Lubavitcher Stabbed in Manhattan, Shomrim Join Search for Attacker

A Lubavitcher man from Crown Heights was stabbed in the back while walking along a busy Manhattan street on Wednesday, in an attack being investigated as a suspected antisemitic hate crime.

The attack occurred on West 47th Street, between Fifth and Sixth Avenues, in the heart of Manhattan’s Diamond District, in full view of dozens of pedestrians.

Security camera footage captured the encounter, showing the attacker approaching the Lubavitcher from behind. The victim attempted to evade the assailant, but was unable to escape before being stabbed in the back with a sharp object believed to have been a needle or syringe.

The attacker, a woman believed to be in her 30s, immediately fled westbound toward Sixth Avenue. The injured Lubavitcher sought medical assistance and was treated by Hatzalah before being transported to Bellevue Hospital, where he was reported to be in stable condition.

Police issued a description of the suspect, identifying her as a white woman, approximately 5 feet 9 inches tall, wearing blue jeans and white sneakers, with a dark sweater tied around her waist.

The NYPD has opened an investigation into the stabbing as a suspected antisemitic hate crime. Police and Manhattan Shomrim are searching for the attacker, who remains at large.

Shomrim is appealing to anyone who witnessed the attack or has access to storefront security cameras, dashcam recordings, or cellphone footage from the area around 5:45 p.m. to contact its hotline immediately at 212-430-2024.