Shliach in Rosario, Argentina, Rabbi Shlomo Tawil, was attacked and beaten in an anti-Semitic attack on Sunday night, the first night of Shavuos.

According to reports, Rabbi Tawil was attacked by three youths, who began by hurling anti-semitic slurs at him, and then began to physically assault him, punching him in the head and stomach. He was thrown to the floor, as his attackers began to kick him – and then trampled on his black hat.

According to reports, neighbors came to his aid and chased the attackers who managed to get away.

Rabbi Tawil is in stable condition, and is recovering from his injuries.

According to the JTA, the attack on the Rabbi is the third physical anti-Semitic attack in the last two months. There other two took place in Buenos Aires, one in April and one in May.

The attack drew widespread criticism from around Argentina, as the number and violence of anti-Semitic incidents there is on the rise. Ten days ago, a swastika was spray-painted on a Jewish-owned hair salon in Buenos Aires. Neo-Nazi pamphlets were also distributed in the area near the salon. In another incident, a cantor was attacked while returning home from Shabbat services.

Rosario, which is located at the heart Argentina’s industrial corridor, has the country’s third-largest Jewish community.

Argentina’s Jewish population of about 180,500 is the largest in Latin America and the third-largest in the Americas, after the United States and Canada.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)