Rabbis Still Helping Man Who Robs Their Synagogue

Two rabbis at a Brooklyn Heights synagogue are committed to helping a career criminal who's a suspect in repeated break-ins at their house of worship. Rabbis Aaron Raskin and Simcha Weinstein (the "funny" Rabbi!) befriended suspect Davis Duvallya, 43, several years ago, giving him money and food whenever he asked. Duvallya has 29 arrests on his record and an apparent drug problem, and it seems he sees his charitable friends as gullible targets. He was recently convicted of burglarizing Congregation B'Nai Avraham on March 3rd, stealing a stereo and a charity box containing about $50, and police say he's the main suspect in several other break-ins, which cost the synagogue a laptop computer and toaster. Rabbi Raskin says Duvallya most recently tried to break in on Thursday at 3:30 a.m., but a cleaner scared him off. Now police are searching for him, but Rabbi Raskin tells the Daily News that if Duvallya surfaces, he'll won't turn his back on him: "I feel you have to separate the person from the act. If he's a thief, don't let him in. But what, you don't feed him? He should die? No." But should a man be rewarded for noshing the hand that feeds him?