A 29-year-old man has been arrested following an alleged attempt to set fire to the Young Israel of West Hempstead on Long Island.

According to Nassau County police, the suspect allegedly ignited a sign outside the Orthodox shul early Thursday morning, October 22, and attempted to push the burning material beneath a door leading into the building. Investigators say he also set fire to a nearby bush before leaving the scene.

The suspect was subsequently taken into custody and charged with arson and criminal mischief in connection with the incident.

The alleged attack targeted a shul serving West Hempstead’s large Orthodox Jewish community, where numerous families regularly gather for davening, Torah learning, and community activities.

Authorities have not publicly established whether the suspect specifically targeted the building because it was a Jewish institution. The incident nevertheless prompted concern among residents over the possibility of an antisemitic motive.

The attempted fire is particularly troubling because of the danger posed by deliberately igniting materials near an entrance to an occupied or potentially occupied building. Even a relatively small fire can spread rapidly if it reaches combustible materials or enters an enclosed space.

Police have identified the suspect as Azzm Khan, a 29-year-old resident of Lakeview, a community neighboring West Hempstead. He was arrested at the scene without incident and subsequently arraigned Thursday in First District Court in Hempstead.

Investigators say the incident began at approximately 11:30 p.m. Wednesday, when a witness spotted a man damaging the side mirror of a Nassau County Police Department auxiliary vehicle parked near Hall’s Pond Park on Hempstead Avenue. The witness contacted 911, prompting officers to search the surrounding area.

While police were looking for the individual responsible, another person approached the officers and reported seeing someone starting a fire nearby.

Officers proceeded to the Young Israel of West Hempstead, located at 630 Hempstead Avenue, where they encountered Khan and discovered a bush burning outside the building.

According to investigators, Khan had removed a lawn sign from the surrounding neighborhood, set it ablaze, and attempted to slide the burning material beneath the shul’s entrance door. When that effort failed, he allegedly placed the flaming sign into nearby shrubbery, causing the bush to catch fire.

Police say Khan then returned to the entrance and repeatedly kicked the door, damaging it.

In a message distributed to members of the shul, its security committee provided additional details about the incident, reporting that the suspect had initially attempted to force his way into the building by striking the glass entrance with a bat.

The reinforced glass held, preventing him from gaining entry.

The shul’s statement also indicated that the fire went out without spreading into the building, b’chasdei Hashem.

No injuries were reported, and the building did not sustain the extensive fire damage that could have resulted had the flames reached its interior.

Khan was charged with third-degree arson, fifth-degree arson, and two counts of third-degree criminal mischief. According to a report in Newsday, he pleaded not guilty at his arraignment before Judge Maria Boultadakis, who set bail at $500,000.

Authorities also linked Khan to the earlier damage to the police auxiliary vehicle, which had initially brought officers into the area.

Yisroel Szpigiel, first vice president of Young Israel of West Hempstead, expressed concern over the incident, telling News 12 that while the neighborhood has experienced minor vandalism in previous years, nothing comparable had occurred.

“There’s no place for hate in our town. Nobody should have to endure something like this,” Szpigiel said. “Whether it’s our shul or any of the churches or any of the organizations in the neighborhood. We’ll have to be here to protect each other.”

Nassau County Legislator Olena Nicks also condemned the incident and expressed solidarity with the congregation.

“An attack on any place where our neighbors gather to pray is an attack on the whole of our community, and I condemn it without reservation,” Nicks said.

She praised the response by Nassau County police and said law enforcement agencies were working together to protect the congregation and surrounding neighborhood.

“To the rabbi, the leadership, and every member of Young Israel: You are not alone,” Nicks said. “West Hempstead is a community that looks out for one another, and the people of the Fifth District stand with you.”

Following the incident, the shul’s security committee began coordinating with the Nassau County Police Department and the Department of Homeland Security to review existing security arrangements and determine whether additional precautions are necessary.

The committee also received surveillance footage of the incident, which was provided to investigators.

Community members were urged to remain vigilant, immediately report suspicious activity to police and the shul’s security personnel, and avoid confronting suspicious individuals themselves.

Local officials indicated that police patrols in the area would be increased ahead of religious services.

The investigation remains ongoing, and authorities have not publicly established a motive for the alleged attack. Although the circumstances have raised concerns about possible antisemitism, the police department’s initial announcement did not identify the incident as a hate crime.

Police said there were no known continuing threats to the community following Khan’s arrest.

The incident has nevertheless heightened security concerns in West Hempstead, a community with a substantial Orthodox Jewish population and numerous shuls, yeshivos, and other Jewish institutions.

For members of Young Israel, the fact that the suspect was unable to enter the building and that the fire did not spread beyond the immediate area was a source of considerable relief.

The congregation expressed appreciation to the Nassau County Police Department for its response and thanked community members for their concern and support.

Anyone with information about the incident is being asked to contact the Nassau County Police Department’s Fifth Precinct at 516-849-0266 or its Hate and Bias Hotline at 516-500-0657.