By Andrew Coen
Although the man, whose name is being withheld by police, was able to escape unharmed, many North Woodmere residents in the area have been agitated by the violent incident in their neighborhood. "We were all shaken when we heard about this," said Arfa, president of Young Israel of North Woodmere.
According to police, the unidentified man, a resident of Valley Stream, was opening the front door of the shul at 5:50 a.m. when he was confronted by two men wearing dark hooded sweatshirts who were armed with silver handguns. The subjects had followed the man into the synagogue, where they demanded money, and he handed them his cell phone, car keys and wallet, according to police.
The men took the 75-year-old outside and forced him into the trunk of his vehicle before driving around the area for an hour, eventually abandoning the vehicle somewhere in Queens. Police said that when the man in the trunk grew cold, he reached into his pocket, searching for gloves, and instead discovered a remote button that allowed him to open the trunk. According to police, he also had a spare key in his pocket, which allowed him to drive himself to his Valley Stream home and call police.
"It is a miracle the way he composed himself while the perpetrators took him," said Arfa.
Arfa said the man has been a member of Young Israel of North Woodmere for 20 years, and for the last decade has opened the shul and readied it for morning prayer services nearly every weekday. Arfa also said the man walks over a mile from his Valley Stream home for Shabatt services on Friday nights and Saturdays, the longest journey for any member of the congregation, according to Arfa. "He is the first one to open up and the last one to leave, usually," said Arfa.
Soon after the incident, Arfa contacted Nassau County Legislator Jeff Toback (D-Oceanside) to see if he could help get more police protection for the area around the synagogue. Arfa said that Toback addressed shul officials at Young Israel of North Woodmere on the evening of March 2, and told them he had been in touch with 4th Precinct police about increasing visibility on Hungry Harbor Road in the morning hours.
According to Arfa, between 5:30 and 7 a.m. on Friday morning, plainclothes police officers patrolled the outside of the synagogue and handed out leaflets to motorists as they passed in an effort to catch the suspects.
Despite the extra police presence in the neighborhood, the March 2 kidnapping shook up many in North Woodmere. "It wasn't comfortable hearing that something like this happened right near my house," said Lawrence High School senior Michelle Katz, who lives around the corner from where the incident took place.
Police ask anyone with any information on the incident to call Crimestoppers at (800) 244-TIPS.
Comments about this story? ACoen@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 204.
