By: Fern Sidman- Jewish Voice News

In a case that calls attention to both the persistence of serial offenders and the vulnerabilities faced by New York’s religious institutions, a habitual burglar with a long rap sheet was arrested Wednesday after brazenly stealing from a Brooklyn synagogue and attempting an improbable escape along the elevated subway tracks of Borough Park. According to a report on Wednesday in The New York Post, career criminal Arthur Jack, 55, now faces his 18th arrest after an early-morning theft at Congregation Shaarei Zion of Bobov, a prominent synagogue serving one of the largest Hasidic Jewish communities in the city.

The incident unfolded around 4:45 a.m., when Jack crept into the synagogue near 15th Avenue and 48th Street and allegedly removed $285 in cash from a locked charity box—money intended for communal support, a deeply symbolic and sensitive target in a neighborhood where faith-based philanthropy is an essential part of daily life. As The New York Post reported, the heist was not the work of an opportunistic thief but a man well acquainted with New York’s criminal justice system and with a long history of targeting houses of worship.

What followed was a chase as cinematic as it was dangerous. Witnesses, who had been inside the synagogue during the burglary, quickly realized what had happened and pursued Jack for more than half a mile through Borough Park’s still-sleepy streets. Their vigilance, as noted in The New York Post report, proved pivotal in aiding law enforcement’s quick response.

Cornered and desperate, Jack took the chase into far more perilous territory: a climb onto the elevated D line subway tracks at 50th Street, a move that risked both electrocution and a fall from height. With trains still running and NYPD units closing in, his bid for freedom—described by police as both reckless and futile—ended at the station, where officers intercepted him before he could disappear into the shadows of the transit system.

Jack was promptly arrested and charged with burglary, criminal trespassing, and criminal possession of stolen property. For officers familiar with the pattern of crimes at synagogues and small businesses in certain parts of Brooklyn, the arrest felt grimly familiar. For Jack, who spent a decade in Fishkill Correctional Institution before his 2023 release, it was yet another entry in a criminal history stretching back more than a decade.

The burglary at Congregation Shaarei Zion of Bobov was not the first time Jack targeted Jewish religious institutions. As The New York Post previously documented, Jack was arrested in 2012 after breaking into a synagogue in Flatbush, where he stole not cash but two items of symbolic and cultural significance: a bottle of vodka and a bottle of scotch. Though the theft itself seemed almost anomalous—more reminiscent of petty larceny than calculated burglary—it signaled a troubling pattern of targeting sacred spaces.

Later that same year, Jack was charged in connection with a string of burglaries across Brooklyn, reinforcing the perception among law enforcement that his behavior was neither situational nor opportunistic but a sustained pattern of criminality.

What distinguishes Jack’s criminal trajectory, however, is not merely the frequency of his arrests but the clear escalation in the seriousness of his offenses. While early incidents involved alcohol theft, his more recent crimes include targeting cash donations—money reserved for charitable works within religious communities already grappling with financial strains and increased security needs.

Synagogues in New York City—particularly those in Brooklyn’s densely populated Orthodox enclaves—have in recent years become increasingly aware of their security vulnerabilities. Thefts, vandalism, desecrations, and targeted crimes have created an atmosphere of anxiety requiring synagogues to invest heavily in surveillance, guards, and security training.

While $285 may seem a minor financial loss, the symbolic cost to a community whose charitable funds are deeply tied to religious obligation is far more profound. According to community members who spoke to The New York Post, the theft felt like both a violation of their sacred space and an unwelcome reminder of the rising number of incidents targeting Jewish institutions across the borough.

That the burglary occurred in the early hours of the morning—when worshippers often begin arriving for dawn prayers—added to the sense of vulnerability. And Jack’s dangerous flight onto subway tracks only underscored the unpredictability and potential escalation of these crimes.

Jack’s 17 previous arrests—and now his 18th—raise uncomfortable questions about broader public-safety challenges in New York City. As The New York Post frequently highlights in its coverage of recidivism, the city has witnessed repeated cases of career criminals cycling through the justice system with little indication of meaningful rehabilitation or deterrence.

Jack’s 10-year prison sentence for burglary, served at Fishkill Correctional Institution, ended only last year. The rapid return to similar criminal behavior after release is emblematic of systemic failures: in reentry support, in mental-health and addiction treatment, and in supervision mechanisms for high-risk individuals.

An NYPD official speaking to The New York Post emphasized that while police can make arrests, the broader cycle of recidivism requires multi-agency solutions. Jack’s case, in their view, is a stark example of the persistence of chronic offenders who exploit soft targets, burden communities, and strain law-enforcement resources.

An often-overlooked aspect of the Borough Park incident is the decisive role played by congregants who witnessed the theft and immediately alerted authorities. As The New York Post report noted, their willingness to follow Jack for more than half a mile—while maintaining safe distance—enabled police to pinpoint his location quickly and prevented him from disappearing into the neighborhood’s network of residential streets.

Community vigilance has long been a hallmark of Orthodox Jewish neighborhoods, where individuals often take collective responsibility for security. Yet even as officials praised the witnesses’ actions, they cautioned against residents putting themselves in harm’s way during such pursuits.

Jack’s decision to climb onto the elevated D-line tracks could have resulted in serious injury or death—either for himself or any bystanders attempting to follow. Police later emphasized that while citizen reporting is invaluable, high-risk chases must be left to trained officers.

As of Wednesday night, Jack was awaiting arraignment in Brooklyn Criminal Court, where prosecutors are expected to underscore his extensive criminal history in their recommendations. Whether he remains detained pending trial will be watched closely—not only by Borough Park residents but by New Yorkers more broadly concerned about the revolving door of habitual offenders.

The case also intersects with ongoing debates over bail, sentencing laws, and public safety policy—issues that The New York Post has extensively covered in recent years. Critics of current laws argue that individuals with long arrest histories should face stricter consequences and tighter supervision, particularly when they repeatedly target vulnerable communities or sacred spaces.

Despite the shock and disruption of the morning’s events, leaders at Congregation Shaarei Zion of Bobov expressed gratitude that the theft was quickly resolved, that congregants were uninjured, and that the perpetrator was apprehended. While the incident reignited concerns about synagogue security across Brooklyn, it also reinforced the strength of community networks and the responsiveness of local police.

Yet the episode remains a sobering reminder that recurring threats continue to affect religious institutions—even in neighborhoods known for tight-knit cohesion and vigilant communal oversight.

As the investigation proceeds and Jack faces his latest criminal charges, the Borough Park community, alongside New York police, will continue to assess how best to prevent future incidents and ensure the safety of the city’s synagogues.

In the words of one community member who spoke to The New York Post, “He stole more than just money—he stole our sense of peace. But we won’t let that stop us.”