Jewish student attacked in Oakland

This story was updated to include statements from Dan Marcus of Hillel JUC and the University of Pittsburgh.

A Jewish University of Pittsburgh student was physically assaulted in Oakland by a group of six to eight men shouting antisemitic slurs.

The victim was leaving Phat’s Bar near Semple and Ward Streets at approximately 2 a.m. on Sept. 27 when the men noticed he was wearing a Star of David on a chain. The men shouted, “Free Palestine,” “F— Jews” and other antisemitic remarks before assaulting the student, according to Chabad of Pitt Rabbi Shmuli Rothstein, who spoke to the victim.

The attackers fled when confronted by a nearby store owner, Rothstein said. The victim was not seriously injured.

The FBI is leading the investigation to determine if the attack constitutes a federal hate crime.

The University of Pittsburgh issued a “Hate Crime/Assault” alert on its website and listed a description of three of the assailants.

Suspect one is a male aged 20-24, about 6 feet tall and 170 pounds, with a brown complexion, dark hair and a beard. He was wearing a white T-shirt and gold chain. Suspect two is a male aged 20-24 about 5 feet, 8 inches tall and 170 pounds, with a brown complexion, dark hair and a beard. He was wearing an orange shirt. Suspect three is a male aged 20-24 , about 6 feet tall and 200 pounds, with a brown complexion, dark hair and beard. He was wearing a dark, zippered hooded sweatshirt.

It is not known if any of the assailants are University of Pittsburgh students.

Rothstein said the location where the assault happened is known as being a “student-heavy area.”

“There was never a concern of anyone walking around here,” he said.

Shawn Brokos, director of community security for the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh, said the attacks that have been occurring on and around the university are related to people’s perceptions of the conflict in the Middle East. There’s no doubt, she said, that this attack was targeted.

“It was personal,” she said. “The assumption is they saw the Start of David necklace, realized he is from Israel or Jewish or both. That started the verbal assault, which escalated.”

While the assault didn’t occur on Pitt’s campus, Brokos said it involved a college student in the heart of where college students congregate.
“This isn’t some random neighborhood. This is where college students are,” she said. “It’s very unnerving.”

Rothstein said that the university issued a statement shortly after the attack and had nonstop security over the weekend.

That isn’t enough, he said.

“If someone keeps cutting themselves, do you offer more Band-Aids? Sure, but we should remove the sharp object which keeps slicing them,” he said.

The rabbi said that he’s had conversations with school administrators and that plans were implemented to address certain issues of concern to Jewish students, but he doesn’t think that will solve what he considers to be the root of the problem.

Hateful rhetoric, Rothstein said, is proliferating in the classrooms and among students online. He said he’s spoken with university administrators and warned them it would lead to violence.

“If they’re fed hate all day, if they get a little drunk, they’re going to see a guy wearing a Star of David and they’re going to beat the junk out of him,” Rothstein said. “I don’t need more cops. I don’t need more apologies. I don’t need more handshakes or meetings. I need them to stop teaching hate and have dialogue. They need to have dialogue.”

Brokos agreed.

“This can’t continue,” she said. “Our students need to feel safe.”

Dan Marcus, executive director and CEO of the Hillel Jewish University Center, said he was “shocked and horrified” — but not surprised — by the attack. Jewish students, he said, need no more platitudes from city leaders.

“We call on our city leaders to stop allowing the hateful, antisemitic rhetoric to continue on city property,” he said. “We know where this leads. It leads to violence. It’s also clear that we need more police patrols in high student traffic areas at night and at high volume times to ensure Pitt students can walk safely on campus.”

University officials said in a prepared statement that Pitt “unequivocally condemns antisemitism” and that violence or antisemitic acts against its community would not be tolerated, regardless of who it comes from or is directed at.

“Hate of any kind has no place in our community,” the statement said, adding that Pitt officials have reached out to the victim, Hillel JUC and Chabad at Pitt, and remain focused on sharing resources and support with those impacted in the community.

The university also said that it has provided resources to the University of Pittsburgh Police Department to ensure security officers are available as escorts to Jewish students, faculty and staff as they attend religious services during the High Holidays.

“We continue to evaluate safety needs and will provide further resources as needed,” the statement said.

Other measures to fight hate are in the works, the statement added, including a“programming series on combatting antisemitism and Islamophobia” hosted by Pitt’s Office for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.

Last month, two University of Pittsburgh students were attacked on their way to Shabbat services by a man wearing a keffiyeh, a scarf symbolizing solidarity with the Palestinian cause. The man, Jarrett Buba, 52, of Oakland, allegedly threw a bottle at the students, who were both wearing yarmulkes. A motive for that attack has not been confirmed. Buba was charged with two counts of simple assault and two counts of aggravated assault. PJC

David Rullo can be reached at drullo@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.