Chezky Wolff, a rabbi in New York City, was allegedly attacked Tuesday by a reportedly antisemitic neighbor after Wolff asked the man to put a leash on his dog.
Wolff was outside his Manhattan synagogue, the Chelsea Shul, when the neighbor’s dog ran for the front doors, causing Wolff to ask the man to get a handle on his dog, according to the New York Post. In response, the man allegedly called Wolff a “dirty Jew,” prompting Wolff to begin recording the man, the outlet reported.
The man allegedly hit the rabbi with a backpack once Wolff began recording, apparently sending his glasses and yarmulke to the ground. (RELATED: Disturbing Video Leads to Hate Crime Charges Against 12-Year-Old Boy in Brooklyn)
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The video appeared to show that the alleged tote bag-swinging assailant was wearing sunglasses, blue pants and a light blue baseball hat displaying the South Korean flag. After the rabbi tried to confront the man about his alleged words and actions, the video appeared to show the alleged attacker leaving the scene and entering a neighboring apartment building on the same block as the synagogue.
The New York Police Department and paramedics arrived at the scene shortly after the alleged incident, according to the New York Post.
Wolff was not seriously injured by the alleged attack but told the New York Post that he was frightened by the hatred portrayed by his neighbor.
“The Jewish people are all about unity and they’re all about getting along for the greater good. The rabbi still loves the city of New York and still feels welcome here. He just hopes that the antisemitism goes away,” Wolff’s lawyer, Cary London, told the New York Post.
The alleged antisemitic attacker remains unidentified by police, according to the New York Post.
