NEW YORK (JTA) — An employee at Congregation Beth Elohim, a Reform synagogue in Brooklyn, has been arrested for a sexual assault he allegedly committed in the synagogue building.
The incident occurred on Saturday night, according to an email the synagogue’s leadership sent to congregants on Thursday. The victim was not connected to the synagogue.
“On Saturday night, August 4th, in the middle of the night, a member of CBE’s maintenance staff entered our Temple House,” the email read. “Later that night, he invited an acquaintance of his who had no relation to the CBE community into the building and allegedly sexually assaulted her. He has been arrested and is in police custody.”
The leadership of the synagogue, which is in the residential Park Slope neighborhood, has fired the employee and is cooperating with police. It also has changed the building’s locks and hired extra security.
According to the email, the employee had passed a background check before being hired and had no prior convictions.
“We are angry and saddened by what happened,” the email said. “We are committed to the safety and security of everyone in our buildings, and this employee’s act was a violation of that commitment.”
Reached by JTA, Beth Elohim’s leadership referred to the email.
