Last week, Teaneck resident and mom Margot Kagan was assaulted at the Staples store in Hackensack, when she asked a fellow store patron to pull her mask up onto her nose and mouth.

A cancer survivor and an immunocompromised liver transplant recipient, Kagan’s leg was broken after she was pushed to the ground by Terri Thomas, who allegedly showered Kagan with an array of expletives and somehow left the store without further incident. Thomas was only identified and arrested after the surveillance camera footage was widely circulated on social media.

The video was disturbing, and we as editors at The Jewish Link hope that in our continual promotion of spirited yet courteous debates in these pages, our community will want to take a stand against this unconscionable act of nonsensical violence. Whether one is “strict” or “stricter” on mask use, we know that this devolution into actual assault is grotesque, and not something we ever wish to see again, anywhere in our community.

According to fellow Teaneck resident and mom Hillary Goldberg, Kagan has school-aged children in Teaneck. Goldberg organized a GoFundMe page to raise money to help with Kagan’s unforeseen medical bills and provide any additional help the Kagan family may need. The page has raised over $4,000 so far. Let’s get her a little more help. Visit the link here: https://gf.me/u/yjmqg8