A visiting professor at Harvard Law School discharged a pellet rifle twice near a synagogue in Brookline, Massachusetts, just before Yom Kippur. This incident raised serious concerns.
The professor, Carlos Portugal, 43, reportedly resisted security guards who tried to apprehend him. When authorities found him in his home, he bizarrely claimed he was “hunting rats.”
Really? In a residential neighborhood and right before one of the holiest days in the Jewish calendar?
Attendees at the worship service were understandably frightened by the professor, who leads a think tank in Brazil centered on social and environmental justice.
On Wednesday, two security guards at Temple Beth Zion heard the gunshots and confronted Portugal. A brief struggle ensued, and he was eventually handcuffed by the police.
Officers later discovered pellets inside a damaged car, suggesting the danger posed to those attending the synagogue was significant.
Portugal earned his law degree at Harvard and a PhD there in 2008, and is currently an associate professor at the University of São Paulo Law School. After his arrest, he faced charges including unlawful discharge of a firearm and disorderly conduct, yet he maintained that he didn’t believe he had committed a crime.
In an angering turn, the judge did not set bail for him. He’s expected back in court in early November.
As of now, Portugal remains employed at Harvard Law School, with a spokesperson stating he is on administrative leave as the university investigates the matter.
I suppose worshippers might find solace in the fact that his aim appeared to be off. But what if it’s different next time?
Why aren’t Jewish congregations being better protected against potential threats?
Incidents targeting synagogues are alarming. Just recently, two men lost their lives and three others were critically hurt when a man attacked pedestrians near a synagogue in Manchester, England, before he was shot by the police.
In a broader context, the Trump administration had previously accused Harvard of failing to protect Jewish and Israeli students from hostility, warning it would withdraw federal support unless reforms were made. Harvard has refuted these claims while engaging in a legal tussle regarding these issues.
Yet, the university’s responses to this recent incident signal a troubling continuation of the status quo.
