NEW YORK (AP) — The daughter of a man gravely wounded in an attack on a Hanukkah celebration north of New York City made an emotional plea Thursday to end hatred and anti-Semitism, saying she hopes her father regains consciousness “to a changed world.”
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“We want our kids to go to school and feel safe,” Nicky Cohen, the daughter of Josef Neumann, told reporters in front of her home in Rockland County. “We want to go to synagogues and feel safe. We want to go to grocery stores and malls and feel safe.”
Neumann, 72, has been unconscious since Saturday when an attacker with a machete rushed into a rabbi’s home in Monsey, New York, and wounded five people during a Hanukkah celebration. Neumann remained in intensive care at Westchester Medical Center and was undergoing surgery Thursday morning, she said.
The family released a statement this week saying Neumann, a father of seven, may have permanent brain damage. The family also released a photograph of Neumann showing his head injuries.
“The doctors do not have high hopes for him,” Cohen said. “If he wakes up he may never be able to walk, talk or even process speech again.”
“We hope he wakes to a changed world with peace, unity and love for all,” she added. “Let’s stand up together and stop the hatred.”
The man charged with hate crimes and attempted murder in the attack, Grafton Thomas, had handwritten journals containing anti-Semitic comments and a swastika and had researched Hitler’s hatred of Jews online, prosecutors said. Thomas’ lawyer and family said he has struggled for years with mental illness; they said he was raised in a tolerant home and hadn’t previously shown any animosity toward Jewish people.
Cohen described Neumann as a people person and “just an all-around fabulous guy.” She recalled a time from her childhood when he had stopped to help a man on the side of the road.
“I hope he wakes up soon and can tell you himself,” said Neumann’s son, David Neumann. “All I know is they are not very hopeful.”
Refuah shemaymah, Yosef ben perel
Nebach nebach. My their Father have a refuah shilaima taikaf umiyad mamesh!
“We hope he wakes to a changed world with peace, unity and love for all,” she added. “Let’s stand up together and stop the hatred.”
I understand the daughter and her siblings is in a lot of pain right now, but how can the above statement really effect change? It sounds like a DeBlasio/Eric Adams talking point. Peace, love and harmony all sounds great but lemaaseh what does that mean. The hate is only coming from one side, blacks towards Jews. It’s like the great war hero, John Kerry, telling the Palestinians and Israelis, “both sides” have to work things out, as the Palestinians keep butchering innocent Jews. If you can’t be clear as to where the hate is coming from, you can’t have any resolution.
When is Al Sharpton or Jesse Jackson going to speak out against the violence?
When chickens grow lips.
Please no that the doctors prognosis has nothing to do with Hashem who is the only one who decides life and death matters. May Hashem grant Yosef ben Perel a refuah shleimah! Lets daven for it and expect it.
is this white supremacist or is it BLACK supremacist? who are the perpetrators?
The mayor and governor and all the liberal democratic politicians are the cause.
Any condemnation from Omar and AOC?
What does the analysis as to whats going on help .eisav has been hating jacob for more than 3000 years.nothing will change till the end of days.meetings, blame ,and studies still wont make an animal into a human
Andre Zeihorn, right because Jews are never dehumanized, Jews are never called “the Jews”, Jews are never told they should be gassed, they are fake Jews and Khazars, Jews are always treated nicely and humanly…
Well, I have some news for you, we are treated worse than blacks and denigrated and try to dehumanize us. But we have not lost our humanity and there’s no excuse for losing ones humanity.
הלכה היא שעשו שונא את יעקב.
And as Harav Chaim Volozen said: if yidden don’t make kiddush, the goyim will make havdala!