A violent stabbing targeting a Jewish man unfolded Tuesday evening in Crown Heights, as police launched a manhunt for the suspect amid growing concern over antisemitic attacks in the neighborhood.
According to the victim, the assault occurred around 5:00 p.m. while he was walking along Kingston Avenue near Lincoln Place. He reported that a man approached him, pulled out a knife, and made antisemitic remarks before attacking him.
The assailant stabbed the 35-year-old victim multiple times in the chest and then ran off along Kingston Avenue, authorities said.
Emergency responders transported the victim to Kings County Hospital, where he was treated for injuries that were not considered life-threatening.
The suspect is described by police as a Black male, approximately 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighing about 170 pounds. At the time of the attack, he was wearing a black varsity jacket, blue jeans, and white sneakers. NYPD officials said the search for the suspect is ongoing.
The stabbing came against the backdrop of heightened anxiety within the Crown Heights community over a recent increase in violent antisemitic incidents. Earlier Tuesday, Rabbi Chanina Sperlin and representatives of the Crown Heights Jewish Community Council met with NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch at an event in New York City to raise those concerns.
Following the meeting, Shmuel Rosenstein relayed the commissioner’s response, saying, “The Commissioner said that she takes this very seriously.” He added, “She said that there will be extra security added in Crown Heights.”
{Matzav.com}
[Video below.] At a White House Chanukah celebration held this evening, President Donald Trump invited several families of American-Israeli hostages to join him before the assembled guests, turning the festive gathering into a deeply emotional moment.
Among those brought to the stage were Ronen and Orna Neutra, whose son, Captain Omer Neutra, was killed after being taken hostage, and Adi and Yael Alexander, parents of Edan Alexander, an American-Israeli lone IDF soldier who was held captive, later freed, and has since returned to military service.
During his remarks, Trump told attendees that the remains of all 28 deceased hostages had been recovered. He spoke at length about the determination shown by families whose loved ones did not survive captivity, drawing a comparison to parents fighting for the return of living children.
“We got all of them…and we did something that was an amazing thing to me, because the parents of those that had died….they had the same intensity as people that wanted to get their living child. The same exact intensity. In some cases, they even said more than they wanted to get their son home. And you are the best example of all,” Trump said. “And we got all 28 of them out, every single one of them.”
Following those remarks, Ronen Neutra gently corrected the record, noting that one deceased hostage has not yet been brought home from Gaza. Addressing the president directly, he expressed gratitude while underscoring the unfinished task.
“I just want to say one thing. You did an amazing job for us, for Israel, for the Jewish people. We are so, so thankful. There’s so many people here, including our friends, that we owe so much. But your amazing leadership brought us to the point where we got our kid back. There’s still one left. Ran Gvili, he’s still there. I want to say thank you to everyone. We know you’re going to bring him back.”
WATCH:
{Matzav.com}
A federal advisory committee selected by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recommended earlier this month that routine hepatitis B vaccination at birth be limited to specific cases, advising that newborns receive the shot only if their mothers are infected with hepatitis B or if the mother’s status cannot be confirmed.
Acting on that guidance, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Tuesday that it has changed its national policy, no longer requiring all newborns in the United States to receive the hepatitis B vaccine at birth. Under the revised approach, parents may now decide, together with a healthcare provider, whether infants born to mothers who test negative for hepatitis B should receive the vaccine, including the birth dose.
The agency also updated its timing recommendations for infants who do not receive the vaccine shortly after birth, stating that the first dose should be given no earlier than two months of age.
Public health experts have cautioned that the shift could increase the risk of hepatitis B exposure among children, but the decision represents a significant victory for Kennedy, a longtime critic of vaccine mandates, who has pursued sweeping changes to U.S. vaccination policy since taking office.
{Matzav.com}
