In Latest Antisemitic Incident, Man Attempts to Enter New York Yeshiva, Spits at Woman Outside

Following a month of increasingly violent antisemitic attacks on Jews in the New York area, police are looking for a...

A yeshiva in Queens, New York where an antisemitic incident occurred on December 24, 2019. Photo: screenshot.

Following a month of increasingly violent antisemitic attacks on Jews in the New York area, police are looking for a man who attempted to enter a Queens yeshiva and spat at a woman outside.

The yeshiva was located on Central Avenue in Far Rockaway, the local CBS affiliate reported. The attacker was unable to enter and then approached a nearby car, used antisemitic language, and spat at the female driver.

Ayyash Saleh, who owns a shop across the street, told CBS, “Who would do that? Some things don’t make sense. Who would do that?”

“Hope the police catch them. I don’t know, things like that, no one wants to hear it,” he added.

Another resident, Maria Ascensio, expressed fear of an atmosphere of racial hatred and violence, saying, “I feel like it’s not only the Jewish community. It’s the world that we live in. It’s in every community, black, Spanish, so people are being out of control.”

“I feel like we all should help each other, respect each other in a way that, today I help you but tomorrow, I don’t know if you will need my help so I’m going to be there,” she added.

The past month has seen a series of antisemitic attacks culminating in a bloody shooting at a kosher deli in Jersey City and a brutal machete attack on a group of Orthodox Jews in Monsey, New York.