A driver hurled antisemitic slurs and swerved his vehicle toward congregants walking to a Brooklyn shul on the first day of Rosh Hashana. The victims were en route to Shaare Shalom on Avenue S near Ocean Avenue around 5:25 p.m. Thursday when the driver “edged toward” them in a threatening manner, according to police.

The motorist reportedly shouted, “Drop dead Zionist!” as he veered toward at least two men, attempting to intimidate them. A 50-year-old witness, who asked to remain anonymous, recounted the incident, telling the NY Post that the driver didn’t attempt to hit him but created a scene.

“He was speeding through the block, with loud foreign music playing,” the witness said. “He visibly stopped those people in the crosswalk and inched up his car. That’s when he made the antisemitic comments.”

Although the driver did not physically harm anyone, the witness was disturbed by the aggressive behavior and hateful remarks. “This guy was definitely reckless, but after I heard he made statements to those individuals, I figured it was a bias incident,” he said.

The driver, described as a man in his 30s, fled the scene in a black Ford Transit truck, heading north on Ocean Avenue, and remains at large.

The NYPD’s Hate Crime Task Force is investigating the incident.

In 2024 alone, complaints of antisemitic incidents in New York City have accounted for nearly 56% of all bias reports.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)