For Immediate Release: July 24th, 2026
Press Contact: Sophie Ellman-Golan | sophie@jfrej.org 

We are sending a refuah shlema, prayers for a speedy and thorough recovery, to the victims of yesterday’s terrifying stabbing in Manhattan. We are relieved to learn that both victims appear to be stable. 

No one should ever fear a random attack — motivated by hate or for any reason — when simply walking down the street. It is especially distressing that this stabbing occurred on Tisha B'Av, a traditional Jewish day of mourning. Our thoughts are with the Jewish and Asian American communities of NYC who no doubtably feel extra fearful walking down the street today. 

But thoughts are not enough. This horrifying attack demonstrates exactly why we need material investment in non-carceral hate violence prevention in NYC. We are grateful to Mayor Mamdani and the NYC City Council for providing 26 million dollars in hate violence prevention funding in the fiscal year 2027 budget. 

JFREJ will continue to fight for policies that keep all New Yorkers safe.

To see how we believe this funding can be spent to make an impact on our city, go to https://www.nycagainsthate.com/.