5 Youths Arrested for Allegedly Attacking and Robbing Yale Rabbi

Five teenagers were arrested on March 31 for allegedly assaulting and robbing a Chabad rabbi at Yale University earlier that evening.

New Haven Independent reported that two of the teens – both of whom are 16 – approached Chabad House’s Rabbi Yehoshua Rosenstein while he was on a phone call outside the house. One of the teens said to Rosenstein, “Give us everything you have, you f—ing Jew!” before they punched and kicked him to the ground. They stole his car keys and drove off with his vehicle.

Police later chased down the stolen vehicle and arrested the five teens inside the car. The two 16-year-olds face hate crime, assault and conspiracy charges; the other three teens – ages 15, 16 and 17 – face charges of robbery, larceny, conspiracy and weapon in a motor vehicle, as a gun was found in the car.

Rosenstein was not hospitalized for his injuries. “I will be OK,” he told the Independent. “It happened. I’m traumatized. I’ll rally. I have a great support system.”

He added, “I’m grateful to God for sparing my life. I’m grateful to God for being alive and waking up this morning to spend time with my wife and kids and community. This could have been a disaster.”

Anti-Defamation League (ADL) Connecticut tweeted, “We were deeply disturbed to hear about this attack and have been in contact with the Police Chiefs of the city of New Haven and Yale University.”

We were deeply disturbed to hear about this attack and have been in contact with the Police Chiefs of the city of New Haven and Yale University. https://t.co/6tZhkRrB8f

— ADL_Connecticut (@ADL_Connecticut) April 1, 2020

B’nai Brith International tweeted, “We condemn [the] anti-Semitic attack on Rabbi Rosenstein of Yale Chabad. We stand in full solidarity with him, particularly before Passover, & pray for quick recovery. @NewHavenPD must prosecute actively as hate crime.”

We condemn anti-Semitic attack on Rabbi Rosenstein of Yale Chabad. We stand in full solidarity with him, particularly before Passover, & pray for quick recovery. @NewHavenPD must prosecute actively as hate crime. @chabad remains on front lines of Jewish communal service globally.

— B'nai B'rith Intl. (@BnaiBrith) April 5, 2020

Former New York Democratic State Assemblyman Dov Hikind tweeted, “No social distancing can keep anti-Semites away.”

No social distancing can keep antisemites away.https://t.co/II0OCOav7s

— Dov Hikind (@HikindDov) April 6, 2020