A Muslim man attacked a Chabad rabbi Saturday night as he was conducting the annual ceremony to light the public Chanukah menorah in Stefenfaltz Square in the city of Vienna, Austria.
Rabbi Dov Gruzman Shliach in Vienna, Attacked
A Muslim man attacked a Chabad rabbi Saturday night as he was conducting the annual ceremony to light the public Chanukah menorah in Stefenfaltz Square in the city of Vienna, Austria.
The attacker hurled himself at Rabbi Dov Gruzman, principal of the city’s Jewish school run by the Chabad-Lubavitch Chassidic movement, and began punching him, a local resident told Arutz Sheva.
As the rabbi tried to hold off his attacker, the Muslim suddenly bit his victim, severing part of his finger in the process. The Muslim was caught and arrested by police, and was held for questioning. The rabbi was evacuated to the hospital where doctors rushed to reattach his finger.
Gruzman told Arutz Sheva that the Muslim had raced towards the entrance at the beginning of the ceremony and began to curse the Jews who were there and the Jewish people in general. “I tried to hold him off, to keep him away from the entrance and he bit me really hard, and that’s how he injured me,” he said.
The event itself did not discourage Rabbi Gruzman, and in fact strengthened his resolve. “We are glad that such an event occurred,” he said. “Today, because of what happened, we are planning [a much larger event]. We increased the number of sufganiot [Chanukah jelly doughnuts] from 50 to 700 – and this is our answer to the attack and to anti-Semitism.”
However, the rabbi himself will be unable to participate in Sunday evening’s ceremony due to the fact that he is still hospitalized, and being monitored for infection from the bite. Nevertheless, he emphasized, through the Chanukah lighting ceremony he sends his blessing to every Jew around the world.
guest of gruzman
Rabbi gruzman is a genuine person! He should go mechail el choyil
muser
Wow, Rabbi g.,
Good thing he only bit off part of one finger, otherwise the baker would never be able to keep up with the resultant sufganiot order!
May the lighting of each candle frame illuminate more opportunities for you to be a kiddush Hashem.
muser
Oh, I forgot, may you have a speedy, infection free recovery.
gods right hand man
Being so close to the tree 0f life ain’t easy
Austrian Embassy
European countries are overly hospitable and welcome to Arab thugs while Antisemitism continues to rise. Why didn’t they have antiquate police protection for the Jews at the Menorah lighting event? Call the embassy in Washington and voice your opinion there.(202) 895-6700
Michael Tobias
If only you were allowed to carry firearms in Vienna, then the attacker would never attack anyone else.
A CHASSID
WOW!WOW!WOW! HOPE HIS FINGER IS OK
We R Chabad
It’s amazing, something bad befalls Chabad, and on VIN, all the comments are anti Chabad, saying how horrible we are to go out in public with our electric Menorahs to fight the enemies.
mordechai
this biting mania made me thing of lousy mike tyson, who bit off the ear of evender hollyfield a few years back.
Biteing is the way yishmael is expressing his anger to the fact that he is being wiped out of the heavenly realms/ yishmael was a full out mistake to begin with. a wild animals on the loose, in the heavenly realms and in olam haze as well.
May our Tefilos strengthen Am Yisroel
Refuah Shleimah to Rav Dov Gruzman.
Shloimeh
Refuah Shelaima, Rabbi
G-UNIT
I THINK WE NEED TO START BY MAKING A SPECIAL FORCE FOR DEFENCE WITH THE US.ARMY BESIDES FOR TZIVAS HASHEM
Chayaleh
A total refuah shleima to the Rabbi. I hope this attack’s result does not interfere with t’fillin wrapping. Oy va voy. :-( What these monsters do to us!
Beth
Refuah Shleimah, Rabbi Gruzman. May H’ give you strength and health to go on standing up for Klal Yisrael and doing what is fair and right. You have tremendous courage and provide a light for us to hold true to mitzvot. Kol Hakavod and thank you for setting a wonderful example.
Ron
When I was in Vienna several years ago, there were flyers posted one day on the train station platforms calling for a rally by an anti-Semitic political group. To the praise of the local authorities, they were all removed by the following day.
Sadly, that is the widespread atmosphere of many European cities, in addition to Muslim hatred.
Rephael Martinez
May his recovery be safe and speedily.
What ever happened to self defense?