Man arrested for alleged sexual assault at Brooklyn synagogue

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 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 neighborhood of Park Slope, has changed the building’s locks, hired extra security, fired the employee and is cooperating with police. The email said that 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.”