The Boro Park community was first up in arms after learning that the Muslim man who attacked an elderly Hasidic Jewish man would not be charged with a hate crime, an outrageous and unexplained decision by Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez.
The community was further outraged to learn that the suspect was released on bail – and a mere $15,000.
Adding insult to injury, the judge who made the bail decision is actually a member of the Boro Park Hasidic community, Judge (Mrs.) Ruchie Freier, of “Ezras Nashim” fame.
The suspect, Farrukh Afzal, 37, of Staten Island, has 8 prior arrests.
As reported on YWN, Afzal reportedly shouted “Allah, Allah”, said he wanted to “kill all Jews” and made references to ‘Israel’ while viciously beating 62-year-old R’ Lipa Schwartz on Sunday.
The attack appeared to be unprovoked (not that anything could ever justify such a heinous act). Schwartz said he feared for his life during the attack: “I’m telling you if he had a knife he would stab me right on the place. No doubt,” Schwartz said.
Furthermore, video footage appeared to show Afzal switch lanes and nearly hit ANOTHER Jewish pedestrian, then blow a red light as he sped down 13th Ave enroute to 46th street where he viciously beat Schwartz.
FOOTAGE OF ASSAULT IN VIDEO BELOW – VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED
Freier was sworn in on Dec. 22, 2016 and took the bench on Jan. 3, 2017. She was elected as a civil court judge, but ended up being assigned to criminal court by the Office of Court Administration. At the time she told the media she uses her religious values and faith as a guiding force in her decisions from the bench.
“It doesn’t mean being soft on crime. It means being an understanding judge,” she said. “You have somebody and you can impress upon them, ‘You’re responsible for your actions.'”
[MAILBAG: Outraged That Brooklyn D.A. Not Charging Boro Park Attacker With Hate Crime]
Hate has no place in New York. I am directing the @NYSPolice Hate Crimes Unit to monitor these anti-Semitic incidents as well as all acts of bias and work with local law enforcement to ensure those responsible are held to account.https://t.co/TzSYMajaJi
— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) October 17, 2018
Has NYC Mayor Bill DeBlasio condemned either attack? Not to our knowledge…
YEGER BLASTS SOME HATERS:
Meanwhile, NYC Councilman Kalman Yeger was forced to defend calling the criminal who randomly assaulted a Jewish man in Crown Heights an “animal”.
Yeger had originally tweeted “The animal who viciously attacked our neighbor in Crown Heights was immediately apprehended and charged with multiple felonies. Thanks to @ShomrimCH for catching the thug, and @BrooklynDA for taking all these attacks seriously”
The tweet prompted this response from Liena Zagare, publisher of a blog called the Bklyner: “@KalmanYeger – I was wondering what you have to say to the black residents of your district, and borough at large, about using “animal” in the tweet below. Also – it was another black man who apprehended the dude, not Shomrim, from what I understand. Txs. Liena”
Yeger fired back: “Nice try. I was being kind. Animals don’t attack unprovoked. I think anyone who viciously attacks another human being with a stick in the manner seen on the video can very generously be called an animal. I don’t see color here. It’s sad that you do.”
Errol Louis, host of “Inside City Call on NY1”, immediately tweeted: “Thanks for the dehumanizing language and blind rage, Kalman. Very useful and just what Crown Heights needs. See you at the next riot.”
To which Yeger responded: “What would YOU call him, Errol? What’s the right word? Educate me.”
Louis fired back: “Name-calling isn’t my job, and definitely not yours. Being the angriest guy in the room is easy; it’s what every cheap demagogue with a soapbox did for years leading up to August 1991. I hope your vision of public service includes something better.”
Yeger concluded the back-and-forth by quoting Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams who also termed a suspect in an unprovoked hate-assault an “animal”.
Nice try. I was being kind. Animals don’t attack unprovoked. I think anyone who viciously attacks another human being with a stick in the manner seen on the video can very generously be called an animal.
I don’t see color here. It’s sad that you do. https://t.co/HS2NfTYux7
— Kalman Yeger (@KalmanYeger) October 18, 2018
Thanks for the dehumanizing language and blind rage, Kalman. Very useful and just what Crown Heights needs. See you at the next riot. https://t.co/5ZtZ4LIzBE
— Errol Louis (@errollouis) October 18, 2018
Name-calling isn’t my job, and definitely not yours. Being the angriest guy in the room is easy; it’s what every cheap demagogue with a soapbox did for years leading up to August 1991. I hope your vision of public service includes something better. https://t.co/ggvgEvqdkv
— Errol Louis (@errollouis) October 18, 2018
Thank you to our incredible Borough President @BPEricAdams for convening this important unity conference and for your powerful and truthful words! https://t.co/9ZFHhdWyue pic.twitter.com/Pg1O79Li6s
— Kalman Yeger (@KalmanYeger) October 19, 2018
At a press conference on Wednesday morning in front of One Police Plaza, many elected officials and community activists denounced the recent anti-Semitic assaults in Brooklyn and outlined plans to prevent future bias incidents.
Councilman Chaim Deutsch was joined by Councilmembers Barry Grodenchik and Jumaane Williams, as well as representatives from the offices of Congressmember Yvette Clarke, Council Speaker Corey Johnson, Public Advocate Letitia James, Comptroller Scott Stringer, and Councilmember Alicka Ampry-Samuel. Others in attendance included Imam Ahmed Ali Uzir of Iqra Masjid Brooklyn; Rabbi Eli Cohen of the JCC of Crown Heights; Rabbi Chaim David Zweibel of Agudath Israel of America; Alexander Rosemberg, deputy regional director at the ADL; Sam Tsang and Lina Chen, Asian community activists; Josh Mehlman of the Flatbush Jewish Community Coalition; David Pollack of the Jewish Community Relations Council – NY; Pervez Siddiqui, Director of the Apna Brooklyn Community Center; Avi Posnick, Managing Director for StandWithUs Northeast; members of Boro Park, Crown Heights, and Flatbush Shomrim, and community leaders from across New York City’s diverse cultures.
Deutsch led the press conference by first calling for the attacker in the Boro Park case to be charged with a hate crime, similar to the perpetrator in the Crown Heights incident. Deutsch stated, “It’s hard to believe that a violent and unprovoked attack in broad daylight against someone who appeared obviously Jewish could be motivated by anything other than baseless hatred. I have yet to see any evidence that demonstrates an alternate motive for the assault in Boro Park. In a situation like this when a community is on edge and fearful, it is important for officials in leadership roles to be as transparent as possible with residents. Even while an investigation is ongoing, communication between law enforcement, local leaders, and residents can go a long way towards making a community feel more secure.”
Deutsch also announced his plan to introduce two new bills into the New York City Council. The first bill would require the five New York City District Attorneys to report to the Council on the motives of hate crime perpetrators. Deutsch explained, “It’s important to distinguish between a youthful indiscretion and a violent act motivated by deep-set hatred. Access to information about the intent of these crimes would aid the City in better addressing the root of prejudice, instead of simply reacting to crimes after they occur.” Deutsch is also introducing a bill that would direct the NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force to initiate an educational unit, particularly to educate young people across the City about the impact of hateful symbols and internalized bigotry.
(Charles Gross – YWN)
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41 Responses
‘Judge’ Freier should go back to her kitchen and learn how to make a decent cake.
No……Klall Yisroel does not need the great ‘kiddush Hashem’ of ‘role model’ married Charedi women posing for public photos and tv interviews in her latest custom sheitle…..
Sarah imeynu was not present when the malochim arrived and they pointed this out to Avraham to show her modesty- that is our REAL role model.
She is doing nothing for Klall Yisroel, just one, BIG, FAT chillul Hashem. I saw this coming as soon as I heard about her on mistaken ‘Baal teshuvah websights’ when they tried to portray her as the new Haredi superhero…….
MY HUMBLE OPINION IS:
“Self-Hating Jews” are the biggest problems that we have in the Jewish community!!! from the day she was sworn in I expected something terrible like this to come up, she Just proved that she is a cancer to the Jewish community. she is not welcome to continue helping Muslims attack people in our community or in any community etc. I think she should take a leave of absents for the next period of time till Moshiach comes.
THIS IS MY HUMBLE OPINION.
Sorry to put is so bluntly.
in fairness to the judge, I don’t know if a judge can consider accusations that the DA hasn’t made. I.e. since the DA didn’t charge him with a hate crime, the judges job is to rule on the charges which were made, not to start making new ones.
Re the bail a “mere $15,000”, I think it depends on how much the defendant has. So if he only has $20,000 in the bank this is almost all his savings.
She should have recused herself from this case since it appears she had a conflict of interest. Whether the conflict of interest exists or not can be debated, but the public suspicion of it’s existence is there, and that’s reason enough to back off in such a controversial case.
If Judge (Mrs.) Ruchie Freier was a Gentile l, she might not have had the guts to disregard the victims claims and let him off so easily.
That is what we call dialectic politics. Sometimes people from your own can do you the most damage. I heard that Kennedy was the worse president for the Catholics.
Shame. I hope he won’t hurt the next Jew while on her parole.
All she did was set the bail, not drop the charges it seems from the evidence you show.
What is up with YWN’s constant slander campaign against her?
*NEWSFLASH*
The DA requested a 35K dollar bail…. but this rashanta dropped it to 15K.
THAT is the real story. This self hating Jewish attention seeking feminist is just getting started. Everyone walks on eggshells around her. Does anyone not understand how she works 24 hours a DAY to destroy our lost valuable and precious organization ever created in our history – HATZOLAH?!
Yes. She wants to DESTORY hatzolah. Dont let anyone convince you otherwise.
Ruchie loves to tell the media how she is so well educated etc.
Wait until they catch up with her sons one day. They can’t speak or write one lick of proper English.
Educated my foot!
Hey Judge Frieir…. FYI… the last judge who let a violent animal out on bail, MURDERED A CHOSSON AND KALLAH A FEW WEEKS LATER.
This Muslim terrorist beat the daylights out of someone with a shovel and smashed a car with a shovel in Staten Island last year. He is a violent criminal who belonged in jail. Not let out on 15K bail. A pathetic joke you are. You and your fail ezras nashim.
I am grossly disappointed in Judge Freier. I do know her, and have a lot of respect for her. But this article either fails to do her justice, or she dropped the ball here. Let me explain.
The Brooklyn DA wrote an op-ed yesterday in response for the move he made to drop hate crime charges. Sadly, he never answered the question we are all asking – why? Based on what? There may be answers to this for all we know. There can be all sorts of legal technicalities. All he needed to do was to tell us that this could somehow not qualify as a hate crime. In public view, it sees clear, so he has the burden of proof. Same goes for the judge. I bet she cannot add charges not proposed by the prosecutor. But the bail seems low, and essentially puts this madman back onto the street. If he is, as suggested, seriously mentally ill, then the risk continues. He would need to be detained, for all we care, in a psychiatric facility. But he is a threat to the public, seeing that he attacked more than one victim. We need to hear a statement from the judge explaining actions that appear senseless. This article is not any smarter than the op-ed by the Brooklyn DA. We need answers to serious questions.
Yaskan:
Your comment is offensive and stupid. The judge’s children are not any business of yours. I happen to know them, and they are wonderful kids, model citizens. Their English is irrelevant to their lives. They are כלי קודש, and do not need better writing skills than they have. If you are looking to throw around insults, you gotta come up with something better. And when you do, just pay attention to the twice a day that we make casual reference in פרשת הקטורת to יום כיפור, and compose your בקשת מחילה.
This stupid woman Freier should voted out of office at the earliest opportunity by Boro Park voters now that she’s proven herself a traitor willing and able to still her people down the drain in order to be friends with the elitists she works with, now that she’s comfortable with the judgeship position she craved.
The amount of bail isn’t based on the crime and has nothing to do with guilt or innocence. Bail is to grant liberty to an accused and is insurance that the accused will show up for trial and isn’t a flight risk.
Don’t be so quick to judge the Judge who definitely had more facts about the accused than the Yeshiva World commentators.
Wow. You folks in the comments are just bitter and mean. It’s one thing to disagree with someone. It’s a completely different thing to call them “a cancer”, a chillul Hashem, or talk bad about their children in public. Especially someone who has good intentions and has worked hard to get to where they are. You people need a desperate look in the mirror. What have you done with your lives?
Judge can only rule on charges charged. DA’s office is the one that chooses what to charge and chose not to charge the hate crime. Judge doesn’t create charges.
Regarding the bail: as noted in the case files ‘NOT POSTED’. The Judge may have looked generous by charging a lower bail amount but was obviously smart enough to post an amount too high for the defendant. As the bail wasn’t posted, he wasn’t out on bail.
All these salty man-childs commenting who have probably never worked a real day in their lives…
If somebody who actually understands the process can show me the real problem here, I’ll concede, but as far as I can tell:
She didn’t find the guy innocent.
She didn’t drop the charges.
She picked a number that you think should be bigger, so you’re saying everything short of death threats.
Any number she picked you children would have said is too low because you clearly are already drinking the slander cool-aid.
Oy! many of you are unlearned self-hating Jews, always looking to bash people.
Ggavriel613 wrote, “in fairness to the judge, I don’t know if a judge can consider accusations that the DA hasn’t made. I.e. since the DA didn’t charge him with a hate crime, the judges job is to rule on the charges which were made, not to start making new ones.”
don’t you unlearned people know she has to go by the book? this is not a Bais Din where the guy with more money buys off the Dayanim [yes, this happens all the time, do not be shocked].
To FakeNewsAlert – you should really clean up your mouthpiece because it is starting to sound like a sewer that backed up. you seem to be a very low class person and is poshut jealous of anyone who worked hard to get to where they are. You have a long way to go till next Yom Kippur, but a few kapitlach of Tehillim a day will maybe help you. Or maybe you should start to go to shiurim………….
Curiosity; I’m not being mean- She IS a chillul HaShem! Do you think a married Jewish woman should be proudly dressed up to the eyeballs on show for all media- making Youtube clips etc for all who will obviously be fascinated by her, when she claims she is ultra orthodox -Haredi?
Is she a role model for our daughters?
Time to rip off the fake hechscher from this treifos!
And if she ran for president you’d vote for her? Ever heard of kol kvodah bas melech Pnimah?
You honestly think our holy Imahos are proud of her???
To all above cowherds who are afraid to speak the truth and are sticking up for her stupid court ruling …
NOBODY has to ask this so called judge for forgiveness for any of the above comments,
it’s the other way around, SHE has owes the entire community an apology.
A) for not dismissing herself from this case.
B) for putting us ALL in great danger… in the future. etc.
אמרו חז”ל מגלגלין זכות על ידי זכאי ו”חובה על ידי חייב”. כלומר, לאדם שראוי לקבל עונש… מזמין הקב”ה אדם רשע שרוצה להרע, והוא פועל את החובה לחייב this is self understood. A I have said above “Self-Hating Jews” are the biggest problems that we have in the Jewish community!!!
Errol Louis is a hater and BLM supporter. He believes his buddy Farrakhan can spew all his hatred & incitement because of freedom of speech. Every now and then he fills in for Brian Lehrer on WNYC 820am (got to hear what the enemy is saying) and kvetches about blacks getting reparations from white folks. Errol is irrelevant. Kalman doesn’t have to lower himself to answer the poisoned enemy.
“Not posted” simply means that he had not yet posted bail at that time. Lowering the bail means that the likelihood that he will, at some point, be able to post bail and be back on the street is higher. It also sends a message to the world that she doesn’t see him as great of a threat to society as the DA does. I won’t share my opinion regarding this woman and her actions but it’s hard to argue with the facts of what her actions mean to this case.
Reb Dons. If you’re concerned about chillul Hashem, there are serious chillul Hashem situations in the NY frum community that, in comparison, make your concern over this woman appearing on tv insignificant. And if you’re concerned about the role models your children choose, maybe you need to work on the influence of your relationship with your children. It’s not for you or anyone else to decide which role models other people’s children choose.
“Ever heard of kol kvodah bas melech Pnimah?
You honestly think our holy Imahos are proud of her???”
Reb Dons, ever heard of Devorah Hanevia who served as a Judge in our nation?
If your case against Judge Freier consists of cliches from the Book of Misogyny, you should stop embarrassing yourself and shut up.
comments ,
What about the fact that that was considered a humiliation for the Jewish people?
That they were undeserving?
Why is Kalman praising ERIC ADAMS who removed all the jews from the community board in crown heights and meets with Farrakhan every time the anti-Semite visits NYC,
I’m also angered to the core over the obvious horrific crime and seemingly slap on the wrist court outcome but here is where I differ with some of the vitriolic comments above.
Since the judge is a bas Yisroel and a Shomeres Torah Umitzvos, I am thus obligated to be דם לכף זכות. Sometimes is tougher than other times. This looks like one of those tougher times.
I’m also angered to the core over the obvious horrific crime and seemingly slap on the wrist court outcome but here is where I differ with some of the vitriolic comments above.
Since the judge is a bas Yisroel and a Shomeres Torah Umitzvos, I am thus obligated to be דן לכף זכות. (Oops! Typo above!)
Sometimes is tougher than other times. This looks like one of those tougher times.
comments: Unlike this woman, Devorah hid behind a mechitza.
She doesn’t understand the climate of hate as a nice young Yeshiva girl they teach to be nice but sometimes nice is not nice she should be removed from the bench get a backbone I think there a shot for that. This will create violence if these hater aren’t executed to the fullest extent of the law. I’m sorry but we need Judges that can stand up and make examples before someone gets killed. Such as life in prison or death sentence!!!!🇺🇸
Devorah Hanevia?………right……seriously……
Please, PLEASE don’t mention this deliberate(?)/undeliberate prutzah in the same sentence as Devorah Haneviah. I’m sure Devorah Hanevia would have appeared on Oprah, made Youtube clips in her lipstick and sheitle, and posed for photos in her judicial garb, for the whole world to gorp at- whilst claiming she is strictly ultra orthodox…..
After analyzing many of the above comments I truly believe that she should go back to the kitchen full time and learn to make a decent Cholent, she is not fit to be a judge she belongs at home. There is much more to say on this sensitive matter but here is not the place to spill the beans, after all she means well but she proved to us that is not capable. Frum women is the spot lite don’t bring much Kavod shomayim!!!
In this weeks Parsah The Torah teaches us about Our mother Sorah that she was indoors not in the public… וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֵלָיו אַיֵּה שָׂרָה אִשְׁתֶּךָ וַיֹּאמֶר הִנֵּה בָאֹהֶל She was inside… רבי מאיר משמיה דרבי מאיר (בראשית יח, ט) ויאמרו אליו איה שרה אשתך ויאמר הנה באהל להודיע ששרה אמנו “צנועה” היתה Yes she was full of Tznius by being inside and not on the front page etc.
Stupid suicidal MAH YAFFIS Jews are busy bending over backwards (even if it will break their own backs) to show the GOYIM that they are fair and not sticking up for their own brothers and sisters.
This woman decided to sacrifice the Jewish community on the altar of leftism and political correctness,and to show her bosses and colleagues what a good liberal and leftist she is.SHAME ON YOU Ruchy.
CHAIM
Judge Ruchie Freier recused herself from the case on Friday in court, the case was assigned to Judge Raymond Rodriguez who upheld Judge Freier’s decision to keep the Bail at $15,000 despite that the DA upgraded the charges from a 3rd degree Attempted Assault to a Hate Crime, because it’s a high bail amount, so he will remain in Jail until his trial.
Rashi tells us Esav is compared to a pig because just like a pig shows off its cloven hooves to swindle you into thinking he’s kosher- so too Esav asked his father kashas to make him think he was frum…….
”Look how frum and TZNIUS (!!!) I am- with my hair completely covered in a sheitl and my top buttoned up to the neck- real chassidish style. Aren’t I a G-d fearing ultra orthodox chassidish Jewess!!!
Very sad. Ruchi Freier, please do not release despicable videos that portray our community in a fake negative light. Please do NOT start up with hatzalah. We as a community do NOT need that. Remember that in the end you will not be the judge. You will be judged. And right now you are developing for yourself a very antagonistic profile for yourself in the frum community. I personally am very unimpressed with your activities and those that I talk to say the same. STOP please. Remember that you do not always see everything clearly. Ask daas Torah and get sound advice before your actions.
Reb Dons, you are commenting forward with “Look how frum and righteous I am! All my loshon hara is l’toeles because I believe in traditional gender roles!”, but do you chew your cud?
RebYidd: She is blazing the way forward to show that it is no problem in 2018 for frum Jewish women to hold high profile top public positions and be prevalent in the media whilst maintaining the stricktest standards in tznius. This is an extremely dangerous precedent, never before done by a frum Jewess (and there was no internet and electronic media with sarah Schnirer ztzl) and should be repudiated by every frum Yid. She thinks she is doing Klall Yisroel a favour, however she is publicly destroying the very MEANING of tznius! The very fact that there isn’t an uproar about this demonstrates the success she’s had in diluting our Torah. And you suggest my comments are not leToeless?
Well said, Reb Dons.
Yasher Koach
You still haven’t mentioned a reason for it to be l’toeles.
RebYidd23 -Seriously?
L’toeles- to make a maachoh in the strongest terms, so that she stops her pritzus and to discourage any members of your family who may be considering similar behaviour……