(JTA) — Two teenagers threw chunks of ice at an Orthodox Jewish man in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Williamsburg while shouting a slur.
One chunk of ice struck the man in the back as he ran to his car, and another hit his car after he entered it on Tuesday, DNAinfo reported. The man was not injured.
The teens yelled “South Side Jew” as they attacked the man, according to DNAinfo. He told the news website that he did not know what the epithet meant.
Police are investigating the attack as a case of aggravated harassment and referred it to hate crimes detectives at the New York Police Department. It is at least the third hate incident in the neighborhood since the presidential election last month, according to DNAinfo. The neighborhood has a large population of haredi Orthodox.
“We are appalled that the victim of this crime was chased through the streets in fear solely because of his identity,” Evan Bernstein, the Anti-Defamation League’s New York regional director, said in a statement. “The imagery evoked by this assault is frightening and serves to foment anxiety during this divided time in our nation. We call on all New Yorkers to treat their neighbors with dignity and respect.”
New York City police have reported a 400 percent increase in hate incidents since the Nov. 8 presidential election.
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