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NYPD Not Calling Brutal Hasidic Beating a Hate Crime (Yet)
By
John Del Signore
Published Nov 30, 2010
Modified Nov 30, 2010
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By
John Del Signore
Published Nov 30, 2010
Modified Nov 30, 2010
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Around 7:30 p.m. on Thanksgiving, three thugs jumped Hasidic teacher Joel Weinberger as he left a yeshiva on Harrison Avenue in Williamsburg. The beating left him hospitalized for four days with his jaw wired shut and a broken leg. His assailants, who stole his cell phone, tore his clothing, destroyed religious paraphernalia, and yelled, "We hate you" before leaving Weinberger lying on the sidewalk "basically undressed on the scene," according to local activist Isaac Abraham. But despite interviewing Weinberger at his home yesterday, detectives with the NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force have not yet classified the mugging as a bias attack.
"They rearranged his face, beating him beyond recognition," community leader Isaac Abraham tells the Daily News. And Weinberger's wife adds, "He can't talk. It's too traumatic." Local Council Member Steve Levin wrote a letter to Commissioner Ray Kelly urging the NYPD do all that they can to bring the attackers to justice, but no arrests have been made.
Tagged
bias attack
brooklyn
hasidic beating
hate crime
mugging
williamsburg
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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