Two Philadelphia teen-agers were put on probation today for an anti-Semitic attack on three Jewish boys, instead of receiving reformatory sentences, because the mother of one of the victims insisted in court that she did not want revenge.
The incident involved six teen-agers who stopped three younger boys coming from a synagogue dance on May 10 and attacked them. All three were taken to the Einstein Medical Center where one required major medical attention. When the assailants were brought before Judge J.S. Hoffman in Municipal Court for sentencing, the mother said: “We do not want revenge. We only want to make sure our son and other sons can walk the streets free from harm and hurt because of their race or religion.”
Judge Hoffman denounced the teen-agers and said he had been prepared to commit them to a penal institution. He added that, because of the mother’s plea for mercy, he would place them on strict probation instead. He ordered the boys to make full restitution of all medical bills, amounting to $169. Because of their ages, names of both attackers and victims were withheld. The Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Philadelphia helped police trace the attackers and represented the victims in court.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
