Last Wednesday, Oct. 30, Stephen (Shloimie) Zeffren of Teaneck was attacked in broad daylight on the Upper East Side for publicly identifying as a Jew by wearing a kippah. Noting the day’s beautiful weather, Zeffren thought to himself, “It’s the perfect day to get a good walk. I’d love to get something to eat.” He walked from his office on 53rd Street to Ouri’s Market about 14 blocks north.
As he began to walk back to his office, AirPods in his ears, Zeffren was approached by a middle-aged man who spit in his face and called Zeffren a “dirty Jew” before walking past.
Zeffren did not follow the man or respond to his comments but then realized he had forgotten something in Ouri’s Market and turned around. As the man saw Zeffren turn around, he allegedly said, “Oh, you want to come after me?” Zeffren again did not respond, and the man then sucker punched him in the side of the face, leaving Zeffren bleeding from the ear and the neck.
A bystander approached and asked if Zeffren was OK, pointing out the blood. Zeffren was “in total, utter shock,” and did not notice the blood until the bystander mentioned it. He shared: “I felt like my whole body was vibrating. I didn’t know what had just happened, but thank God I didn’t fall down or hit my head anywhere.”
Zeffren said that he initially was not sure whether or not to call the police. The bystander had mentioned that this type of incident was not uncommon for the area and that the police may not be able to help. “[The bystander] said, ‘No, there are just such crazy people here. It’s not worth it.’”
Once Zeffren called his wife, however, she urged him to call the police, saying that it was an antisemitic hate crime that must be reported. He agreed, calling the police and informing them of the situation. The cops came quickly, picking Zeffren up in their car to search for the perpetrator but failing to find him. They then went to the police precinct, where Zeffren was questioned and then asked to wait for the detectives.
During this wait, Zeffren had time to reflect on the incident, moving past the initial shock. Sitting and waiting in the precinct, he realized how scary it had been and got emotional thinking about what could have happened if the attack had been any worse.
Zeffren realized there was “a reason Hashem made sure that I’d be able to tell my story and that I’d have the courage to do so.” He was initially nervous to share his story, but “realized if we stay silent and we don’t speak out, we don’t have this opportunity to show everyone that this antisemitism is real, and it’s rampant.”
Zeffren reflected on his Jewish pride after the altercation. “I’m not going to be afraid. I’m proud of who I am as a Jew.” He is a grandchild of Holocaust survivors who “fought to show that we’re not going to let those who hate us win. We’re proud of who we are and we’re here to stay.” It made him very sad to realize that after all that people like his grandparents fought for after surviving the Holocaust, there is still so much antisemitism.
He also relayed his gratitude that he wasn’t seriously injured. Zeffren expressed that “no matter how safe you feel, you need to be vigilant because you never know when the most unexpected will happen to you.” Even on the Upper East Side, even in the middle of the day, something could happen. It is important to remember that God is and always will be with us, and we should forever be proud of who we are as a Jewish people, and never hide that; If we do, we let them win.
Eliana Birman is the assistant digital editor for The Jewish Link. She is a student at Barnard College and lives in Teaneck.
