The Orthodox Jewish Public Affairs Council (OJPAC) said on Twitter an attacker wearing a scarf stabbed the victims at a house in Monsey, Rockland County, about 30 miles north of New York City.
All five victims were taken to local hospitals, the council said, adding that two of the victims were critical, with one of them stabbed at least six times.
The attacker fled in a gray Nissan Sentra, according to the OJPAC. Local media reports said police were searching the area for the assailant. The Ramapo Police Department did not immediately comment on the situation.
An OJPAC official, Yossi Gestetner, told The New York Times the attack happened at around 10 p.m. during a Hanukkah celebration that was being attended by many dozens of people at the rabbi's home.
About a third of the population of Rockland County is Jewish, including a large enclave of Orthodox Jews who live in secluded communities.
New York Attorney General Letitia James said she was "deeply disturbed" by the events in Monsey.
"There is zero tolerance for acts of hate of any kind and we will continue to monitor this horrific situation," she said in a Twitter post.
New York City's police department said on Friday its officers were stepping up patrols in heavily Jewish neighborhoods following a spate of anti-Semitic attacks.
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