Williamsburg community shocked by latest violent beating of Jewish man

Jewish organisations in New York City said that they were “shocked and saddened” by “yet another unprovoked attack” on an Orthodox Jewish man in the city.

The Hate Crimes Unit of New York City Police Department is investigating the attack on the 26-year-old man in Williamsburg, a Brooklyn neighbourhood which is home to a large Orthodox community and has frequently been targeted for antisemitic attacks over the last five years.

Witnesses said that the victim had been chased by two individuals who struck him with sticks, resulting in a head injury.

The community’s Shomrim neighbourhood patrol and the Hatzolah emergency service attended the scene, alongside officers from the 90th precinct. According to NYPD, the attackers fled in a black sedan and the victim was taken to hospital.

In a tweet, the United Jewish Organisation of Williamsburg said that it was “shocked and saddened” by “yet another unprovoked attack in Williamsburg.”

The group added that it hoped for a quick arrest and appealed for “beefed up patrols” to halt this “trend of violence against community members.”

Other community leaders expressed similar frustration on social media. Councilman Kalman Yeger tweeted, “It doesn’t stop,” while Councilman Lincoln Restler said that he was “disturbed” to learn of the attack.

Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso said on n Twitter that this was not “the way we do things in Brooklyn.” He added: “Here we celebrate and love each other. I hope we find those who committed this horrible attack so that we could bring them to justice.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

Image credit: Algemeiner