BROOKLYN, N.Y. — A Hasidic man was attacked in Crown Heights on Wednesday, marking the third antisemitic assault in the Brooklyn neighborhood within the past eight days, according to local authorities.
The incident occurred when the victim, described as a middle-aged Hasidic man, was approached by two assailants, one of whom was masked. The attackers reportedly demanded the man’s cellphone, and when he refused, they chased and beat him, according to Yaacov Behrman, a liaison for Chabad Headquarters. Behrman shared that the victim was left in “excruciating pain” and was transported to the emergency room for treatment.
“The police are investigating the incident,” Behrman stated in a social media post.
Orthodox Jewish news outlet COLlive.com reported that the suspects in Wednesday’s assault were two Black teenagers. The NYPD has not yet confirmed any arrests in the case.
This attack follows two other assaults on Orthodox Jewish residents in Crown Heights. On Monday, a 13-year-old Jewish boy was slapped by an African American male while riding his bike to school. Less than a week prior, another visibly Jewish man was slashed in the face while walking in the neighborhood.
These recent incidents are part of a troubling pattern of antisemitic violence in Crown Heights, which has seen multiple hate crimes targeting the Jewish community over recent years. In July 2023, a 22-year-old Israeli Yeshiva student was stabbed with a screwdriver and punched in the face by two men who asked him if he was Jewish and had money. Earlier that year, two young Jewish boys, aged 10 and 12, were assaulted by a group of teenagers.
Community leaders have expressed concern over the frequency of these incidents and the impact on relations between the Black and Jewish communities in the area. Local authorities are urging anyone with information on the recent attacks to come forward as they continue their investigations.