Matthew Karelefsky: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know

https://heavy.com/news/2019/06/matthew-karelefsky/

Matthew Karelefsky has been identified as the man accused of arson and attempted murder after police say he set a fire in Brooklyn targeting a rabbi he held a deadly grudge against. The four-alarm fire burned three homes on Thursday, June 13, and injured 13 people, including a baby, authorities in New York say.

Karelefsky, a 41-year-old former teacher from McKeesport, Pennsylvania, who also goes by the name Menachem Karelefsky, has a tattoo on his arm reading, “Never let go of the HATRED — KILL Rabbi Max.” Rabbi Jonathan Max lives in one of the homes burned in the fire, the New York Times reports. He was not injured.

Karelefsky had long expressed hatred for the rabbi online, including on social media pages and Jewish websites. He accused the rabbi of sexual abuse — without any evidence — in apparent anger over personal dealings with Max. “He’s been making threats against Rabbi Max for years,” a friend said. “As a last resort, he told a friend that he was gonna spread false rumors that he was molested by him. They are completely false.”