Shots Fired at Jewish Eatery, Third Incident at Yeshiva U

About 20 shots were fired this morning from a speeding car at a Jewish restaurant across from the main building of Yeshiva University in upper Manhattan, injuring two students who were dining there, a spokesman for the university said today. The police said they were searching for the assailants who were described as “four Hispanic looking men.”

According to the university’s spokesman, Sam Hartstein, the two students who were injured are Abraham Weintraub, 26, and Yossef Aaron Zimmerman, 40, both senior rabbinical students at Yeshiva. Both were taken to the Columbia Presbyterian Hospital for treatment. Weintraub was expected to be released from the hospital tonight while Zimmerman was hospitalized.

According to Hartstein, the incident took place at 11: 30 A.M. at the Heshie’s Restaurant, a dairy restaurant operated by two Hasidic Jews, which serves students and faculty members of Yeshiva University. At the time of the incident there were about 20 students there, Hartstein said.

This was the third incident in less than three weeks that involved shooting at Jewish targets near Yeshiva University. The first was on June 7 when shots were fired from a speeding car at the main building of Yeshiva University. The second took place June 9, when shots were fired at Jewish Memorial Hospital, which is located near the university.

As in today’s incident the attackers were described in both previous cases as “four Hispanic looking men.” Hartstein said that a pattern was now established and that there is “a possibility that the attacks were anti-Jewish” although the police could not establish a clear motive for the shooting so far.

Officials of Yeshiva University met today with high ranking police officers to discuss the incident and find ways to prevent similar attacks in the future. “The police are concerned now, after a definite pattern has emerged after today’s shooting,” Hartstein said.