NYPD Investigating Assault on Jewish Man as Hate Crime

The New York Police Department is investigating the brutal attack of a Jewish man on his way to worship at a Brooklyn synagogue as a hate crime.

The report comes after the Flatbush Shomrim, an Orthodox Jewish volunteer civilian group, released video footage Friday on Twitter of two suspects in hoods and masks jumping the man and beating him for about 10 seconds before running away.

The NYPD's Hate Crimes division reported on Twitter the assault happened at 5:30 a.m. ET on New York Avenue in Flatbush.

The Shomrim reported its volunteers recovered the man's Tefillin, a set of small black leather boxes worn by most men from Orthodox and Conservative congregations and containing scrolls of parchment that are inscribed with verses from the Torah.

Shomrim tweeted it is offering a $1,000 reward for information that leads to the suspects' arrests, and also showed photos of the man's blood splattered on the sidewalk after he was attacked.

The New York Post, reporting on the incident, noted anti-Semitic attacks have grown by 69% this year alone, with 113 incidents in the first half of 2021 as compared to 67 during the same time period in 2020.

The Post also reports hate crimes in New York City have grown overall by 139% this year, with police saying they investigated 320 potential bias attacks through June 27. Last year, 134 incidents were reported in the same time period.

During the months in question:

• Attacks on Asian people grew by 400%, from 21 cases last year to 105 this year.
• Reports of Black people being attacked grew from 15 last year to 28 this year.
• Incidents involving Muslims went up from two last year to five this year.
• Offenses against Hispanics grew from none last year to four this year.
• Hate crimes against whites went to 11 this year from four last year.
• Hate crimes based on sexual orientation went from nine last year to 31 this year.

The count also included 13 cases that were motivated by gender, six by religion, and four by ethnicity, the NYPD reports.

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