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An incident that shook the community
In the Crown Heights neighbourhood of Brooklyn, home to a large Jewish community, an extraordinary incident occurred – an unknown masked man tried to kidnap a child who was on his way to a synagogue for Shabbat with his father. This was reported by TimeUkraineIsrael with reference to Vesty.
The incident took place at around 15:30 local time. A man and his two young children were walking to synagogue when an unknown person crossed the road and suddenly grabbed one of the children. The father immediately intervened, pushing the attacker away, who then quickly retreated and hid in a building on Kingston Avenue.
Investigation and community response
The New York police, together with volunteers from the Shomrim organisation, have already identified the suspect. The incident has caused a significant response in the local community, as it is not the first such incident in the area. Over the past two weeks, at least four serious attacks on members of the Jewish community have been recorded in Crown Heights.
Yaakov Berman, a Chabad activist in New York, expressed concern about the rise in anti-Semitic attacks, noting that it is becoming a “disturbing trend” that threatens the safety of local residents. Last week, a man from the Orthodox community was brutally attacked, and several other incidents occurred at a kosher cafe where Jews were insulted and harassed.
Security efforts
The New York City Police Department and the Shomrim organisation called on the public to be especially vigilant and to contact law enforcement in case of suspicious behaviour. In this regard, the city authorities are stepping up security measures in areas with a high concentration of the Jewish population. Anti-Semitic attacks are considered a serious threat, and the authorities intend to act swiftly to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Against the backdrop of rising anti-Semitic sentiment, the Crown Heights community has demonstrated a determination to maintain its identity and solidarity, uniting in opposition to violence and intimidation.
