Young Charedi Woman Attacked in New York Subway

A 23-year-old Haredi woman was violently attacked on a crowded New York subway train this week by a woman who allegedly shouted antisemitic accusations, choked her and tore a clump of hair from her head.

The attack took place Sunday afternoon in Manhattan, around the same time thousands were marching nearby in the annual Israel Day parade. According to reports in the New York Post cited by YWN, the victim, a medical nurse originally from Montreal, was riding the C train in Lower Manhattan when the suspect began shouting antisemitic remarks at passengers.

The suspect, a 34-year-old woman from the Bronx, allegedly ranted about Jews “stealing wealth” before focusing on the visibly religious victim. The young woman later recalled that the attacker stared at her, smiled threateningly and then escalated the confrontation.

According to the victim, the suspect told passengers that “Jews eat children” and then placed her hands around the victim’s neck. When other passengers objected verbally, the attacker allegedly shouted, “It’s okay that Jews eat children, but I’m not allowed to choke her?”

The victim’s phone was knocked to the floor during the struggle. The attacker allegedly kicked and shoved her, continued choking her and eventually ripped out a clump of her hair. The victim later said she felt like a “rag doll” during the assault and was unable to defend herself.

She was taken to the hospital and diagnosed with a concussion.

The attack ended when the train reached Canal Street. The victim managed to escape the car and alert police officers at the station, while another passenger pressed the emergency button. Police arrested the suspect at the scene.

The woman now faces charges including assault as a hate crime, criminal obstruction of breathing as a hate crime and aggravated harassment.

The victim later criticized the other passengers, saying that many approached her only after the arrest to say they had seen what happened and ask if she was okay. She said it was painful to realize how many people had witnessed the attack but failed to physically intervene or form a barrier to protect her.

She also expressed concern over the safety of Jews in New York and accused local leaders of failing to respond firmly enough to the hostile atmosphere facing the community. She pointed in particular to Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s refusal to participate in the Israel Day parade, saying that the lack of clear public support only worsens the sense that Jews in the city are being left exposed.