A prominent rabbi was attacked outside a Manhattan synagogue on Tuesday by a backpack-wearing anti-Semite after he asked him to put his dog on a leash.
Rabbi Chesky Wolf began recording the stranger after he allegedly called Rabbi Wolf a “dirty Jew” just outside the doors of the Chelsea Synagogue on West 23rd Street between Sixth and Seventh Avenues.
The suspect then hit Wolf over the head with a tote bag, knocking off his glasses and yarmulke, according to video obtained by The Washington Post.
Wolf followed the man, who was wearing sunglasses, a blue baseball cap with the South Korean flag on it and blue pants, and questioned him about why he was resorting to hateful anti-Semitic words and actions.
The stranger took refuge in an apartment building on the same block as the synagogue and appeared unconcerned.
Police officers and emergency personnel responded to the scene, but details about the incident were not available from the NYPD as of Tuesday evening.
“Pending identification, he is hiding out in a high-rise apartment in Chelsea,” Carrie London, an attorney with Shulman & Hill, told The Post.
London said the assault began when Wolf asked a stranger to put his dog on a lead.
The lawyer said the rabbi was standing outside the synagogue when the puppy ran toward the synagogue’s open doors.
“He’s standing out front so the dog obviously can’t go in and the guy comes up behind the dog. [Wolff] “He said, ‘Can you put your dog on a leash?’ and the man looked at him and said in disgust, ‘You filthy Jew,'” said London, a member of the Chelsea Synagogue.
Sensing that the situation was quickly escalating, Wolfe pulled out his cell phone to record the encounter, but at that moment the man attacked him and tried to grab his phone.
London said the heavy tote bag, which appeared to be stuffed with books and a laptop, left a mark on the top of the rabbi’s head.
Fortunately, the father of six was not seriously injured but is terrified by the hatred shown by a possible neighbour, who has yet to be identified by police.
“It’s just sad that in this situation, Jews are finding themselves in this situation right now,” London said.
“Jews value unity and working together for a greater good. The rabbi still loves New York City and feels welcome here. He just wants anti-Semitism to go away.”
“He doesn’t want to have to fear that someone might attack him like they did this time.”
