Undercover cop dressed as religious Jew blows his cover with cellphone on Shabbat: report
Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
By Aiden Pink June 8, 2020
Police officers went undercover as Hasidic Jews to monitor protests against racism and police brutality in a majority-Jewish New Jersey town, Mishpacha reported.
The rally in Lakewood, N.J. on Saturday was one of hundreds around the country over the weekend protesting the killing of an African-American man, George Floyd, while being forcibly detained by police. A video captured by Mishpacha showed at least three men in Lakewood dressed in the black outfits typical of Orthodox men. Two of the men were wearing hats and one was wearing a kippah; one of the apparent officers had peyot, long sidelocks.
Unfortunately for the officers, one of them appeared to be holding a cell phone – which would be forbidden to Orthodox Jews on Shabbat.
Undercover law enforcement dressed as frum Jews as yesterday’s protest in Lakewood. Not clear where they buy these disguises ?♂️ ?? pic.twitter.com/qczhIXtkJz
— Mishpacha Magazine (@themishpacha) June 7, 2020
The apparent officers’ faulty garb was widely mocked on social media.
That vid of undercover cops dressed as hassidic Jews at a Lakewood protest being torn up in the comments by Jewish ppl is my favorite thing ever pic.twitter.com/tOheDe01Vv
— ✨✡️Buttart✡️✨ (@therealbuttart) June 7, 2020
When I was growing in Lakewood, my elementary school was across the street from a motel that was infamous for drug deals and prostitution. I have seen this type of undercover play with my own eyes. It does not, typically, fool anyone. https://t.co/avERHWJoBQ
— Seth Mandel (@SethAMandel) June 8, 2020
If you want to blend in with the frum community, its best not to wear a yarlmulka that you grabbed from the communal bin at the front door of the reform shul.
— Alex VanNess (@thealexvanness) June 7, 2020
Aiden Pink is the deputy news editor of the Forward. Contact him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter @aidenpink
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.
