Two Jewish teenagers in Brooklyn were brutally attacked on Saturday night.
These two Jewish teens are the cousins of one of my colleagues. They have names, they have families, they have friends, they have feelings, and now they have injuries and irreversible damage.
This antisemitic attack is personal for us.
Too many victims of antisemitism and other hate crimes sink into the murky abyss of breaking news stories, and then falter and fade as the next wave of news cycles eclipse their pain.
Our team member’s cousins should not be trivialized into another data point tallied in the number of egregious antisemitic incidents that occur annually in the United States and worldwide.
As a compassionate society healing from a global pandemic, we need to take a hard look at what these victims experienced so that we may empathize, to ensure that no one should have to undergo similar unprovoked and undeserved suffering in the future.
As difficult and disheartening as it may be to hear, these are the facts:
A 17-year-old and 18-year-old were walking in Brooklyn this past Saturday evening when an angry antisemitic mob surrounded them and demanded that they shout and chant abhorrent antisemitic statements such as “kill all the Jews.” When the two teenagers refused, they were physically assaulted with repeated punches to the head. The 17-year-old was also placed in a choke hold. While attempting to flee the scene of this hate crime, the two teenagers were chased with a bat.
Sadly, this antisemitic attack is part of a growing trend targeting innocent American Jews. A torrent of attacks has arisen immediately following the recent fighting between the terrorist group Hamas and the state of Israel.
The ADL has tracked at least 29 incidents of antisemitism directly linked to the conflict since fighting began two weeks ago. The AJC has launched a #WheresTheOutrage campaign urging folks to speak out and take action against the surge in antisemitism to combat the world’s disappointing silence.
To think that 76 years have passed since the Nazis systematically murdered six million Jews and last week a bunch of neo-Nazis drove a van past a pro-Israel rally in Boca Raton, Florida, covered in antisemitic messages including “Hitler was Right” is sickening.
In so many dismaying ways, society has become callously desensitized to inhumane treatment and the potential of hate-filled words to incite violent acts. From discriminatory remarks to harassment to hate crimes to gun violence and even genocide, words have consequences when left unchecked.
When an innocent person is targeted simply based on his or her religious belief or any other immutable characteristic, the scarring ripple effect is immeasurable.
Together, our firm hopes to help break the cycle of silence, and we do so day in and day out with the clients who are given a voice. We advocate on behalf of those who need help, and we press the truth, and we will never be deterred.
On Saturday night in Brooklyn, it was a Muslim Uber driver who rescued our team member’s young cousins and drove them to safety. This act of humanity provides some measure of hope for the future.