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Edited by: Fern Sidman
In a disturbing turn of events, anti-Semitic attacks have escalated in Brooklyn, New York, with two recent incidents highlighting the increasing threat faced by the Jewish community, as was reported the New York Post. The assaults, occurring just days apart, involve physical violence and robbery, shedding light on the brazen nature of the perpetrators and the urgent need for attention to this growing issue, the report added.
On Friday, Joshua Merenfeld, a 40-year-old Jewish father of five, fell victim to a violent assault in front of his own home in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn. Dressed in Jewish religious garb and celebrating the first night of Hanukkah, Merenfeld was attacked by an unknown assailant who hurled anti-Semitic slurs, including the vile phrase “Dirty Jew,” according to the Post report. Merenfeld recounted the severity of the beating, describing how he was repeatedly pummeled, knocked over, and stomped on. The assailant, wearing a mask, stole Merenfeld’s phone before fleeing the scene. He was was later spotted entering the Kingston Avenue and Eastern Parkway subway station.
“It was a real beating,” Merenfeld told NBC 4, noting that he was pummeled repeatedly, knocked over and stomped on. “Definitely doesn’t feel good to have this happen in your own front yard.”
As he was being attacked, Merenfeld said, the assailant “used a bunch of anti-Semitic terminology and profanities,” according to the Post report.
The report in the Post also noted that despite the attack occurring in a well-lit area early in the evening, the assailant’s audacity was evident.
Merenfeld, now sporting bruises on his face, spoke out about the incident, emphasizing the dangerous nature of the attacker. According to the Post report, he sought medical treatment at Mount Sinai Beth Israel hospital and highlighted the need to address such brazen acts of violence in the community.
“This is a dangerous person. It didn’t happen at twelve o’clock at night at a back alley somewhere. This happened in front of a well-lit building on Eastern Parkway at seven in the evening,” he told NBC.
The following day, another anti-Semitic incident unfolded in broad daylight in the Borough Park section of Brooklyn, the Post report said. CCTV footage captured the moment a 20-year-old Hasidic man, wearing a $2,500 traditional fur headpiece known as a shtreimel, was robbed. The Post report added that the victim, engaged in a brief interaction with a man on a moped, and had his shtreimel forcefully taken as the suspect rode away.
Both incidents are currently under investigation by the New York Police Department (NYPD), which has released video footage to seek public assistance in identifying the suspects involved.
These incidents are part of a larger trend of anti-Semitic attacks plaguing New York City. Mayor Eric Adams addressed the alarming increase in hate crimes during a Hanukkah rally, citing a 250% jump in attacks targeting the Jewish and Muslim communities over the past two months, the Post reported.
The surge in hate crimes coincides with the ongoing Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.
“In this moment of high tension around the globe, it is more important than ever that we stand together as one, united against the rising tide of hatred and religious intolerance. We’re seeing it, and we’re feeling it,” Adams said at the time, as was reported by the Post.
Mayor Adams emphasized the importance of unity against hatred and religious intolerance.
