instantly to see flames devouring their marital bed, "It was a ball. Like a dragon's breath of fire as it came through the window."

This is the fourth anti-Semitic attack in as many weeks in Bergen County. Another arson attempt was documented at Congregation K'hal Adath Jeshurun in Paramus a little more than a week ago. And anti-Semitic graffiti was spray-painted at the Reconstructionist Temple Beth Israel of Bergen County in Maywood and Temple Beth El in Hackensack.

But the Bergen County Prosecutor would only concede the graffiti incidents were tied; he felt this firebombing attempt was too sophisticated to be tied to the one in Paramus. John L. Molinelli said the Rutherford firebombing may be the work of two or more attackers, as is evidenced by the sheer number of molotov cocktails and rigged aerosol cans used.

"You can't look a this as just a hate crime, as an anti-semitic attack. It's attempted murder," said Molinelli who briefed reporters at the scene on Montross Avenue.

The rabbi believes the firebombers cased the temple for days to find their intended target--his bedroom. The hundred year old structure is also home to weekly religious services, a school and a non denominational baseball camp. But Schuman says it's part of a Bergen County hate crime wave of anti-Jewish graffiti attacks and another arson attempt.

"It's anti Semitic furor. They're taking what happened in past few weeks up a notch," said Schuman, who conceded that while it may not be the same criminals behind all the attacks, they are all of the same mindset. "I'm afraid for other congregations that may be next."