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Orthodox Rabbi Who Was Beaten Testifies About Attack
By
Ben Yakas
Published Dec 11, 2010
Modified Dec 11, 2010
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By
Ben Yakas
Published Dec 11, 2010
Modified Dec 11, 2010
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The Brooklyn Rabbi who was brutally attacked by two teenagers on Thanksgiving testified in Brooklyn Family Court yesterday about the harrowing experience. Joel Weinberger, 26, gave an account of his beatdown, which left him hospitalized for four days with his jaw wired shut and a broken leg, forced to undergo surgery for a broken eye socket that included having three plates implanted in his face. The teens taunted him with shouts of "Jew! Jew!" as "they ripped off my clothes, my hat and my yarmulke. They were punching my face," he said.
The two 15-year-old boys were charged with assault as a hate crime, and were connected with at least two more attacks on Orthodox Jews in the past weeks. Two NYPD offices testified that the teens said they attacked "the Jew" because "it was something fun to do." According to the News, Det. Nicole Carter said the boys claimed they "were bored," went to a park, bought a "$5 bag of weed, got high" and then decided to go to what they called "Jew Town." The teens also said that it was easy to attack Jews, because "they don't hit back." In case any of that didn't convince the Judge this was a bias crime, Weinberg added that he offered the two teens his wallet and phone, but they didn't take them.
As if this wasn't all disgusting enough, it doesn't seem like the teens have much remorse: one of them was laughing during the proceedings, prompting a warning from the judge to "treat the process with dignity." In previous testimony in the case, it was revealed that the two teens are truants who attend school less than 50% of the time, use drugs, and exhibit "behavior that is out of control," and according to a defense lawyer, at least one of the teens "needs a substance abuse program."
Tagged
bias attack
hate crime
joel weinberger
orthodox jew
teens
Ben Yakas
Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.
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