A Jewish couple was attacked on their way to a synagogue in Los Angeles on Saturday by a convict who allegedly yelled, “Give me your earrings, Jew” before beating the husband bloody with a belt.
Raphy, 75, and Rebecca, 70, who asked NBC LA not to use their last names for fear of retaliation, told the outlet on Sunday that although they had been severely shaken by the attack, they are more determined than ever to show their faith with pride. even as anti-Semitic incidents across the United States have increased amid Israel’s war against Hamas following the terrorist group’s attack on the country on October 7.
“I got very angry, not because of the [injury] but because I was beaten for being Jewish,” Raphy said.
The alleged assault took place in Beverly Hills, California, on Saturday morning, when the man, identified by police as Jarris Jay Silagi, 44, approached the couple and demanded Rebecca’s earrings.
Silagi, who was arrested nearby shortly after, removed his belt to repeatedly punch Raphy.
Raphy, 75, and Rebecca, 70, who asked that their last names be withheld, were victims of an alleged anti-Semitic attack while heading to the Beverly Hills synagogue on December 9. NBC
“At first it was a shock. “Here I felt a very strong blow to my forehead,” Raphy said in the NBC interview, pointing to his head.
“And all of a sudden I saw the guy hitting my husband with a belt and yelling, ‘Give me your earrings, Jew,’” Rebecca told the outlet.
Bloody and bruised, Raphy chased Silagi down the street as the would-be robber’s pants fell off, Rabbi Pini Dunner of the Beverly Hills synagogue told NBC.
The alleged attacker demanded Rebecca’s earrings and shouted: “Give me your earrings, Jew” before removing his belt to punch Raphy, leaving him with a laceration to his head. NBC
Raphy suffered a laceration to the head and was treated at the scene, police said. Dunner said that after the attack, Raphy “went home, changed his shirt and returned to the synagogue” for a planned Torah reading, noting that he is a regular customer of the place of worship.
Silagi was arrested and charged with assault with a deadly weapon, attempted robbery and elder abuse, according to Beverly Hills police. The charges include an “enhancement” of a hate crime that could result in a longer prison sentence if he is convicted.
“Our officers quickly took the suspect into custody and he is in custody,” said Beverly Hills Police Chief Mark Stainbrook.
“This despicable act of hate against a member of our community will not be tolerated.”
Raphy’s alleged attacker, Jarris Jay Silagi, 44, was arrested and charged with assault with a deadly weapon, attempted robbery and elder abuse, police said. NBC
According to NBC, Silagi was convicted of second-degree robbery in 2012 stemming from an incident in which he attempted to steal a customer’s phone at a Beverly Hills restaurant, for which he received a five-year prison sentence.
Police said he is being held in the Los Angeles County Jail on $100,000 bail and will appear in court on Dec. 12.
It was not immediately known if Silagi had hired an attorney.
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Source: vtt.edu.vn