The fatal stabbing of an elderly couple on Saturday, January 22, 2024, has thrown the Borough Park neighborhood of Brooklyn into shock. Jacob and Rachel Sperber, both 75, each sustained multiple stab wounds from the attack.
The perpetrator was their 46-year-old son, Meyer Sperber, who neighbors say was mentally challenged. The killing is one highly unexpected event in a neighborhood with a reputation for peace and quiet.
As word of the terrible act spread, neighbors gathered outside the home. “I got scared. I got scared. I heard and I came very fast over here to see what’s going on,” said Ruhda Rosenberg, a neighbor. Law enforcement agents also filled the street as they tried to restore calm to the shaken neighborhood.
The response team took the Sperbers to Maimonides Medical Center by Hatzolah, where doctors confirmed them dead.
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The suspect barricaded himself in the house as police arrived but was later arrested by the police. Cops took him into custody without much resistance. He was rolled on a stretcher and had some scratches on his head.
The atmosphere remained gloomy. “We all feel that it’s a terrible tragedy that happened here. No words to describe. Very painful,” another neighbor said.
Another neighbor, Shmiel Weiss, provided information about the suspect to the press. “He was mentally ill and they loved him and thought he would be fine,” he said.
A neighbor with close ties to the family described Meyer as a troubled man. According to the neighbor, “Meyer went through a few big crises in his life.”
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“He fell into depression. He was institutionalized for months, maybe two or three times. Then he came out,” the neighbor said. “He was on medication and was seeing psychiatrists. When the meds didn’t work, from time to time they used to take him into the hospital.”
In addition, a friend of the suspect told reporters that Meyer was divorced with seven kids. The suspect had also lost his job. These unfortunate incidents led to the escalation of his mental illness.
“He came to shul every weekend. I saw him, I knew him. He was a disturbed person. He had a lot of life issues,” the friend continued.
The Sperbers were well-known Jewish people in the neighborhood. “They were special people,” Weiss said. “It’s unfortunate that this is how their life had to end. But we don’t know God’s plans.”
According to Rabbi Pinchus Citron, Jacob Sperber’s parents met at Auschwitz, and both survived the holocaust. His mum later died when he was just 9 years old. This loss gave Jacob a special compassion for troubled teens.
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“There were a lot of struggling teens through the years that came into the shul,” Citron revealed. “He always used to visit and talk with them for hours and hours. He would advise them on the challenges they went through,” he further said.
“Every morning his wife used to send 10 to 15 sandwiches. They would look like they came from a restaurant. … They would give them to kids he was mentoring.”
However, it wasn’t exactly clear what triggered the stabbing, but investigators are working to learn everything they can about the incident.
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