A rabbi was stabbed eight times outside a Jewish school in Boston after an attacker allegedly tried to force him into a car and kidnap him.

Shlomo Noginski was approached by a man carrying a gun yesterday afternoon in the city’s Brighton neighbourhood.

A struggle ensued outside the Shaloh House Jewish Day School after the assailant pointed his firearm at him and said ‘open your car’.

Rabbi Noginski, 55, gave him the key and said ‘here’s the key’, to which the suspect replied ‘No, you open the car’, the school’s director Rabbi Dan Rodkin told CBS local news.

As he was stabbed the school, which was hosting a summer camp, went into lockdown.

The suspect was identified as Khaled Awad, 24, who police quickly arrested, finding on him a knife and a gun.

He is expected to face charges of assault and battery by means of a dangerous weapon and assault and battery on a police officer.

Investigators are still trying to determine a motive for the attack, but local Jewish groups said: ‘As a community, an attack on one of us is an attack on all of us. If one of us feels vulnerable, we all are vulnerable.’

Rabbi Rodkin added: ‘We are moved by the outpouring of support from the community.

‘We are working closely with Law Enforcement to get a clearer picture of what happened, and will not comment on the motive while the investigation is ongoing.’

Rabbi Noginski, who was born in Russia and has Israeli citizenship, came to Boston for a short time as an as ’emissary’ for the Chabad Jewish movement.

Consul General of Israel to New England, Meron Reuben, told the Boston Herald: ’We are very concerned, and we are following the situation very diligently.’

Rabbi Noginski was said to be in ‘good spirits’ and in a stable condition in hospital.

In a statement, the school’s director said: ‘We are all very shaken by what happened and ask for you to please keep Rabbi Noginski in your prayers for a refuah sheleima, speedy and complete recovery.

‘We are heartened by the outpouring of concern and compassion we have received in just the last hours since the incident.’

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