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A Queens rabbi was assaulted in what police are calling a hate crime on Tuesday, coinciding with International Holocaust Remembrance Day.
Rabbi David Shushan, 30, who serves the Bukharian Jewish community, was walking to synagogue Tuesday afternoon when the attack occurred at the intersection of Queens Boulevard and 71st Avenue. According to authorities, a stranger approached the rabbi, shouted antisemitic slurs, and physically assaulted him, punching him in the face and chest.
The suspect, identified as 32-year-old Eric Zafra Grosso, has been charged with two hate crimes. Rabbi Shushan was treated for minor injuries following the attack.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani expressed his outrage on social media platform X, stating he was "horrified" by the assault and affirming his administration's commitment "to rooting out this hatred." This response echoes similar statements the mayor made following another recent antisemitic incident at the Chabad Lubavitch world headquarters in Brooklyn, which he called "deeply alarming."
The attack comes amid heightened concerns about antisemitism across New York City. In response to recent incidents, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch announced that police have "significantly increased security around houses of worship throughout all five boroughs."
New York Governor Kathy Hochul has also condemned such attacks, stating that "an attack against the Jewish community is an attack against all New Yorkers."
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