Jewish Man Brutally Beaten on Sabbath in Upstate New York

An Orthodox Jewish man, threatened with robbery, was beaten Friday night on his way to synagogue.

By United With Israel Staff

On Friday night, an Orthodox Jewish man was brutally attacked in Monticello, New York, while on his way to Sabbath prayers, Yeshiva World News reported.

According to local police, a man on a bicycle confronted the Jew, demanding money. The Jew explained that he was not carrying money as it is forbidden to do so on the Sabbath.

At that point, the assailant attacked him.

The bloodied victim entered the synagogue missing his shoes, glasses and shtreimel (fur hat worn by Hasidic Jews on the Sabbath and special occasions.)

Having initially refused medical attention, the victim felt ill later in the evening. He was evacuated to the Catskill Regional Medical Center, where he was treated for a broken nose and facial trauma.

Since the 1920s, many Jews, primarily from the New York area, have spent summers in the Catskill Mountains, either at resorts, bungalow colonies or summer homes. This tradition started due to anti-Semitism that denied accommodation to Jews in many hotels at the time.

The phenomenon of Jews vacationing in upstate New York was so common that the area was nicknamed the “Borscht Belt” (borscht is a beet soup commonly eaten by Jews) and the “Jewish Alps.”

Monticello Police are investigating the attack.