Antisemitic Attacks Shake New York as Ancient Warning Echoes in Modern Times

by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Chief

(Worthy News) – A driver rammed a vehicle into a side entrance of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement’s world headquarters in New York City on Wednesday, triggering widespread alarm across the Jewish community and prompting heightened security at houses of worship citywide.

Video circulating online shows a car repeatedly slamming into a door at the iconic building, knocking it off its hinges as bystanders looked on. The driver later exited the vehicle, walked toward the roadway, and was arrested by police at the scene.

Chabad spokesperson Motti Seligson said the ramming appeared intentional, though the driver’s motives remain unclear. No injuries were reported.

The building, located at 770 Eastern Parkway and commonly known as “770,” is revered by Jews around the world and sits at the heart of the Chabad-Lubavitch community in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. It is widely regarded as one of the most recognizable Jewish sites in New York City.

Jessica Tisch said officers stationed nearby heard a commotion at the building’s main entrance and observed a vehicle strike a rear door, reverse, and strike it again. Police ordered the driver out of the car and took him into custody. A bomb squad later swept the vehicle and found no explosives. Tisch said it was too early to determine whether the driver’s actions were motivated by ideology, bias, or mental health issues.

The incident is being investigated as a possible hate crime. The NYPD announced an increased security presence at synagogues and other houses of worship throughout the city, including the deployment of counterterrorism units.

Zohran Mamdani, speaking at the scene, called the ramming a “horrifying incident.”

“This is deeply alarming, especially given the deep meaning and the history of this institution to so many in New York and around the world,” Mamdani said. “Any threat to a Jewish institution or place of worship must be taken seriously. Antisemitism has no place in our city, and violence or intimidation against Jewish New Yorkers is unacceptable.”

Jewish organizations and elected officials quickly condemned the attack. The UJA-Federation of New York said it was “horrified” by what it described as a car-ramming attack at Chabad World Headquarters. New York Governor Kathy Hochul labeled the incident “antisemitic violence,” saying that an attack against the Jewish community is an attack against all New Yorkers.

The ramming followed a separate antisemitic assault earlier in the week. On Tuesday, a suspect was charged with a hate crime for allegedly attacking a rabbi in Queens on International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Prosecutors say Eric Zafra Grosso, 32, approached a rabbi in the Forest Hills neighborhood, shouted an antisemitic slur, and punched him in the face and chest, knocking him to the ground.

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said the victim, a rabbi from the Bukharian Jewish community who was wearing a kippah, was targeted because of his faith. Grosso was arrested shortly afterward at a subway station and charged with assault and aggravated harassment as a hate crime. He pleaded not guilty, was released from custody, and is scheduled to return to court in March.

Jewish leaders noted that Jews are targeted in hate crimes in New York City more than all other groups combined. The two incidents have renewed concerns over rising antisemitism in the city amid a series of recent attacks and threats.

Prophetic Significance

For those watching events through a prophetic lens, the rise of antisemitism carries a deeper biblical resonance. In Jeremiah 16, the Lord declares a season of “fishermen” who would gently draw Israel back to their ancient homeland, followed by the emergence of “hunters” who would pursue them. Many believe the ingathering of Jews to Israel over the past century reflected that season of fishing — a luring marked by opportunity, restoration, and return.

Yet the escalation of hostility toward Jewish communities worldwide now suggests the latter phase may be intensifying. With New York City — home to the largest Jewish population outside of Israel, numbering nearly one million across the metropolitan area — increasingly experiencing open intimidation and violence, the ancient warning appears to be moving from text to reality. Rather than random acts, these pressures may be converging toward the fulfillment of a passage that foretold both the mercy and the urgency surrounding Israel’s return.

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