Another Brazen Assault On A Jewish Man Caught On Video
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - Another brazen assault on a Jewish man in Brooklyn has been caught on video.
The hate crime comes as New York City is seeing a spike in anti-Semitic incidents.
Officials are worried as each seems more violent than the last.
In the incident, a Jewish man can be seen walking on Rodney Street near Marcy Street in Williamsburg Tuesday night at around 7:30 p.m. A person runs up behind him and slaps him suddenly, so hard his hat flies off and he nearly falls over.
"It sounds ridiculous," said Williamsburg resident Moishe Eikel.
"It's getting worse by the day," said another Williamsburg resident named Isaac.
The suspect can be seen in the video running away. He's now wanted for assaulting the 39-year-old husband and father.
More: NYPD Says Anti-Semitic Hate Crimes Up Staggering 82 Percent
CBS2's Lisa Rozner spoke with the victim's wife who did not want to go on camera but she says he and the family are traumatized. No words were exchanged before the incident - he was just walking home from the train station.
Former Brooklyn Assemblyman Dov Hikind tweeted "This attack resembles Nazi Germany, where antisemites attacked Jews with glee. We won't tolerate it!"
The victim wasn't injured, but he's the second Jew to be targeted in one week in the area.
In an unrelated incident on Broadway around 1 p.m. Saturday, a 42-year-old man was punched in the face by a stranger who shouted anti-Jewish slurs at him. That attacker also ran away.
Rachel Grinspan of the Anti-Defamation League says anti-Semitic attacks are not only becoming more common, but more violent.
"What we have been seeing unfortunately is an increase in the violence that has been displayed against members of the Jewish community," Grinspan said.
The latest numbers from the NYPD show a 67 percent increase in hate crimes since the beginning of the year.
"More looking over my shoulder," Isaac said. He's lived in the community for 50 years.
The victim is Tuesday's attack is back at work. He may be more cautious, but he won't be silent. The ADL says reporting the incidents is the first step in combating the problem. The ADL says it's offering up to $5,000 as a reward for anyone with information on the hate crime.
