NYPD, DOJ Investigating Antisemitic Subway Incident Involving Chabad Students
The NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force and the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division are investigating a disturbing, caught-on-camera verbal and physical confrontation targeting a group of Chabad bochurim on the New York City subway earlier this week.
According to police, officers responded at approximately 8:40 p.m. Monday to a 911 call reporting an assault on a southbound No. 3 train near the Nostrand Avenue station in Brooklyn. Two bochurim in their early 20s told police they were confronted by two unidentified individuals who began yelling at them, grabbing their jackets, and making verbal threats.
Officials said the victims were part of a group of eight young men who study at the Chabad-Lubavitch World Headquarters at 770 Eastern Parkway. The group had been returning from a Chanukah celebration in Union Square when the incident began on a subway platform and continued onto the train after a transfer at the Franklin Avenue station.
Cell phone video circulating on social media appears to show one suspect aggressively grabbing a passenger by the jacket, while another hurls threats. Police say that while the video does not capture the full exchange, the suspects allegedly made explicit antisemitic remarks during the encounter, including a statement of “F— the Jews.”
According to investigators, one suspect allegedly grabbed one of the victims by the collar, pointed his finger at him in a gun-like gesture, and threatened, “I’ll kill you.” The group exited the train at the Nostrand Avenue station and immediately contacted police. No injuries were reported.
“At first it’s scary—we travel on the subway every day,” one student told local media.
Others emphasized that the Jewish response to hatred is to increase light and pride in Jewish life—especially during Chanukah.
“Our response is always the same: to respond with light, to be more Jewish, more visibly Jewish, and proud,” one community member said. “That’s how we combat it.”
The incident has drawn attention from city and federal officials. The Department of Justice confirmed it is reviewing the case, while New York City Mayor Eric Adams condemned the attack, stating that hate and antisemitism will not be tolerated in the city.
The MTA also released a statement affirming that hate crimes have no place on the subway system or anywhere in New York.
As the investigation continues, the NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force is reviewing surveillance footage in an effort to identify and apprehend the suspects. Meanwhile, members of the Crown Heights and broader Jewish community say they remain committed to spreading the light and message of Chanukah—standing stronger, prouder, and more united in the face of hate.
