Probe Launched in Clash Between Jewish and Puerto Rican Youth

Detectives of the 66th Precinct were investigating today the brief but violent clash between young Puerto Ricans and Jews on Saturday night toward the close of Yom Kippur services at Congregation Adath Sochochow. Meanwhile, members of the small Orthodox synagogue were completing a clean-up operation resulting from the breaking of windows during the melee, during which six of them were injured. There appeared to be two versions of how the incident began. An eyewitness told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency on Sunday that a Puerto Rican taunted some Jews at the rear of the synagogue, one Jewish youth grappled with the taunter and was beaten by him and several other Puerto Ricans, a group of worshipers rushed to their coreligionist’s aid and 50 Puerto Ricans appeared and fought with the Jews. The police are also considering a report that the fighting started after two Puerto Ricans were rebuffed on attempting to enter the synagogue. The Borough Park section of Brooklyn, where the temple is located, contains Jewish and Spanish-speaking elements that have maintained tense relations, although the last cases of significant hostility occurred three years ago.