A video circulating online shows an assault on students from the Chabad-Lubavitch Tomchei Temimim yeshiva on a New York City subway train late Monday night, in what the victims described as an antisemitic attack.
According to testimony provided to Yeshiva World News, the students had been returning to Crown Heights after spending several hours in Manhattan engaged in Hanukkah outreach activities, aimed at sharing the holiday’s message and observance. The group boarded a No. 3 train heading toward Brooklyn.
During the ride, two men who entered the subway car allegedly began directing antisemitic insults at the visibly Jewish students. According to the testimony, the verbal harassment quickly escalated into a dangerous situation.
One of the students began recording the incident on his phone to document what was happening for the police. “That’s when everything changed,” the student said. “As soon as the younger one realized I was filming, he attacked me.”
Footage recorded by another student shows the assailant striking the victim inside the subway car. No other passengers are seen intervening during the altercation.
“One stop before Crown Heights, we ran off the train in panic,” the student said. As they exited, the attacker was seen making a threatening hand gesture, suggesting the use of a gun. The recording continued as the phone was placed away. “I realized this could turn deadly,” the student said. “I quickly put the phone in my pocket - but the camera was still recording. You can hear everything. You can see the fear.”
The students exited at the nearest station and went to a local police precinct, where a complaint was filed. Authorities have been notified and are reviewing the incident.