‘You Filthy Jew’: German Rabbi Allegedly Assaulted Outside Berlin Subway Station

The rabbi of the Jewish community of Potsdam, Germany, was the target of an antisemitic attack while visiting nearby Berlin for a doctor’s appointment earlier this week, The Algemeiner reported, citing German media outlets and local police reports

The incident occurred on Tuesday, as Rabbi Ariel Kirzon, 43, stood with his 13-year-old son in front of a subway station speaking on his phone in Hebrew. A man walked toward him, intentionally bumped him, and uttered an antisemitic slur, according to Berlin police.

Kirzon told German media outlets that his assailant shouted, “You filthy Jew.”

“I was clearly recognizable as a Jew when suddenly an Arab-looking man insulted and attacked me,” Kirzon — who wears tzizit, a traditional religious garment donned by Orthodox Jews — was quoted by Bild as saying. “He shouted and raised his hands, grabbed me, as if to hit me.”

Following the assault, Kirzon filed a police complaint.

Berlin police are investigating the incident, reviewing security camera footage from the area.

The number of antisemitic incidents recorded in Germany in 2021 totaled 2,738, up nearly 40% from the 1,957 of the previous year, according to an annual data report published by the country’s Federal Association of Departments for Research and Information on Antisemitism (RIAS) in June.