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Yeshiva Student Assaulted by Truant Public School Teens

A group of young teenagers who were ‘playing hooky’ from a local public school walked past the Oholei Torah Mesivta Boys High School and started an altercation with the students there, which escalated until one Yeshiva student received multiple blows to the head. To make matters worse, police officers refused to take action and as of this moment have still not charged the assailant – citing fear of riots.

The incident occurred this morning, Wednesday, at around 10:15am in front of the Oholei Torah Mesivta Boys High School, located at 417 Troy Avenue. Just as the students were ending their morning break, a group of five young black teenagers (two boys and three girls) approach the students who were playing ball outside.

At first the encounter was friendly, with one of the black teens high fiving and shaking hands with the Jewish students – but the Yeshiva students largely ignored them beyond that. In an apparent effort to draw some reaction from the students, one of the antagonists ‘fell over’ a bike which was chained to pole, and another then intentionally stepped on it.

Approximately a minute later, the student whose bike was knocked over and stepped on confronted one of the black teens, who in turn spit in his face and then assumed a ‘fighting stance.’ The altercation quickly escalated to blows, with the Jewish student receiving eight punches to his face and head. Though some punches were thrown in return, neither of the black teenagers was hit.

The two assailants then high-fived and fist bumped each other as the school’s principal ushered all the students back into the school. The group then walked past the school pointing at and mocking their victims.

A moment later a school employee confronted the group, while witnesses notified police and Shomrim of the assault. Shomrim volunteers were the first to arrive on scene, just as the group scattered and fled.

Bystanders, students and witnesses chased the main antagonist, who gave up running just a block away, on Montgomery Street near Schenectady Avenue. Again, police were called to the second scene – which was quickly turning volatile, with dozens of black residents coming out of their homes to the aid of the suspect and some espousing anti-Semitic rhetoric.

With his face all bloodied and bruised, the victim refused to back down and stood there waiting for police to come, while the gathering crowd shamed and belittled him. “What are you making such a big deal out of it, get over it and go home,” said one man.

By the time police officers showed up, a very large crowd gathered, but officers were reluctant to take any action, some citing the fear of riots while other officers saying that they need to conduct an investigation.

Initially officers allowed the perpetrator to remain outside their custody, all while people were coaching him on what to say. “You don’t say nothing, you tell them they beat you up and stepped on you,” a woman was overheard telling the suspect.

A Hatzalah volunteer identified himself to police and attempted to approach the victim in order to administer first aid, but he was yelled at by an officer and ultimately refused permission to treat the victim.

Officers kept chasing away any Jewish bystanders, even threatening some with arrest if they did not leave, all while allowing non-Jewish bystanders to remain with the attacker.

Some thirty minutes later, police took the suspect to the 71st precinct, but as of publication he has still not been charged with a crime. Police say that they are still investigating.

Update 14:46: Police say that a 14-year-old suspect is currently in custody and hate crimes task force is investigating. Charges are currently pending.

Update 21:20: The suspect apprehended in connection with the assault on a Jewish student has been formally charged with Assault as a Hate Crime, after detectives determined the attack to have been motivated by hate. Police say the suspect shouted “I will kill them all” to one of his cohorts before attacking the student.

Two Black teenager beat and pummel a Jewish student.
Two Black teenager beat and pummel a Jewish student.

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The victim speaking with police.
The victim speaking with police.

 

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95 Comments

  • yossel

    i went to oholei tora 55 years ago andnothing changed the same attacks over and over same golus we need mochiach now

  • Disgusting

    Disgusting behavior by the teenagers, and disgusting behavior by the cops.

  • Sick of this Crap

    If the police dont do anything we are going to start our own riots!! This is sick!!!

    • With all due respect....

      Whats to come this summer depends entirely on the black community and their “leaders”. CH Jews have never attacked the blacks…There is no tension. The underprivileged black youths are more prone to violence and see Jews as an easy target.

      No need for you to create non-existent headlines about rising tensions.

  • whats new

    now the community council along with devorie halberstam and dov hikind can have a press conferance outside the museum and nothing once again yet nothing will be done big talkers small doers

  • Pedant

    The only solution to this is Shomrim, the only worldly institution that has proven effective in the slightest, to have an open line to the police department.

    The police have been helpful but yeah they will always be conservative in the face of a potential riots.

    Shiur gimel/riots/total war is no solution; we cannot escalate this because we have everything and they’ve nothing to lose. They aren’t brave and they aren’t smart but they are wicked and ruthless and have nothing to lose.

    It’s bad situation. We need Moshiach. We’ve had a few decades where could if we were dumb pretend that we didn’t but alas that is coming to abrupt end.

  • #7 is right

    the usual JCRC folks who live in tony upper sides and riverdale as well as ADL diversity folks will come. this would NEVER happen in Williamsburg or Boro Park since they have LEADERS not press conferencers who use it to get money.

  • sickening

    Omg look at the video. It is so obvious that these boys were playing ball I’m minding their own business and these Hooligans decided to look for trouble I’m hoping that the police will see this that our boys are innocent and they don’t go out looking for fights these kids have to be brought to Justice.

  • Yiden

    even police hate Jews.(not evn let hatzoalah help the bocher – hate crime)
    we can’t rely on any one except Hashem and the coming of moshiach speedily in our days takef umiyad mamosh.

    • Bubby

      Exactly. One of the boys is my einekel. The police hate us and want to see us leave. Where is Devorah Halberstam.? Anyone?

  • Qn for administration

    So whoever turned the camera and focused the video on the kids crossing the street – y didnt he run out and help instead of making sure the camera was focused properly?

    • Webby

      The panning of the video footage was the result of editing and not being moved during the incident.

  • Brian Creekmur

    I’m glad to see the students didn’t back down. No one deserves to be bullied. Maybe he was trying to show out for those two girls.

    • Licenced Therapist, MSW

      It’s sad, but we must remember that the African American is a person just like you, with feelings, etc. Obviously, once we learn new skills and habits we can overcome our feelings of anger and move towards acceptance, forgiveness. Our youth need to learn tolerance and awareness of other cultures who share our community with. With exposure, and will, we can achieve peace.

    • To Licensed Therapist

      You need to direct your message to the Black youth, not us.

      We never hurt or attack them in any way. We already have a built-in acceptance of other cultures. We don’t need to be taught that which we already know and behave accordingly. Actions speak far louder than words or philosophy or psychology.

    • CHLEAKS

      Dear Licensed Therapist,

      Go back to school and learn something about common sense and judging with your eyes and not with your heart.

      The Jewish boys responded with kindness and friendliness towards the Black Americans when they high-fived them. The aggression began with the black kids, that’s a fact, it’s right there on the video.

      Why are you racist towards your own people? why are you attempting to make this about two sides (actually blaming the Jews more), when clearly all aggression came from the blacks? Do you think it makes you open minded and a peaceful person?
      Newsflash: It doesn’t! it makes you weak!!!

    • Chaim H.

      To Licenced Therapist, MSW,

      In addition to highfiveing them, they should have Unchained their bikes and offered it to the black kids.

  • sbc2

    the police don’t feel confident to do what they’re supposed to do?

  • Priscilla

    The black teens who are like this kid, bully, trying to seem tough, in Crown Heights don’t only target Jewish kids, don’t worry about that, they bully their own fellow black teens mercilessly too. I have seen it on the sidewalks several times. Bullies are cowards, they will go after anybody they think can’t or won’t fight back. Shame.

  • To the Black community

    Attention Black community:

    You need to take responsibility for the actions of your youth. If you are going to SUPPORT a young Black man when you believe that he is innocent (e.g. Trayvon Martin), then you must CONDEMN a young Black man when all evidence shows that he is guilty. Sorry, but you can’t have it both ways.

    If you choose to stand up for the Black young man who clearly SKIPPED SCHOOL and ATTACKED a Jew, then you will be held equally responsible. You will be filmed and shown to the world for the anti-Semite you are.

  • Izzy Clapman

    This is proof that the houses on that block are not worth $2 Million bucks.

    If nice Yeshiva boys have to watch hooligans throw bikes on the floor and step on them, and the NYPD thinks it’s a joke it’s proof that this place is a…

    • Point taken, but

      Property values are not always directly related to crime. NYC is most certainly an exception to the rule.

      People who choose to live in NYC are already putting up with plenty of stuff (no parking, dirt, rudeness, etc.) crime is not going to make or break their decision.

      Hey, it’s multiculturalism, right?

  • Local resident

    At least that kid knows who’s not his friend all those that didn’t have his back, poor kids hope they have other play areas to get energy besides those 3 squares of a sidewalk those punks should of got slapped up. Summertime in Brooklyn

  • Hashem

    This is my school thank god not many people got hurt
    zuz are the heros

  • Anonymous

    there were two kids who were about to go hit and hold down till cops came but the menahel held us back

    • should've

      wow you guys really know how to deal with this type of stuff you should’ve done it

    • Anonymous

      The rabbis are to soft they should of let you swing at them teach them a lesson

  • Me

    Sorry licensed therapist. There is no excuse for their behavior. Don’t blame the victim!

    • FEH

      That’s what you get when you take a bleeding heart liberal & send it to college.

  • thirty kids?

    I am sorry. If that were my class, we wouldn’t have stood back. Thirty kids? against two? why didn’t that band up together and give those kids exactly what they deserved.

  • To the licensed therapist

    I am bothered by your words.

    The jewish youth do acknowledge the African Americans as you call them. They recognize all people, the violence here was out of pure boredom. Many people are violent when they’re bored. That’s it. Now what do we do about that?

    • FEH

      When my kids were bored, they took a ball & played soccer. Or they cooked. Or read a book. They didn’t beat up other kids.

    • Really

      The jewish don’t acknowledge African Americans. In the article and in the comments the didn’t not once say African Americans, they used the term “BLACK & BLACKS”. WHY THAT’S THE WAY THEY HAVE TO DESCRIBE THE KID. If it was a white child who did such, would they say “WHITE”.. or would they find some nice way to say it. This is a Jewish site so by all means they will bash the blacks.

      Blacks,white, Caucasian,jews or Chinese at the end of the day there’s one God and we all have to answer to him. There’s one heven one hell. God don’t separate us by the color of our skin to enter his gates.

  • Mother

    Looks like menahel zushe whilhem saves the day for the those punks by sending all the bochurim back inside… sad! Stand up!

  • Soxfan

    Poor tactics by nypd. No reason to stand around, listen to nonsense from people who have no idea what is going on, and wouldn’t know or care about the truth if it slapped them in the face. “Cuff ’em and stuff ’em” and figure it out inside where there are no cell phone cameras or meddling idiots.

  • Elyeh Chaim?

    It All Because Reb Elye Chaim Is not there anymore, he walked and all the low lives would run:)

  • Only 2-3 kids had guts!

    Why did only the kid who got punched and 2-3 others have the guts to stand up to these nasty kids? Anyways, you go boys!!

  • Mouth on the curb

    I wish I was there, I would pounded their faces into the sidewalks.

  • CHLEAKS

    …”but officers were reluctant to take any action, some citing the fear of riots….”

    Had the attacker been a Jew, they would have made an arrest and charge for “the fear of riots”.

    Heads I win, Tails you lose.

  • ch resident

    OMG!!!!
    ARE YOU KIDDING ME???????????
    THERE SHOULD BE SOME KIND OF LAW THAT IF SOMEONE IN A PUBLIC SCHOOL HARRASSES ANYONE THEN EVERY SINGLE STUDENT SHOULD GET A CONSEQUENCE EVEN IF THE OTHER STUDENTS HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH IT. THIS WILL STOP ANYONE FROM DOING ANY HATE CRIMES. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!!
    I DONT SEND MY SON TO OHOLEI TORAH FOR HIM TO BE HARRASSED BY SOME HULLIGANS WHO DECIDED TO PLAY HOOKEY. WHERE IS THE SUPERVISION IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOL THAT THESE HOOLIGANS GO TO?

  • SICKENING

    of what use are these cops???????????
    we better fight that this boy gets punished!!

  • Anonymous

    16
    Wow
    What is intresting, is the fact that another site today celebrated 30 years of the revolution in crown heights where the old comunity council was removed and replaced.

    It is obvious from this story and many other shortfalls in CH that the subsequent Vadd Hakalls only set us back about 40 years as far as quality of life and no affordable housing.

    How ironic

  • Proud of the boys who were brave!

    Proud of the brave boys and the victim for taking a stand!! A low life spits on you and threatens to kill you, and you showed him that you aren’t scared and no one messes with jews!

    • To #11

      KILL????? you obviously werent there, there was no death threat lol

  • WE WILL LET THIS SLIDE AGAIN!!

    Its obvious there is a problem of anti semitic violence from the black community( all the incidents of the last few weeks), directed against the jewish community.

    Its about time we confront the black leaders about this and demand they(at least try to) do something about this.

    NO MORE ceremonial photo ops!!

    • "Confront the Black leaders"

      There aren’t any “Black leaders”. There hasn’t been a Black leader since MLK.

      There are, however, leading “agitators”. Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson come to mind.

  • NYPD Discriminates!!

    If the cops indeed threatened the jews to leave, but let the blacks stay, that is a very troubling incident.

    we SHOULD NOT let this slide!!
    we should speak up about this. and not let ourseves be pushovers!

  • Yitzchak Mordechai

    Between what happened today (here it was today) in Tel Aviv with the darn Arabs & these black teenagers causing issues with Yeshiva Bachurim, enough is enough, it’s both insanity & craziness, bet the 2 they are both horrible & despicable ppl, I’m not saying all black ppl, it’s these teenagers & individuals, but these teenagers together with the Arabs both in the same day in 2 parts of the world, they hate jews & that’s what it is, it’s getting stupid & ridiculous with both of them they are both terrorists in this case, I can’t believe on the same day in 2 parts of the world, showing Jewish hatred & bigotry, they are both the same the only difference is the black teenagers aren’t gona blow themselves up but there was already a terrorist attack on Jews by black teenagers when they set fire 2 that Bais Rivka school bus, thats similar 2 an Arab terrorist attack, so we already know how far these teenagers will go & we know how far the Arabs will go. So they are both the trash of this world. It’s time 4 both of them 2 get a life.

    • Anonymous

      It’s so vile how some can claim anti-Semitism at the drop of a hat (literally charge a 14 year old with a hate crime for removing a boys yarmulke: https://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20160526/crown-heights/14-year-old-charged-with-hate-crime-for-grabbing-boys-yarmulke-hat) while condemning entire communicaties of Blacks and Arabs summarily.

      It’s obvious the Black children in the video started the altercation, to claim it’s a hate crime when 30 students face off against 2 and the Jewish kid obviously put his hands up and darted into the street to fight before any physical act by the black kid is suspect. And again, these are children, the hate spewed against 14 year olds as opposed to attempts to diffuse the tension in the community is worrisome.

  • oy ohlei Torahniks!

    2 vs. 20? pathetic!
    in United Lubavitch Yeshivah the bochurim would’ve defended themselves a lot better.

    • shocked at ur words

      who do you think you are? pointing names and stereotypes?
      here they are, the goyim, fighting against us jews. Cant we do the small act of being a unified nation…..1

    • Ohley Toranik

      But when it came to Basket Ball we’d shmear them, every time

  • C.R.

    The black children are learning to hate Jews from their parents/teachers/preachers. Unless they see that they will have consequences for hurting Jews they will keep doing it. We need to turn to Hashem. A Goy police officer is not going to care that another goy is beating up a Yid- he might even enjoy it! As you see they wouldn’t even let Hatzala treat the bochur. Ana Hashem hoshea na!!!!!

  • Glad we left

    Seems every day I am adding this comment.
    Don’t people realize there is an entire country that doesn’t live like this..
    Yes there is anti-Semitism but our kids can walk the streets safely. We went from a completely alarmed house to barely locking our doors.
    We can await Moshiach anywhere.

  • at

    horrible crime. why were the mesivta boys playing ball on the public sidewalk?

  • Crown Heights' Finest

    21

    Bravo to this brave fourteen year old who fought off two haters of Israel!!! Why was everyone just standing around watching?Stand up for justice and be proud to be Jewish! This young hero did!

  • Does what's right!

    We can really learn from this Bochur!
    He made a kiddush Hashem kiddush Lubavitch!
    This world needs more ppl like this!

  • A devestated Oholei Torahnik

    What’s with all those sidewatchers. You see a friend getting hit by someone and you don’t go to his aid?!
    Bunch of cowards. What has happened to the great OT?!

  • Need a plan

    R Willhelm has to coordinate a plan with shomrim and police. And let them talk to the whole school. The problem is not going away.

  • Outraged!!

    So the police charged him with a hate crime.
    The DA will drop it, just like he did with bus arson perps.
    why do we keep letting these things slide?!

  • Those boys........

    Those boys should have been in school not hanging around the streets looking for a fight..

  • C. Cohen

    I drove by when all this was happening a black lady was screaming to the cops to leave the black thug alone. – then the cop stormed over to B. Lifshitz and started screaming at him to leave immediately, Binyomin answered very respectfully but the cop kept screaming – then another cop realized I was witnessing the whole thing so he started shouting at me “this is not a show” – it is quite clear the cops in CH are not protecting the Jews they are protecting the black population and themselves

  • sbc2

    GREAT that they took measures which are expected in such a situation. They need to do what Guliani (G-d bless him) did, and that was, to show a strong response of justice.

  • 6360

    I am wondering what is doing with the black community’s religious leaders. Are there any who care about their own member’s children and families? Some bnei noach work needed here. It can’t always be the politicians. By nature, a politician…..is not for morality

    • To 6360

      They have no religious leaders.
      All they have are “Photo op” leaders that our Crown Heights “Machers” pose with for photos.

  • Bad police

    The police are horrible to us Jews!!! Screaming at Jews to leave? And letting the black thugs stay? Shame on the 71st!

  • Jason

    Stop hating on the cops. I grew up where stuff like this betwee kids. The cops broke it up and sent kids on their way if only fists were involved and no major injuries. There wasn’t all this political correct nonsense you people are spewing that how dare these kids not get arrested by the ‘goy’ cops. Give me a break. It seems here that many need to make this an international incident when this is kids being kids. If weapons or these same kids involved become a problem and continue were starting pronlems this would be a different story. these jewish kids are living in an inner city area. Not a place for boys to be raised like precious flowers. This will continue. Time to toughen up.

    • Pedant

      The cops handled things well, we have terrible neighbors in the aggregate. We’ve been here for years and this isn’t anything new, and we have and will continue to demand to the extent that it is in our power that the laws be enforced. We know how to live in these the ‘inner cities’ and that is by constituting a large portion of its tax base and raising hell demanding that thugs are treating as the law dictates. It is to our benefit that we demand the rule of law and it is to your benefit that we do also, and frankly it is to our neighbors benefit too, whether they have the wisdom to recognize that at all.

      The blacks here are at a much higher level than they are in other ‘inner cities’ and they and you have Jewish civilization to thank for that.

      I don’t know who you are, Jason, but we’ve been here long enough to how best to agitate for our interests.

    • OTnik

      “Only fists” were involved…

      Sorry but a bnei Yisroel was also involved,

      du shvantz du, you thick heel’d GOY

    • Jason Shame on you

      If you don’t see why it’s shame on you, then I’m not sure that I can explain it to you. There are some things that you either understand or you don’t, explaining won’t and can’t help when it comes to them.

      I don’t raise my kids to toughen up in regards to getting physically beaten. You may not relate to that, so maybe relate to someone telling you to toughen up in regards to getting slashed or having people killed every once in a while.

      So no, we don’t want to raise our kids to toughen up to punches, kicks, and physical aggression. We’ll leave that to those who choose that, we’ll choose differently. It would be nice if at the very least you can do your thing and respect others that want to choose to live and raise their children differently.

  • Keesha Nateesha

    Photography. People should always use their smartphones to video those criminals and the police response. Photography is not a crime!
    Honestly I think the cops did choose the right decision because of the real fear of riots and because it kinda looks bad twenty Jewish kids vs 5 animals.

    Sadly this is reality and we have to deal with it.

  • Malach Hamaves

    Why were the police called? These thugs need to be taught a lesson “Lemaan Yadeu V’Yirau” and make their friends think twice about even looking at Yidden the wrong way.

    • Pedant

      You need to rethink that, because that happy ending isn’t the only way that strategy works out in the end.

      You need to think these things in terms of cost, meaning how much are we will willing to lose vs what they can afford to lose.

      The answer is more shomrim and more working with the police and not pitched war with all the implied consequences, vedal.

  • Locked and Loaded Lubavitcher

    I wonder why something like this would NEVER happen in Bensonhurst……. Over there, little Luigi and Giovanni would walk down the street and a group of 20 – 30 of the “scum of the earth” would run and hide like the vermin that they are!! And let me tell you, they have a beautiful neighborhood now because of it.
    The cops and politicians in CH will NEVER be there for you or for justice! EVER!!
    When the Jews in CH learn to “deal” with the human scum like the Frum community in Williamsburg do, (which is a “multi-faceted” approach which includes: learning how to “beat the living daylights” out of attackers like this and doing it consistently, making sure that the politicians THAT COUNT are working for YOU, and not the other way around, and making sure that the “bakkshish” for the “higher ups” of the local police is well recieved……) then, and ONLY THEN will things begin to change in the larger picture! (Save for Moschiach coming of course). Enjoy the summer.

  • David

    The kids who were the aggressors should clearly be punished somehow but to label children as animals and condemn them to death and also some fully grown people on here saying I wish I was there to do this or that…. These are the reasons tensions always run high in Crown Heights.
    This is a simple case of bullying, point blank. It’s not racism anti semitism or a hate crime. Some kids that think they can take advantage of some other kids.

    • Pedant

      The kids were behaving worse than animals behave.

      Man was put on earth to make the world a better place.

      If a human being cannot be here without robbing/killing/beating then he has no right to be here and indeed should be killed (in a perfect world).

      The 7 Noahide commandments are super simple, and super basic, but they aren’t negotiable. You just have no right to be here if you can’t refrain from beating/robbing/killing other human beings.

  • ethics of liberty

    Murry N Rothbard postulates in ethics of liberty what if aliens landed tomorrow, would they be granted human/civil rights? possibly, depending on if two conditions were met. 1) do they contribute to the division of labor., and 2) what is their nature. if they were violent and killed and maimed wantonly, like a vicious animal, they would be treated as the threat to civilized society that they are they same way we treat animals both wild and domestic, which exhibit these same behaviors.