Apparently, a Jew was attacked on the street because of his clothing. In October an arson attack was carried out on his synagogue.

The sidewalk in front of the community on Brunnenstrasse has been cordoned off since the arson attack in October (November 9, 2023) Photo: Markus Schreiber/ap

SEDAN dpa/epd/taz | In an alleged anti-Semitic incident, an unknown man attacked a Jew in Berlin. The 54-year-old man was insulted in an incomprehensible manner and the words “Free Palestine” were used, police said on Sunday. The stranger then pushed him to the ground and injured his hand with an electric scooter. The incident occurred on Friday afternoon.

The Jew was recognizable as a Jew: a prayer shawl peeked out from under his shirt. The incident occurred on Friday afternoon on Brunnenstraße, where two synagogues are located nearby. Now state security is investigating.

The Jewish community of Kahal Adass Yisroel shared on x (formerly Twitter)., the person attacked was a member of their community. The man suffered a bone fracture and had to be treated at a hospital.

According to the community, police who arrived on Friday classified the incident as serious bodily injury and not an anti-Semitic incident. In their press release on Sunday, the police spoke of an “attack with anti-Semitic undertones”.

Kahal Adass Jisroel (KAJ) has its community center which includes the Beth Zion synagogue, a day care center and other facilities further south on Brunnenstraße in the Mitte district. The house became known throughout the country when unknown persons threw incendiary devices at the building in mid-October 2023. On November 9, Chancellor Olaf Scholz called for the protection of Jewish life in commemoration of the Kristallnacht pogrom 85 years ago. years in the synagogue.

According to its own statements, the Orthodox KAJ “represents an authentic and traditional Judaism that visibly shapes the urban landscape through its members and the community. The traditional dress of many of its members has been an integral part of the urban landscape around the small synagogue.” during years.

The community said the attacker was a Jewish refugee from Ukraine. He is traumatized and scared. “He suffers especially because he can no longer feel safe here after the trauma of the outbreak of war and his flight from his homeland to Germany.”