Several bochurim from Tomchei Temimim Lubavitch were violently attacked in an apparent antisemitic incident on a New York City subway train while returning from Chanukah kiruv activities in Manhattan to Crown Heights.

According to firsthand testimony from one of the victims, the group had spent several hours engaged in mivtzoim, spreading the light and joy of Chanukah, before boarding a No. 3 train heading back to Brooklyn. What should have been a routine ride home quickly turned into a frightening and dangerous encounter.

Shortly after the train departed Manhattan, two men — believed to be a father and son — boarded the car and began hurling vicious antisemitic slurs at the visibly Jewish bochurim. The verbal abuse escalated rapidly.

Fearing for their safety and hoping to document the incident for police, one of the bochurim took out his phone and began recording.

“That’s when everything changed,” the bochur recounted. “As soon as the younger one realized I was filming, he attacked me.”

Video footage taken by another bochur shows the assailant physically striking the victim inside the subway car. As the situation spiraled out of control, no passengers intervened. No one stood up. No one attempted to stop the assault.

“One stop before Crown Heights, we ran off the train in panic,” the bochur said. “Nobody helped us. Nobody got up to block them. We were completely alone.”

As the bochurim fled the car, the attacker made a gun gesture toward his head.

“I realized this could turn deadly,” the bochur said. “I quickly put the phone in my pocket — but the camera was still recording. You can hear everything. You can see the fear.”

The bochurim exited at the nearest station and ran to the closest police precinct, where they filed a complaint against the attackers. Authorities have been notified, and the incident is under review.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)