Maniac in Muslim Garb Trashes NYC Kosher Bagel Shop on Video
A man in traditional Muslim clothing vandalized a kosher bagel shop in Queens early Friday in what police are investigating as a potential antisemitic hate crime amid a surge in such incidents.
A kosher bagel shop in Queens became the target of a violent antisemitic attack early Friday morning, with surveillance footage capturing a man in traditional Muslim clothing hurling furniture and plants at the Jewish-owned business in an extended rampage.
The incident occurred around 1 a.m. at Bagels & Company in Jamaica Estates, an Israeli-owned establishment popular in the local community, as New York Post reports. Video footage shared by the Jewish Bukharian community on Instagram shows the unidentified assailant throwing potted plants, chairs, and tables at the building during a nearly five-minute assault.
The vandal fled the scene before police arrived. The New York Police Department is now investigating the attack as a potential hate crime.
Moshe Spern, a Queens high school teacher and president of United Jewish Teachers, condemned what he called a pattern of escalating harassment. This targeted attack on a Jewish business is part of a disturbing pattern of unchecked harassment against the Queens Jewish community, Spern stated, demanding Mayor Mamdani immediately deploy additional NYPD resources to protect synagogues, schools, and businesses throughout the borough.
No injuries were reported in the incident, which was first documented by JFeed.
An 18-year-old Jewish student speaking anonymously to New York Post described the attack as troubling but unsurprising. She said the footage showed an enraged man screaming and throwing tables, adding that rising antisemitism and terrorism against Jews has made her feel unsafe walking alone in the area.
Antisemitic incidents across New York City have surged dramatically since the October 7, 2023, terror attack on Israel, which triggered the subsequent Gaza conflict and heightened tensions nationwide. According to NYPD data, antisemitic attacks in January spiked 182% compared to the same month in 2024, representing the majority of hate crimes reported in the city.
Police statistics show some improvement in recent months, with April recording a 35% reduction in citywide hate crimes and a 30.2% decrease in antisemitic incidents—30 cases compared to 43 in April 2024. However, the first quarter of the year saw hate crimes climb more than 11%, with 55% of those targeting Jewish victims.
The full extent of damage to the bagel shop remains unclear.
With information from New York Post
