Azzm Khan, of Lakeview, charged in connection with vandalism at Young Israel of West Hempstead synagogue
Nassau County Police arrested a person suspected of vandalizing the Young Israel of West Hempstead synagogue late Wednesday night. Credit: Jonathan Singh
A Lakeview man was charged with arson and criminal mischief as hate crimes Thursday after he allegedly tried to shatter a glass door and start a fire at a West Hempstead synagogue, according to court records and Nassau police.
In a news release, police said that officers responding to a mischief call around 11:30 p.m. Wednesday night found Azzm Khan, 29, near a burning bush outside Young Israel of West Hempstead.
Their investigation later determined that Khan had lit that fire after first igniting a lawn sign and trying to shove the lit sign under the synagogue door, police said. According to police, Khan also damaged the synagogue door by repeatedly kicking it. He was also found to be responsible damaging the side mirror of an auxiliary police vehicle parked nearby — the cause of the mischief call that had brought police out to the synagogue in the first place.
Kahn pled not guilty Thursday at his arraignment before Judge Maria Boultadakis at First District Court, Hempstead, on two counts of criminal mischief and two of arson, according to court records. Bail was set at $500,000. He is due to appear again in court Monday. His lawyer, Mindy Ellen Plotkin, could not be reached.
Synagogue leaders did not agree to an interview but an emailed statement from Rabbi Joshua Goller and synagogue president Tsvi Kushner said in part: "Our doors will remain open, and our services and programs will continue as scheduled. We will not allow this incident to change who we are or how we serve our members and our neighbors."
Members of the synagogue’s security team contacted Homeland Security, according to the announcement. A representative for New York State's Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management said it had not been notified by the security team; the press office for the federal Department of Homeland Security did not respond to a request for comment.
In a phone interview, Nassau County Legislator Olena Nicks (D-Uniondale) condemned the vandalism.
"I don't want our residents to be fearful, but this is a concern," said Nicks, who said she'd spoken to Nassau Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder and that the department had increased police patrols in the area.
Many area residents were already unnerved by the discovery earlier this week of a swastika carved in a Long Island Rail Road train, Nicks said.
After that incident, "the offensive vandalism on the back of one seat was rapidly removed," a railroad representative wrote in an email.
There were 38 religion-related hate crime incidents in Nassau County in 2025, according to the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services — the most of any county, outside of Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens. Of those incidents, 24 were motivated by bias against Jews.
Nicholas Spangler is a general assignment reporter and has worked at Newsday since 2010.
Luxe apts. got tax break without affordable housing ... Suburban voters and midterms ... LI employs 90% of highest paid government employees ... County on hook for $70M for dangerous intersection
Luxe apts. got tax break without affordable housing ... Suburban voters and midterms ... LI employs 90% of highest paid government employees ... County on hook for $70M for dangerous intersection
