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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Luigi Mangione, 26, who is accused of fatally shooting UnitedHealthcare Chief Executive Officer Brian Thompson, was arrested Monday after a customer spotted him at a McDonald's in Altoona, Pennsylvania, about 230 miles from Manhattan. Police said they found Mangione sitting alone at a table with a laptop at 9:15 a.m., wearing a medical mask, brown beanie, and dark jacket. An image shared on social media by the Pennsylvania State Police showed Mangione with a blue mask dangling from his ear as he ate a hash brown.

New York Police Department Commissioner Jessica Tisch said a "combination of old-school detective work and new-age technology" led to the capture. Police had circulated various images of Mangione nationally during their five-day search, including surveillance footage from a Manhattan Starbucks before the shooting and a shot showing him smiling at an Upper West Side hostel. The suspect, a high school valedictorian and Ivy League graduate from a wealthy Baltimore family, was tracked to Pennsylvania after allegedly killing Thompson outside a Manhattan hotel where an investors' conference was being held.

According to CNN, Altoona Police Officer Tyler Frye and his partner found Mangione at the McDonald's on East Plank Road off Interstate 99 after an employee called to report a suspicious person. According to the criminal complaint, when officers asked Mangione to remove his mask, he first presented a New Jersey ID with the name Mark Rosario. The suspect "became quiet and started to shake" when asked about recent travel to New York City, eventually admitting his real identity, CNN reported.

According to documents obtained by ABC News, Mangione was carrying writings expressing "disdain for corporate America" and frustration with the US healthcare system. In writings addressed to the "Feds," he wrote: "I do apologize for any strife of traumas but it had to be done. Frankly, these parasites simply had it coming." Mangione claimed that while UnitedHealthcare "has grown and grown," America's healthcare system remains expensive while ranking "about No. 42 in life expectancy."

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Three Jewish-owned businesses located close to each other on Manhattan's Upper East Side were vandalized early Wednesday morning, with their glass doors and windows shattered. The affected establishments were Level 78 barber shop on 78th Street and Third Avenue, kosher restaurant Rothschild TLV on Lexington Avenue and 79th Street, and The Nuts Factory candy shop on Third Avenue and 74th Street. The incidents occurred around 2 a.m. on Wednesday, coinciding with Israel's Independence Day.

In addition to Rothschild TLV and The Nuts Factory, a third Jewish owned business on the UES, Level 78 barber shop, was also broken into last night.
Photos the Israeli owner sent me show a mezuzah on the smashed front door. pic.twitter.com/foJ8BaeSRB

— Haley Cohen (@HaleyCohen19) May 15, 2024

A City Hall spokesperson acknowledged the attacks, telling Jewish Insider, "The NYPD is aware of a series of incidents that took place at several businesses on the Upper East Side of Manhattan and is investigating. We are also aware that many of these sites are visibly Jewish-run businesses, and we understand how unsettling this news may be for a community that is already on edge."

The spokesperson further added, "As part of the investigation, the NYPD is looking into whether these were biased attacks, and if found to be true, will not hesitate to arrest and charge the individuals responsible accordingly."

Owners suspect hate crimes

Rami "Richie" Yagudayev, the owner of Level 78, told JI that a phone used for playing music was stolen, but no money was taken from the register. He described the culprit as "an Asian man with his face covered by a mask," based on surveillance footage. Yagudayev, who is from Israel and has owned the barber shop for 10 years, said, "The blessings saved my shop," referring to the mezuzah – a sacred Jewish object fixed to doorstops – and photos of the Lubavitcher Rebbe displayed in the store. Upon learning about the vandalized windows at Rothschild TLV and The Nuts Factory, Yagudayev stated, "Now [it seems like] a hate crime."

Avital Chizhik-Goldschmidt, the rebbetzin at Altneu Synagogue on the Upper East Side, also spoke with JI, saying,  "History doesn't repeat but it definitely rhymes," drawing a parallel to Kristallnacht, the widespread attacks on Jewish-owned businesses in Germany in 1938. She emphasized that the Upper East Side attacks were "clearly an effort by terrorists to intimidate the local Jewish community."

Surge in antisemitic incidents

The incidents come amid a dramatic spike in antisemitism in New York City and in the US in general since Hamas' Oct. 7 terrorist attack on Israel. According to the ADL (Anti-Defamation League), there has been a 140% increase in 2023 from the 3,698 incidents recorded in 2022, highlighting the growing concerns within the Jewish community.

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Following the dramatic escalation of the anti-Israel campus protests – including the arrest of dozens of demonstrators by the New York Police Department who had barricaded inside Columbia University's Hamilton Hall – public officials and journalists praised the much-anticipated move.

No one has a First Amendment right to erect illegal encampments, blockade entrances, vandalize property, break windows and doors, block students from accessing campus, hold people hostage, and harass and intimidate "Zionists" (i.e. most Jews).

These are not activities…

— Ritchie Torres (@RitchieTorres) May 1, 2024

"We are finished for the night. To all of the NYPD tonight, simply put, great job! Strength and Honor to all of you" John Chell NYPD Chief of Patrol said on X, praising the successful encampment evacuation. Protesters have condemned the tactics as efforts to stifle free speech in support of Palestinian rights, to which Congressman Ritchie Torres responded, "No one has a First Amendment right to erect illegal encampments, blockade entrances, vandalize property, break windows and doors, block students from accessing campus, hold people hostage, and harass and intimidate "Zionists" (i.e. most Jews)." Torres' comment comes hours after barricading students demanded humanitarian aid from the university's officials, to which former Jerusalem Post Editor-in-Chief Avi Meir responded with "Lol" on X.

A spokesperson for the Ivy League institution stated that Columbia requested police assistance after "the building had been occupied, vandalized, and blockaded."

Lol pic.twitter.com/iwsckLQxPE

— Avi Mayer אבי מאיר (@AviMayer) May 1, 2024

The university defended the decision in a statement, saying "we were left with no choice" once protesters violated "the rules and the law." It emphasized the call to NYPD was "in response to the actions of the protesters, not the cause they are championing."

The Hamilton Hall takeover represented a major escalation as demonstrations criticizing Israel's military offensive in Gaza have spread across US college campuses in recent weeks. At Columbia, a tent encampment protesting the conflict had been established on campus grounds nearly two weeks prior.

I never thought in America I would have Jewish people thanking me for arguing that they have a right to exist. pic.twitter.com/2QpToDVyr8

— Christopher C. Cuomo (@ChrisCuomo) May 1, 2024

In a letter to senior police officials, Columbia President Minouche Shafik expressed "utmost regret" in requesting the removal of protesters from the occupied building and adjacent encampment. The arrests followed a pattern of forceful police responses to the volatile pro-Palestinian protests nationwide disrupting daily life on campuses as well as leading to violent incidents, especially towards Jewish students or pro-Israel activists. According to AP, in the span of the last two weeks, there have been over 1000 arrests.

In the wake of the troubling situation spreading nationwide, journalist Christopher Cuomo addressed the surge in antisemitism, saying on X: "I never thought in America I would have Jewish people thanking me for arguing that they have a right to exist." While many expressed gratitude for the stance, others criticized the journalist, stating he is a "genocide supporter" and a "pathological liar." 

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Twelve years after its initial run ended, the iconic US crime procedural "Law&Order" is getting a reboot – this time, with an Israeli actress.

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Odelya Halevi will be featured in the role of Assistant District Attorney Samathan Maroun.

Halevi, the daughter of a religious family from Rosh Haayin, has lived in Los Angeles since she arrived in the city at age 20 to study acting. She has played guest roles on "Mike and Molly," "NCIS," "Why Women Kill," "MacGyver," and "New Girl," as well as a recurring role on Freeform's "Good Trouble."

In an online panel NBC held ahead of the reboot, Halevi said, "It still feels like a dream, like, you know, someone pinch me. Because ever since I was a kid growing up, you know, in a foreign country, I've been watching the show in the '90s with my mom. And I said, 'Oh, Mom. I want to be like her. I want to be a lawyer. And my mom's like, 'No, you just want to be one on TV.'

"And so years later I find myself ... the ADA on this show that I used to watch every day, so I don't know. It's a dream. That's all I can say. I'm learning so much from my co-stars and I'm enjoying every minute and I just can't wait for a lot more of this dream."

Alum of the original series Sam Waterston is returning as his former character, DA Jack McCoy, and another series veteran, Anthony Anderson, is returning as Detective Kevin Bernard along with Jeffrey Donovan.

Camryn Manheim also stars as NYPD Lt. Kate Dixon.

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A yeshivah student in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn, NY, home to the Chabad-Lubavitch movement, was shot with a BB gun pellet on Monday night.

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According to the New York Police Department, a call came in to 911 at around 10:40 pm about a man "assaulted, possibly shot."

"Upon arrival, officers observed a 23-year-old male, dressed in traditional Jewish garb/attire, with a laceration to the head. EMS responded to the location and transported the aided male to New York Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital, in stable condition, where he was treated and released," said the NYPD spokeswoman.

"Further investigation revealed a black sedan (or possible small SUV) approached the corner where the victim was standing, and an unknown individual discharged a BB gun, striking the victim, grazing him in the head," she continued. "The vehicle then drove from the location. No words were exchanged."

She said "the NYPD Hate Crime Task Force was notified regarding the incident. There are no arrests and the investigation remains ongoing."

Jewish groups were quick to respond online.

"We are appalled by this apparently antisemitic incident and condemn it wholeheartedly," the New York/New Jersey division of the Anti-Defamation League wrote on Twitter. "We are in touch with NYPD Hate Crimes [division] and urge anyone with information about this incident to come forward."

Reprinted with permission from JNS.org.

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The New York Police Department announced on Monday the establishment of a Hate Crime Review Panel that will be led by a diverse group of community leaders to help officers combat hate-motivated violence.

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Five civilian leaders have also joined the panel, including Devorah Halberstam, co-founder and director of external affairs at the Jewish Children's Museum in Brooklyn. Halberstam's 16-year-old son, Ari, was shot and killed in a 1994 anti-Semitic attack on the Brooklyn Bridge.

The other community leaders on the panel are Fred Teng, president of the America China Public Affairs Institute; Pia Raymond, author, professor and social worker; Ed Powell, president of Brooklyn's 70th Precinct Community Council; and David Warren, a member of Manhattan Community Board 4, a board member of the pedestrian safety coalition ChekPeds and an active member of OutCycling, a non-profit LGBTQ cycling network.

The NYPD said in a statement that "collectively, our panelists represent decades of deep knowledge and vital experience. They will assess circumstances that present challenges in establishing whether a victim's actual or perceived race, national origin, ethnicity, religion, disability or sexual orientation were motivating factors in possible hate crime. Their contribution will enhance the department's work and improve service to all New Yorkers."

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Police Commissioner Dermot Shea said, "Our continuing partnerships with the community remain the cornerstone of our policing philosophy. Whether teaming our cops up with the community to clean graffiti, partnering with esteemed advisors to reimagine policing for the 21st century or ensuring an independent assessment of all potential hate crimes, we are always striving to make the department fairer, stronger and more effective."

Reprinted with permission from JNS.org

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According to NYPD spokesman Detective Hubert Reyes, the 51-year-old victim was walking down a street in Brooklyn, NY, on July 11 when occupants in a blue SUV began yelling anti-Semitic slurs at him. The victim answered them back, and "two men in the vehicle stepped out and punched the victim in the head."

The assailants drove off while the victim walked to a nearby hospital, where he was treated for a laceration to his head and a broken finger on his right hand.

"We are alarmed and deeply disturbed that another violent anti-Semitic incident has occurred in Brooklyn," said Etzion Neuer, interim regional director of the New York/New Jersey ADL. "This is horrific, and the hate must stop. The fact that this alleged attack took place during the Sabbath makes it even more egregious."

The ADL is offering a reward of up to $10,000 information leading to the arrest and conviction of the attackers.

Even though it has a large and heavily Orthodox Jewish population, Brooklyn is no stranger to anti-Semitic incidents.

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In December 2019 and January 2020, incidents were reported on a near-weekly basis. In one case, Tiffany Harris, an African-American woman, slapped three different Orthodox Jewish women in Brooklyn. She was arrested and released under the state's new bail-reform law, only to hit another individual shortly afterward and was again arrested for assault.

Reprinted with permission from JNS.org.

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The move was done in partnership with the Paul E. Singer Foundation, Carolyn and Marc Rowan, and several foundations, according to UJA in a statement announcing the move. Silber will begin on Feb. 3.

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"The recent wave of anti-Semitic crimes over the past week, including the horrific attack in Monsey, NY, during a Hanukkah celebration, demonstrates the urgent need for additional levels of security for Jewish institutions," said UJA CEO Eric Goldstein in the statement. "With his extensive frontline expertise protecting Jewish communities, Mitchell D. Silber is uniquely qualified to lead this team and work with Jewish institutions and city, state, and federal law-enforcement agencies to address the threats facing New York's Jewish community."

In the new role, Silber, 49, will lead a team of an additional five new security professionals to help provide the highest level of protection to Jewish religious and cultural institutions in all five boroughs of New York City, in Westchester and on Long Island. This will include developing the infrastructure to support and train professionals in synagogues, Jewish community centers, and schools.

He will work closely with JCRC-NY's David Pollock to lead a team to guide institutions to enhance their security, access government security funding, and build an enhanced communications system that will bind this work into an effective and efficient security network.

Silber most recently co-founded the Guardian Group with former NYPD Commissioner Raymond Kelly, where he also served as principal. His responsibilities included analyzing security threats and risks to Jewish communities in Europe.

He served as director of intelligence analysis at the NYPD from 2007 to 2012, and managed and developed the Intelligence Analysis Unit, Cyber Intelligence Unit, and Telephonic Analysis Unit.

Reprinted with permission from JNS.org.

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The New York Police Department handled 184 hate crimes from January 1 through June 2 – up from 112 in 2018 – despite the overall drop in crime in the city during that period, NBC News reported on Tuesday.

The figures show that 110 of the 184 incidents were against Jews or Jewish institutions, compared to only 58 in the same period in 2018.

Anti-Defamation League National Director Jonathan Greenblatt tweeted earlier this week that the report's findings were "troubling" in light of New York being "one of the country's most diverse cities."

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