Bronx woman says man threw concrete slab through her window because she displayed Israeli flag
NEW YORK -- The NYPD's hate crimes task force is investigating after someone hurled concrete through a Jewish woman's apartment window.
A piece of plywood now covers Rochelle's front window. The last time this Bronx mother looked through the glass, she was preparing Shabbos on Friday.
"I noticed a young man crossing, from the corner of my eye, holding something in the back," said Rochelle.
She showed us security camera footage, which she claimed shows the moment a man walked up and hurled something through her second-story window.
The heavy slab of concrete missed her by inches.
"I actually just froze for a split second and stood there because there were shards of glass on my sweatshirt," she said.
Rochelle believes the man targeted her window for the Israeli flag and pro-Israeli sticker she displays.
"This was a hate crime," she said.
Overall, NYPD data shows hate crimes are down so far in 2023. But last month, antisemitic hate crimes spiked 50 percent compared to last year and made up the majority of hate crimes reported in the city.
"It doesn't just affect the victim, it affects the entire community because everybody wonders 'Am I next?'" said Scott Richman, regional director of the Anti-Defamation League.
Recently, the ADL released a report finding 2022 was the worst year for antisemitism in the U.S. in four decades.
"There's been a general rise in hate," said Richman.
Rochelle said she's sharing her story as a warning, not to instill fear.
"Be more of who you are and not be ashamed of who you are," she said.
Rochelle's Israeli flag isn't going anywhere.