Man Arrested In Hit-And-Run That Injured Long Island Rabbi

By JTA September 5, 2017

(JTA) — Police arrested a New York man and charged him with a hit-and-run accident that seriously injured an elderly rabbi.

Rabbi Jordan Kelemer, 71, is the long-time rabbi of the Young Israel of West Hempstead on Long Island.

He was hit in December while crossing the street in front of the synagogue; the driver fled without stopping. A passerby found the rabbi and called police. Kelemer suffered a severe head injury in the accident, but has returned to work in the synagogue.

Benitez Rodolfo, 46, of Far Rockaway, New York was arrested Friday and charged with leaving the scene of an accident and tampering with physical evidence, according to Nassau County police. He pleaded not guilty at First District Court in Hempstead on Saturday, Newsday reported.

Police do not believe the rabbi was targeted by the driver. The accident reportedly was captured on the synagogue’s surveillance camera, though the license plate numbers were not clearly visible.

A message from our Publisher & CEO Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

The coming year promises to be filled with more complex and historic developments. We are entering an era where independent, fact-based Jewish journalism will be more important than ever. We need to be ready for whatever 2025 will bring, and with your help, we can be.

We’ve set a goal to raise $260,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.

If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.

— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO