Man charged with hate crime in alleged robbery and assault on Jews in Beverly Hills on Shabbat
The intersection where an alleged antisemitic assault took place in Beverly Hills, California, on Dec. 9, 2023, is also home to the city’s police headquarters. (Google Maps)
This is a developing story.
(JTA) — A man was arrested on multiple charges including a hate crime after allegedly striking a Jewish man and uttering an antisemitic epithet on his way to synagogue in the Los Angeles enclave of Beverly Hills on Saturday.
The man, Jarris Silagi, 44, allegedly hit Raphael Nissel, 75, on the head and said, “Jew, give me your jewelry,” according to a report on the incident published by the L.A. Times. Nissel was treated for a laceration at the scene and continued on to his Orthodox synagogue, where he read Torah as planned, according to the report and a tweet by his rabbi, Pini Dunner.
Raphy Nissel, a member of my shul and the Baal Koreh, was attacked in Beverly Hills on his way to shul yesterday. After his bleeding headwound was stitched, he went home, changed his shirt, and came back to shul and did Kriat Hatorah. Him and his wife are true heroes!… https://t.co/vsoJqnnHRH
— Pini Dunner (@pinidunner) December 10, 2023
Silagi was previously convicted of robbery in Beverly Hills and also has a record of psychiatric issues, according to records from previous cases against him.
The incident comes amid a surge in reported antisemitic incidents fueled by Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza. A number of high-profile incidents have taken place in the Los Angeles area, including a home invasion by a man who allegedly shouted antisemitic comments and the death of a pro-Israel protester who was struck at a rally. A man has been charged with involuntary manslaughter in that case.
“This is appalling. Antisemitism has no place in this state,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom tweeted in response to a picture of a bloody shirt posted by Nissel’s son, Alan. Newsom added, “Alan, our hearts goes out to your family tonight. Glad to hear the person responsible for this is in custody. They must be held to full account.”
This article originally appeared on JTA.org.
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