NEW YORK โ An Israeli educator visiting Manhattan was hospitalized after an assault on Monday that witnesses and Israeli officials called antisemitic. The victim, identified by several outlets as 58-year-old Rami Glickstein, was walking toward the kosher restaurant Mr. Broadway on West 38th Street when a man approached, snatched his kippah, spat on it, and punched him in the face.
Glickstein was treated at Mount Sinai Beth Israel and later discharged, according to Israeli and U.S. reports. He told local media that the attack wounded his pride as an Israeli and that he regretted not being able to fight back. โMy Israeli pride was hurt,โ he said.
Officials and Jewish communal groups said the incident fits a pattern of rising antisemitic violence in the city since October 7, 2023. Ofir Akunis, Israelโs consul general in New York, said the attack reflected โdaily incitementโ aimed at Jews and Israel and urged U.S. officials to condemn such violence. Jewish organizations, including the Anti-Defamation League, have documented significant increases in antisemitic incidents nationwide in recent years.
Local reporting described the suspect as a man in his 30s wearing a dark hoodie who fled the scene. Eyewitnesses and bystanders called police and emergency services, and the victim was assisted into the restaurant by patrons before medics arrived.
The status of the investigation and the official determination of motive are not fully settled in public reports. Several outlets said the New York Police Departmentโs Hate Crimes Task Force was searching for the suspect and treating the case as a possible hate crime. Other reports, citing police statements, have said investigators were also considering the possibility that the assailant was mentally unstable and that the incident might not meet the legal threshold for a bias crime.
Community leaders and Israeli officials urged swift action. Akunis said the consulate had contacted the victim and his family and offered assistance. Jewish communal groups called on city authorities to prioritize the investigation and to take steps to protect visibly Jewish residents and visitors. The attack comes amid sustained appeals from Jewish organizations for greater policing and preventive measures in public spaces.
The episode also resonated with wider civic concern about public safety. New Yorkers have faced a series of violent incidents in recent months that Jewish groups say disproportionately targeted Jews. The ADLโs national audit documented thousands of antisemitic incidents in 2024 and a marked rise in assaults and vandalism, trends Jewish leaders say require coordinated law enforcement and civic responses.
For many in the Jewish community, the attack is a painful reminder of vulnerabilities that come with visible Jewish observance. Leaders urged witnesses to come forward with information and for authorities to use video and other investigative tools to identify the attacker. They also emphasized the need for continued community vigilance and for municipal officials to condemn public acts of hate promptly and unequivocally.
The NYPD did not immediately release a public suspect description beyond what has been reported. No arrest was announced as of the latest reports. City and federal authorities have stepped up efforts in recent months to investigate and prosecute bias crimes, but communal leaders say more sustained resources and clearer public messaging are needed to deter repeat attacks.
This incident is under active investigation. We will update this report as more information becomes available from police, prosecutors, and official spokespeople.
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This article is based on verified information from The Times of Israel, Ynet, JNS, The Jewish Chronicle, and the Anti-Defamation League.