According to Emma Bussey writing for ‘Fox News’ there was an ‘anti-Semitic hate crime’ in Bergen Country on 5th October 2025.
She writes that:
‘A rabbi has been assaulted outside his home in New Jersey just hours before the start of the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, authorities said.
The Oct. 5th incident is being investigated as both a violent crime and a suspected antisemitic attack, with the local mayor condemning it as “a disgraceful act of violence.”
Police said the suspect, Jeffrey Zicchinella, 40, of Ridgefield Park, was driving through the area of Sussex Road around 2 p.m. when he allegedly stopped his vehicle, got out, and attacked Rabbi Avraham Wein.
A neighbor who witnessed the assault rushed to help the Rabbi, who is an assistant at Congregation Keter Torah in nearby Teaneck. The neighbor managed to restrain the suspect until officers arrived.
Zicchinella was taken into custody and later charged with two counts of simple assault, according to NorthJersey.com. Records also indicate he may also go by the name Jeffrey Vangoldren.
“Due to the quick actions of our residents and the Bergenfield Police Department, the male actor was taken into custody and charged with two counts of simple assault and remanded to the Bergen County Jail,” police said in a statement shared on Facebook.
“We are in consultation with the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office and stress that this is still an ongoing investigation,” the statement continued.
“We take all reports of bias-motivated or hate-related incidents seriously and remain dedicated to ensuring that everyone in our borough feels safe and respected.”
Police Chief Mustafa Rabboh also said extra patrols have been ordered around synagogues and residential neighborhoods “out of an abundance of caution,” adding that preliminary findings suggest the incident appears isolated.’ (1)
The problem with this narrative is the obvious one: there is no evidence mentioned – or rationale offered – as to why Zicchinella stopping and beating up Wein is an ‘anti-Semitic hate crime’ other than the fact that Zicchinella is presumably non-jewish while Wein is jewish.
Indeed, even Bergenfield’s police department and Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office don’t appear to believe that this was an ‘anti-Semitic hate crime’ either as they didn’t charge Zicchinella with anything ‘hate crime’ related but rather simple assault.
Bussey writes that the:
‘Authorities say the investigation remains ongoing, with Bergenfield police coordinating closely with the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office to determine whether the assault was bias-motivated.’ (2)
Put another way: the police and prosecutor’s office in Bergen County don’t see how this was an ‘anti-Semitic hate crime’ but are publicly stating they are ‘investigating’ to ‘determine’ whether it was or not in order to mollify the jewish community.
The truth then is – unless new evidence emerges – this was not an ‘anti-Semitic hate crime’ in the slightest, but rather a physical assault on a rabbi for no known – but likely a pedestrian one and unrelated to Wein’s jewishness - reason.
References
(1) https://www.foxnews.com/us/act-violence-new-jersey-rabbi-injured-suspected-hate-crime-before-jewish-holiday
(2) Idem.