A Baltimore rabbi used a firearm to fight off two alleged assailants on the evening of May 24 after the rabbi said he was sucker punched in the face and knocked to the ground by two masked men who then attempted to steal his car.
Rabbi Emanuel Goldfeiz, the leader of Beit Yaakov Sephardic Congregation in Pikesville, was in the parking lot of his home at the Park Towers West condominiums when the masked individuals approached him and abruptly punched him in the face, according to police.
Goldfeiz fell to the ground after being struck and the two alleged assailants continued to strike him and took his car keys.
The suspects then unsuccessfully attempted to start Goldfeiz’s car before switching course in an attempt to assault the rabbi again, according to Baltimore police.
But by then, Goldfeiz had regained his footing and pulled out a handgun, which he then pointed at the individuals.
“I told them don’t come close,” Goldfeiz told the Jerusalem Post. “At that moment, I had a choice to shoot him, but I had rachmones [pity] and decided he can live.”
Baltimore Police stated that the suspects fled on foot after Goldfeiz pointed his gun at them. Police added that Goldfeiz had a valid handgun permit for his weapon and that he was treated for minor injuries at the scene.
Baltimore City Councilman Isaac “Yitzy” Schleifer said that he spoke with Goldfeiz shortly after the attack and told WBAL 11 News that Goldfeiz was still a bit banged up from the assault.
Schleifer also spoke about the bold nature of the attackers and their willingness to try to carjack a person like Goldfeiz.
“They have no problem going and attacking, you know, an older person, somebody clearly who’s a person of faith. He was still dressed in all of his attire coming from synagogue, and so it’s really very upsetting,” Schleifer told WBAL.
The incident is currently being treated by police as an attempted carjacking, as several news outlets reported that the area had seen several carjackings in recent months.
But the attack on a rabbi still had a ripple effect on other members of the Jewish community and raised safety concerns amid other incidents, including the killing of two Israeli embassy staffers in Washington, D.C. on May 21.
“When we hear about events like this, it’s definitely very disturbing because safety is a big concern for us,” Rabbi Velvel Belinsky of the ARIEL Chabad Center told WBAL. “We are wishing him a speedy recovery. Unfortunately, he’s hurt. He was punched very, very hard, and I’m wishing him a speedy recovery. I conveyed my wishes for him and I hope he’s going to be doing well.”
As of writing, the suspects have not yet been caught and the police urge anyone with information to contact them.
