The incident took place shortly after 4:00 p.m. (local time) near the corner of Kingston Avenue and Lincoln Place – just one block from Chabad's headquarters.

According to police, the stabbing began with a verbal argument that initially appeared random between two men. The suspect walked away from the scene, but the victim, a 35-year-old man, followed him, and the two became involved in another confrontation that turned violent. According to reports, the attacker began cursing Jews and even said, "It's okay if the Holocaust were to happen again."

At this point, according to law enforcement sources, the suspect pulled out a sharp object and stabbed the victim in the chest. Despite the injury, the victim continued to chase the suspect for some distance. He was taken to Kings County Hospital, treated and released, with his condition described as not life-threatening.

Video: The incident on the subway / Credit: Mandy Asraf

Police are examining reports that antisemitic statements were made by the suspect during the confrontation – a detail that strengthens the suspicion of a hate crime. The investigation is taking place against a backdrop of growing tension in the Jewish community, partly following the attack in Sydney, Australia, and a recent antisemitic assault on the New York subway.

We just had a huge tragedy in Bondi Beach, and everybody in this neighborhood, in particular, is connected. We are all one body, literally, figuratively, and it's horrible," Crown Heights resident and Chabad community member Karna Nebenzahl said.

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In 2024, ASIO identified the IRGC as the mastermind behind fires at a Sydney kosher restaurant and a Melbourne synagogue. "These were extraordinary and dangerous acts of aggression orchestrated by a foreign nation on Australian soil," Albanese declared during a press briefing.

Ambassador Ahmad Sadeghi and three diplomatic staff have one week to leave, a move unprecedented since World War II. Australia has also suspended its embassy operations in Iran to ensure staff safety and issued a travel warning for citizens to depart Iran promptly.

The IRGC – Iran's elite military force, notorious for quelling internal protests and funding Middle Eastern militias – will now be classified as a terrorist entity, aligning with a 2019 US designation. "I've said many times that the Australian people want two things: They want killing in the Middle East to stop, and they don't want conflict in the Middle East brought here. Iran has sought to do just that," Albanese emphasized.

"They have sought to harm and terrify Jewish Australians and to sow hatred and division in our community," he continued. ASIO Director-General Mike Burgess detailed the IRGC's use of a sophisticated proxy network. "This was directed by the IRGC through a series of overseas cut-out facilitators to coordinators that found their way to tasking Australians," he stated.

The first incident occurred in October 2024, when Lewis' Continental Kitchen, a 50-year-old kosher eatery near Sydney's Bondi Beach, was set ablaze. In December 2024, Melbourne's Adass Israel Synagogue was torched by assailants using flammable liquid. Victoria's counter-terrorism unit has charged two men, with a third arrest made recently.

Since Israel's response to Hamas' October 7, 2023, attack, antisemitic acts in Australia have spiked. "ASIO is still investigating possible Iranian involvement in a number of other attacks. But I want to stress, we do not believe the regime is responsible for every act of antisemitism in Australia," Burgess clarified.

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke condemned Iran's actions as an "extraordinary attack" that marked a "new and totally unacceptable low." "Australia was attacked and Australia was harmed," he asserted. Foreign Minister Penny Wong warned Australians against traveling to Iran, noting limited government protection. "I urge any Australian who might be considering traveling to Iran, please do not do so. Our message is, if you are an Australian in Iran, leave now if it is safe to do so," she urged.

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In a disturbing escalation of tensions, three New York City synagogues and The Brooklyn Museum received false bomb threats on Saturday, prompting evacuations and concerns over rising antisemitism. The incidents came days after an Israeli restaurateur's eateries were defaced with swastikas amid the heightened Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The Upper West Side's Congregation Rodeph Sholom was evacuated after police received a bomb threat report around 3:15 p.m. The threat was ultimately deemed unfounded. Another threat targeted the progressive, LGBTQ-friendly Congregation Beit Simchat Torah, though no one was inside at the time. It too proved to be baseless. Later, at 5:15 p.m., The Brooklyn Heights Synagogue received a bomb threat, forcing the evacuation of three employees before no explosives were found. A fourth threat was reported at the Brooklyn Museum around 5:30 p.m., but it was also determined to be false. Earlier reports of a threat against Chabad of Midtown were unfounded.

Authorities are investigating whether the threats were connected, but no credible danger was found. The incidents prompted a forceful response from New York Governor Kathy Hochul, who stated, "Threats have been determined not to be credible, but we will not tolerate individuals sowing fear & antisemitism. Those responsible must be held accountable."

3 New York Synagogues evacuated after receiving bomb threats.

Congregation Rodeph Sholom, Chabad of Midtown and Congregation Beit Simchat Torah were all evacuated this afternoon.

After evacuating all three Jewish synagogues as a safety precaution, police determined that the… pic.twitter.com/UltrfC126I

— Oli London (@OliLondonTV) May 5, 2024

Just days earlier, the same Israeli restaurateur whose kosher Upper East Side restaurant was subjected to back-to-back antisemitic attacks saw another of his eateries, ZiZi in Chelsea, defaced with swastikas. Owner Sharon Hoota arrived Tuesday to find two hate symbols – one red and one black – spray painted on ZiZi's outdoor dining area.

"This is, I believe, no different than what the Jews saw in the 1930s in Germany," Hoota told The New York Post. Hoota said at least 10 Israeli and US flags have been torn down from ZiZi since Hamas' October 7 attack. His Hummus Kitchen previously was attacked by an assailant who tried to tear down a flag before assaulting staff. "I feel unsafe as a business owner, as a citizen, to put the flags outside...I'm unprotected," Hoota stated. "Unfortunately, this type of thing is still happening in New York, and actually, it looks like it's getting worse."

Not peaceful. Not normal. Not lawful. This is a brazen hate crime and must be reported as such. Those responsible must be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law. I also encourage our friends and neighbors to drop by Zizi's in Chelsea to grab a bite and demonstrate… https://t.co/w8qwLMziIX

— Mark Treyger (@MarkTreyger718) May 4, 2024

Mark Treyger, CEO of the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) of New York, said, "This is not peaceful, this is not lawful and this is not normal and this is happening on the eve of Holocaust Remembrance Day. This is a dangerous escalation of what we've already been seeing." While thanking officials for engagement, he lamented the extreme security required to practice faith safely, stating, "We cannot normalize that in New York City in the year 2024...we will never accept this as normal."

The disturbing incidents underscore growing concerns over antisemitism amid the escalating Israeli-Palestinian tensions.

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A satirical news show and an interfaith coalition of high school students dedicated to fighting hate are among the winning projects from the groundbreaking American Jewish Committee (AJC) Disrupt Antisemitism initiative, the first incubator to fund innovative ideas by young American Jews to combat antisemitism.

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A panel of AJC staff, journalists, and business leaders considered nearly 70 submissions and selected five. Each will receive $10,000 in seed money from AJC as well as access to AJC experts in advocacy, finance, and technology to help launch their projects locally, nationally, and online.

"Bold new ideas are critical to combat the growing threats to Jews in the US," said Meggie Wyschogrod Fredman, Director of AJC's Alexander Young Leadership Department. "The creative thinking of Jewish innovators will help the rising generation of American Jews lead us in fighting hate."

The winners were announced a week after AJC's The State of Antisemitism in America 2021, the largest-ever surveys of American Jews and the US public on antisemitism in America, was issued. Among its findings were that 90% of American Jews believe antisemitism is a problem, nearly one-quarter reported they experienced antisemitism in the last 12 months and 39% limited their activities or concealed their Jewishness out of safety concerns. In addition, 86% of American Jews, ages 18-35, think antisemitism is a problem, with 37% saying it's "a very serious problem," in the US today, and 30% said it has increased a lot over the past five years.

The winners of the Disrupt Antisemitism initiative include:

Olive Branch Pictures: Olive Branch Pictures is a graphic novel and animation studio that fosters mutual understanding between Israelis and Palestinians. Olive Branch is producing a film and graphic novel called Shira and Amal, about an Israeli girl and a Palestinian girl who learn to cope with the loss of loved ones by escaping into the world of music.

Uri L'Tzedek: The Orthodox social justice organization based in Scottsdale, Ariz., is guided by Torah values and dedicated to combating suffering and oppression. Uri L'Tzedek will take on antisemitism in progressive spaces by conducting workshops with partner organizations on how antisemitism is manifested and can be fought.

New Zionist Congress: The goal of New Zionist Congress is to combat the rising tide of anti-Zionism in youth-centered spaces. According to AJC's recently released State of Antisemitism in America survey, over 80% of both Jews and the US public consider anti-Zionism – as represented by the statement "Israel has no right to exist" – antisemitic. The group's board members include journalist Bari Weiss, Israeli actress Noa Tishby, and columnist Blake Flayton, the group's CEO.

Jew or False: A digital content series designed to fight antisemitism, Jew or False is a satirical news show that aims to fight Jew-hatred, inspire Jewish pride, and correct misinformation on issues important to the Jewish community. The project is led by writer and director Jason A. Kessler.

Intercommunity Youth Initiative: Conceived by students from Yeshiva University Los Angeles High School, the initiative will bring Jewish and non-Jewish high school students together for a fellowship program designed to build trust, foster understanding, and fight antisemitism and racism.

AJC has taken action to combat antisemitism since its founding 115 years ago. It works with governments to act and forge alliances with other religions and ethnic groups to form a united front against hate. AJC has conceived and helped establish bipartisan taskforces in the House and Senate to combat antisemitism to address antisemitism and protect Jewish communities.

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Actor Jonathan Lipnicki, who became famous at age six when he played the part of Renee Zellweger's son in "Jerry Maguire," has now taken on a new real-life role as a martial arts instructor who is helping defend Los Angeles Jews against antisemitic assaults.

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Lipnicki has joined a volunteer effort launched in May, during Operation Guardian of the Walls against Hamas infrastructure in the Gaza Strip, which led to a spike in antisemitic incidents in the US and elsewhere, notably Los Angeles, where such events had been relatively uncommon.

Remi Franklin, a mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter, began accompanying members of the local Jewish community to and from synagogue, and enlisted a few friends with fighting skills. Lipnicki, 30, is a black belt in jiu-jitsu and has competed internationally.

Speaking to the entertainment website TMZ, Franklin explained that Jews had recently been the target of increased hate crimes and violence, and said that the goal of the volunteer initiative was to help Jewish worshipper feel safe going to and leaving synagogue.

"Everyone has the right to pray without being harassed," Lipnicki said, adding that in Judaism, there is a tradition according to which two angels accompany people on their way to and from synagogue.

"So a lot of people in the community started calling us their 'Shabbat angels,'" Franklin added.

Franklin said that the synagogue where members of the project had provided security had been the site of antisemitic incidents, with worshippers subject to Nazi calls on Friday evening and Saturday – when Orthodox Jews are without cellphones and cannot document the incidents.

Franklin said that "showing presence" was the most important aspect of deterring attacks.

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Nearly a dozen European countries are "insufficient" in their efforts to meet the challenges of anti-Semitism, a report by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom found.

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"Sadly, 2020 was another difficult year for global antisemitism" between COVID-19 unleashing an "avalanche" of antisemitic propaganda to physical attacks on Jews worldwide, said Gary Bauer, a commissioner with the organization, as well as president of the American Values think tank.

His comments came during an hour-long briefing on the just-released "Antisemitism in Europe: Implications for US Policy" from the commission, a US government body established by the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998.

"Even dead Jews were not allowed to rest in peace," said Bauer, noting that Jewish cemeteries were frequent targets for graffiti and vandalism with headstones overturned.

The report examined antisemitism in 11 European countries – Belgium, France, Germany, Hungary, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Russia, Sweden, Ukraine and the United Kingdom – and sought to answer the fundamental question of: "Are Jews able to live openly and freely as Jews, in whatever manner they wish?"

The sizes of the Jewish communities ranged from 1,500 in Norway to 448,000 in France, and found that in 10 out of 11 of the countries featured efforts to meet the challenges of antisemitism remain "insufficient."

The only country to avoid this designation and "exceed" efforts to combat antisemitism was Norway, which has a comprehensive national plan to combat the scourge, as well as sufficient funds for security measures to protect the Jewish community, among other positive measures.

According to Andrew Srulevitch, director of European affairs and assistant director of international affairs for the Anti-Defamation League, who worked on the report, there is "massive underreporting" of anti-Semitic acts in Europe. He pointed to a 2019 survey by the EU's Agency for Fundamental Rights that asked members of the Jewish communities whether they had reported to the police or any other organization the "most serious" antisemitic incident that occurred in the last five years.

"In every country, the vast majority of victims had not reported the incident," he said, adding that this is hugely "problematic."

In France, for instance, which has a large Jewish community, it would seem as if they have a lower rate of antisemitism than other places with smaller communities, but the reason for their numbers correspond to incidents not being reported.

According to Srulevitch, Jewish leaders are also noting a reporting "fatigue," as the Jewish community feels their reports are often not taken or treated seriously. That, he said, leads to less reporting – a "trap we have to avoid."

He added that the Jewish community's lack of trust in their local authorities is another "critical" issue.

Perhaps the one place where underreporting is not the norm is in the United Kingdom, where Jewish communal leaders have stressed the importance of reporting any and all incidents and acts of antisemitism to the Community Security Trust, which is devoted to protecting the UK Jewish community.

Battling the tendency to get 'demoralized'

David Weinberg, ADL's Washington director for international affairs who also worked on the report, noted that while the United States cannot go in and fix another country's antisemitism problems, it definitely has a role to play in helping to combat it.

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For instance, he said, the United States can provide European countries with training and best practices to combat antisemitism and counterterrorism. It should also urge every nation in the European Union to appoint a coordinator whose sole focus should be on anti-Semitism and not hate in general.

Also, said Weinberg, the US Commission for American's Heritage Abroad can play a larger role at calling out vandalism at Jewish sites like synagogues and cemeteries, and the congressionally approved and authorized Office to Monitor and Combat anti-Semitism should be fully staffed as quickly as possible.

Among the report's recommendations are that European governments wholly fund security requirements of Jewish communities, which Srulevitch noted is currently done in only Hungary, Norway and the United Kingdom; reform education to include positive portrayals of Jews and their contributions to the individual country and the world; and improve law enforcement's handling of antisemitic crimes.

Acknowledging that not only Jews but all people can get "quite depressed and demoralized" at the "enduring nature of antisemitism," Bauer tried to offer a bit of hope during the presentation when he noted that "it is important to take heart that the nations' most known for their oppression of Jews are long gone."

Reprinted with permission from JNS.org

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