Jewish Businessman Among Victims In New York Truck-Ramming Terror Attack
Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
(JTA) — Five of the people killed in a truck ramming attack in New York Tuesday afternoon were Argentine tourists visiting Manhattan to celebrate the 30th anniversary of their high school graduation, including one Jewish businessman.
Ariel Erlij, 48, a Jewish steel mill owner from the central Argentinian city of Rosario, was killed along with four ex-classmates.
Erlij reportedly paid for some of his high school friends to go on the trip so they could all be together for the anniversary. They graduated in 1987 from the Polytechnic School in Rosario.
“Argentina reaffirms its strongest condemnation of terrorist acts and violence in all its manifestations and reiterates the need to deepen the fight against this scourge,” the Argentine foreign ministry said in a statement.
Belgian Foreign Minister Didier Reynders said in a tweet Tuesday night that a Belgian national also was killed in the attack.
Did you know that only 2% of Forward readers donate to support our nonprofit newsroom? That 2% make it possible for millions to read the Forward without a paywall or subscription — removing any barriers to the full and fair Jewish story.
But while the Forward is free to read, it isn’t free to produce. Big stories — like deep dives into the antisemitism data, political scoops or reporting trips to college campuses — take months of research and fact-checking. All while we keep you informed of what you need to know each day.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Forward Publisher & CEO
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
