An Orthodox Jewish man was beaten and robbed on his way to synagogue in a quiet neighbourhood in Brooklyn last week.

The attack took place on Friday, 16 July at around 5:45am.

The 41-year-old victim was walking on New York Avenue when two men in hoods and masks approached him. They started punched the Jewish man in the head and stole his bag which is said to have contained religious items.

Local resident, Kim Kerr, who lives across the street from the synagogue said she witnessed what happened after being woken up.

“I was woken up by the commotion. It is really concerning,” Kerr told Spectrum News New York 1. “I did hear the gentleman calling for help, and then I did see, it must have been two kids running down the street.”

Gov. Andrew Cuomo has directed the NYPD’s Hate Crimes Task Force to investigate the attack as a possible hate crime.

According to police data, antisemitic attacks are up 66% so far this year, with overall hate crimes up 135%.

Police say they have recovered some of the victim’s property.

Due to observation of the Sabbath, several people who live nearby and who identify as Jewish said Saturday they could not be interviewed on camera; however, they said they found the incident very disturbing, especially because it took place on what is generally considered a quiet neighbourhood.

Related Articles:

‘Please bring her home’ – Father of 9-year-old, Emily, asks London rally for help to rescue his ‘sweet, innocent’ daughter

Thomas Hand, father of Emily, who turned 9 in Hamas captivity last week, was among family members of hostages that addressed the crowd at the 'Never Again is Now' rally in London on...

Why did Pope Francis promote hateful propaganda against Israel?

This week we saw an example of why those who are in authority need to be particularly careful with their words because they have the power to influence many people. Sadly, the Pope has...

‘Christians must not remain silent at this time’ – Des Starritt addresses pro-Israel rally in London

Des Starritt, Executive Director of Christians United for Israel (CUFI) in the UK, spoke at the Never Again Is Now prayer rally on Sunday 19th November 2023. CUFI was pleased to support...

Thousands rally outside Downing Street for Christian solidarity with the Jewish community

CUFI would like to thank all our supporters who attended the Never Again Is Now prayer rally on Sunday evening in a peaceful stand of solidarity with the Jewish community, and for all...

Comparing Israel to the Nazis is antisemitic

Comparing Israel to the Nazis is antisemitic. It's as simple as that. However, we know the world we live in cannot take a simple truth an all agree to it. In fact, the reason we have to...

SIGN OUR PETITION

in support of a National Holocaust Memorial next to Parliament