By: Fern Sidman

A violent antisemitic assault on the streets of Manhattan has escalated into a federal hate crime case, sending shockwaves through New York’s Jewish community and renewing urgent concerns about the persistence of religiously motivated violence in America’s largest city. According to a report on Wednesday at VIN News, federal prosecutors have charged a New Jersey man with multiple hate crime offenses after an alleged attack that left a visiting Israeli rabbi seriously injured and several others harmed.

WILD FOOTAGE FROM NYC 🔴

A visibly Jewish tourist from Jerusalem, 59-year-old Rami Glikstein, suffered a brain bleed after being attacked in Midtown Manhattan. Police say a man dressed in black knocked off his yarmulke, stomped on it, then punched him in the face near the kosher… pic.twitter.com/2DDh8M957y

— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) October 29, 2025

The case, announced Wednesday by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, centers on Alazim Baker, 29, of Irvington, New Jersey. Baker was indicted on two federal hate crime counts stemming from incidents that occurred on October 27, 2025, near a kosher restaurant in Manhattan. He was arrested Wednesday morning and was expected to appear in federal court later that day.

As VIN News has detailed, the allegations describe a disturbing sequence of events that prosecutors say amount to deliberate, targeted violence against Jewish victims based solely on their religion.

According to the indictment, Baker approached a visiting Israeli rabbi outside a kosher restaurant in Manhattan and began aggressively questioning him about his faith. What might have initially appeared as verbal harassment quickly escalated into physical violence.

Federal prosecutors allege that Baker blocked the rabbi from entering the restaurant, grabbed the rabbi’s yarmulke, threw it to the ground, stomped on it, and spat on it—acts laden with symbolic contempt for Jewish religious identity. The attack then turned brutally physical. Baker allegedly punched the rabbi in the face with enough force to knock him to the ground.

The injuries were severe. As VIN News reported, the rabbi suffered a brain bleed among other injuries, transforming what might have been dismissed as a street altercation into a life-threatening assault.

Authorities say Baker shouted antisemitic slurs throughout the attack, underscoring prosecutors’ contention that the violence was motivated not by personal dispute but by religious hatred.

The violence did not end with the rabbi. Prosecutors allege that a second Jewish man attempted to intervene and was also assaulted by Baker. A third individual was injured while attempting to flee the scene amid the chaos.

Investigators further stated that Baker was observed carrying brass knuckles during the incident, a detail that has intensified concerns about premeditation and the potential for even more serious harm. While it remains to be determined whether the weapon was used in the assault, its presence has been cited by authorities as evidence of dangerous intent.

VIN News has emphasized that the attack occurred in broad daylight in a busy area of Manhattan, a fact that has unsettled community leaders who warn that such incidents contribute to a climate of fear among visibly Jewish New Yorkers.

The decision to pursue federal hate crime charges reflects the seriousness with which authorities are treating the case. Each count carries a potential sentence of up to 10 years in prison if Baker is convicted.

“This alleged conduct reflects deliberate, violent targeting based on religion,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton in a statement announcing the indictment. “Violence motivated by antisemitism has no place in New York City.”

Federal officials stressed that the charges are allegations and that Baker is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. Nevertheless, the indictment itself marks a significant legal escalation, signaling that prosecutors believe the evidence meets the high threshold required for federal hate crime prosecution.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation underscored its commitment to aggressively pursuing hate crimes, particularly those involving religious targeting. Officials said the case exemplifies the federal government’s role in protecting vulnerable communities when local incidents rise to the level of civil rights violations.

VIN News has repeatedly reported on the growing involvement of federal authorities in antisemitic incidents across the country, particularly as Jewish communities have faced a surge in harassment, vandalism, and physical assaults in recent years.

The Manhattan attack fits into a troubling pattern. Jewish leaders have warned that antisemitic rhetoric—whether online, on college campuses, or in public demonstrations—can and does translate into real-world violence. The assault on the rabbi, a religious figure clearly identifiable by his attire, has been cited as a stark example of how symbolic hatred can erupt into physical harm.

For New York’s Jewish community, the alleged attack is both deeply personal and broadly alarming. Manhattan is home to one of the largest Jewish populations in the world, and kosher restaurants, synagogues, and religious institutions are woven into the fabric of daily city life.

VIN News reported that community members expressed particular distress over the desecration of the yarmulke during the assault, an act many described as not merely disrespectful but deeply traumatic. In Jewish tradition, religious garments are imbued with spiritual significance, and their deliberate violation is often experienced as an attack on faith itself.

Local Jewish organizations have called for increased vigilance and cooperation with law enforcement, while also urging city leaders to confront antisemitism with clarity and resolve.

Federal hate crime statutes require prosecutors to prove not only that violence occurred, but that it was motivated by the victim’s protected characteristic—in this case, religion. Prosecutors allege that Baker’s shouted slurs, his targeting of visibly Jewish individuals, and his actions toward religious symbols collectively demonstrate intent.

VIN News has noted that such cases are often complex and resource-intensive, but successful prosecutions can serve as powerful deterrents. They also send a message to targeted communities that the justice system recognizes the unique harm inflicted by hate-motivated violence.

Legal experts point out that federal involvement can be especially important when attacks cross jurisdictional lines or reflect broader patterns of bias-motivated crime.

While legal proceedings now dominate the narrative, the human toll of the alleged assault remains central. The rabbi’s injuries, including the reported brain bleed, have raised concerns about long-term health consequences. Friends and supporters have rallied around the victims, offering prayers and assistance as they recover.

VIN News has highlighted that for many in the Jewish community, such incidents revive historical anxieties about vulnerability and persecution. Even in a city celebrated for its diversity and tolerance, antisemitic violence serves as a reminder that acceptance cannot be taken for granted.

As the case moves through the federal court system, Baker is entitled to the presumption of innocence. Defense attorneys will have the opportunity to challenge the government’s evidence, and a jury will ultimately determine guilt or innocence.

Nevertheless, the indictment itself has already had a profound impact, both legally and symbolically. It reflects a determination by federal prosecutors to confront antisemitism not as an abstract social ill, but as a concrete criminal threat demanding decisive action.

The Manhattan assault, as chronicled by VIN News, arrives at a moment of heightened awareness about antisemitism in the United States. Jewish leaders, civil rights advocates, and law enforcement officials alike have warned that rhetoric dehumanizing Jews—whether from extremist ideologies or mainstream discourse—creates fertile ground for violence.

The federal charges against Alazim Baker represent one chapter in that broader reckoning. Whether the case ultimately results in conviction or acquittal, it has already forced a public confrontation with the reality that antisemitic hatred remains capable of erupting into brutality on city sidewalks.

For New York’s Jewish community, and for those committed to combating hate in all its forms, the hope is that accountability under the law will not only deliver justice for the victims but also reaffirm a fundamental principle: that violence rooted in bigotry will be met with the full force of the justice system.