Rabbi Menachem Shemtov, left, poses with his father, Rabbi Levi Shemtov, in this undated photo at the U.S. Capitol. Photo by Art Spack

WASHINGTON (JTA) — Lyft has let go of a driver who allegedly assaulted the scion of a prominent Chabad rabbinical family who had used the rideshare app.

“Lyft unequivocally condemns this behavior,” a spokesperson told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency on Monday. “Upon learning of this incident, we deactivated the driver and we’ve been in touch with the rider. We encourage riders and drivers to report harassment, discrimination, or safety concerns in the Lyft app.”

The police are investigating the incident but have not classified it as a hate crime.

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

Rabbi Menachem Shemtov, the director of Chabad at Georgetown University, ordered a Lyft Sunday midmorning on Connecticut Avenue in Washington D.C.’s northwest quarter.

In an interview, Shemtov said he entered and asked the driver to turn down the music, which was very loud. The driver complied but also said that Shemtov could have asked in the app for no music, which Shemtov acknowledged.

Less than a minute later, the driver stopped and told Shemtov to get out of the car, saying he didn’t like his “energy,” Shemtov said.

“I told him, you know, I wish him well, I hope he finds peace and happiness and this is the most aggressive thing that’s happened to me and I get out of the car,” Shemtov said. “And then he gets out of the car and chases me up the block and starts swearing at me like with the F-word and you know, I said, like, ‘Don’t touch me, I’ll call the cops if you hit me,’ or something like that. And he then he punched me in my face.”

Shemtov said the driver punched him again after he tried to stop the driver from leaving.

Shemtov, who was treated at a clinic for a gash to his face, showed JTA video of the driver punching him in the face with with his car key sticking out of his hand. He was treated at a clinic for a gash to his face. According to the police report, which quoted Shemtov and a witness, the alleged assailant shouted “Why’d you slam my door?” as he pursued Shemtov.

In an entry on the charging document marked “suspected hate crime,” the investigating officer checked “No.”

The police report did not name the assailant. Shemtov said he was not the driver whose name appeared on his app. He shared a screenshot of the driver’s cancellation notice, and the driver photo did not resemble the man in the video he shared.

Shemtov’s father is Rabbi Levi Shemtov, who heads American Friends of Lubavitch (Chabad). He was leaving the movement’s Washington headquarters after attending services with his father when the alleged assault occurred.

His grandfather is Rabbi Abraham Shemtov, who was close to the movement’s best-known rebbe, the late Menachem Mendel Schneerson. Abraham Shemtov founded the Washington office and instituted the lighting of a massive Hanukkah menorah on the Ellipse, an event that now draws prominent figures of the administration in power.

This article originally appeared on JTA.org.

The Forward is free to read, but it isn’t free to produce

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.

Readers like you make it all possible. We’re in the middle of our Passover Fundraising Drive, and we have a very ambitious goal of $127,000 by April 22.

This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism you rely on. Make a Passover gift today!

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

Make a Passover Gift Today!

$90 $180

$360

Other amount