A prominent Brooklyn Heights rabbi claims he was targeted by a group of young ruffians last week and will host a rally on Friday morning demanding peace on the neighborhood’s streets.
Rabbi Aaron Raskin from Remsen Street’s Congregation B’nai Avraham claims one of the kids punched him in the head and then tried to swipe his cellphone, and now he wants residents to send a message to other would-be criminals that they won’t stand for similar attacks in the future.
“He wants to wants to unify the community to say we’re not going to tolerate senseless hatred,” said the rabbi’s spokesman Warren Cohn.
Raskin was chatting on his cellphone while strolling down Joralemon Street near Hicks Street at 6:18 pm on Sunday, when a group of five teenagers approached him and one allegedly whacked him on the side of the head, knocking his phone to the ground, police said.
Cohn claims the group then broke out in laughter and allegedly tried to pick the phone up off the ground, before running off. The rabbi called the local police precinct and 911, and officers brought a squad car to pick him up, he said.
As they were driving down the street, Raskin spotted the kids, Cohn said. Police pulled over and arrested a 15-year-old boy for trying to steal the phone.
Raskin is now inviting locals to rally with him, other religious leaders, and local pols on the steps of the synagogue on Feb. 5 to call for safer streets.
Rally in front of Congregation B’nai Avraham [117 Remsen St. at Henry Street in Brooklyn Heights, (718) 596–4840]. Feb. 5 at 10 am.