Recent antisemitic violence has Staten Island's Jewish community on edge
NEW YORK - The Staten Island community and clergy of all faiths are rallying behind the victim of an antisemitic hate crime.
The Staten Island Council of Jewish Organizations banded together at Borough Hall, speaking out against a hate crime that shook the community on Feb. 12.
"We had an antisemitic attack three days ago. A young man, 26-year-old from Brooklyn ... He was beaten up with a baseball bat, simply because he was Jewish," COJO Staten Island CEO Scott Maurer said.
Police said the victim was working as a driving instructor near Grandview Avenue. He was a wearing a yarmulke and had just gotten out of his vehicle when a man approached.
CBS New York's Natalie Duddridge spoke to the victim by phone.
"He asks me, how do I know that I'm Jewish? Before I know it, his hands are in my face and I start, like, yelling at him and screaming like for people to come ... And he's like 'you dirty Jew,'" the victim said.
The victim said the suspect started to back off, but then took out a metal bat.
"He started whacking me, hit me in the ribs," the victim told Duddridge. "I fell to the floor and then he started banging my head at least ten times with the metal bat."
He needed stitches for a cut to his head, and had bruises to his body.
"Once people started running towards us, he fled the scene. If no one was there, I probably would've died," the victim said.
Police arrested and charged 29-year-old Obadiah Lashley.
"He has been arraigned. He was arraigned yesterday on charges of assault in the second-degree," Anthony Crawford of the Staten Island DA's office said.
The Anti-Defamation League said between Oct. 7 and Dec. 7, antisemitic hate crimes spiked 337% compared to the year before, but they added these crimes have spread fear since long before the war between Israel and Hamas.
"American Jews make up more than 2% of the ... U.S. population yet accounted for more than half of religious and motivated hate crimes in 2022, according to the FBI," Orit Lender of COJO Staten Island said.
That's why clergy of all faiths are fighting hate with love, and are encouraging the community to speak out and support one another.
