When a Jewish man is violently attacked at a synagogue and the rescuer is prosecuted while the attacker walks free, the message is unmistakable: Jews are not safe in New Jersey.
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Photo by Staff Sgt. Julius Delos Reyes – This image was released by the United States Air Force with the ID 100608-F-3571D-226 (next). See Commons:Licensing. Public Domain, Wikipedia
In a just society, heroes are honored. In today’s New Jersey, it seems they are indicted.
In November 2024, a violent mob descended on the Ohr Torah synagogue in West Orange, screaming antisemitic slurs, forcing their way past police barricades, storming synagogue property, and unleashing chaos. Protesters blasted bullhorns and vuvuzelas inches from congregants’ heads, shouting “Zionists are Nazis,” “Intifada,” “From the river to the sea,” and-most chilling-“The Jew is here!”
Then they attacked a 65-year-old man, David Zilberberg, beating him to the ground, dragging him down a slope, and choking him.
There were no police in sight. Surrounded by jihadi agitators, Zilberberg was being choked from behind when Dr. Moshe Glick, a 53-year-old dentist and community volunteer, intervened to stop the assault.
Then the impossible happened: the Jews were arrested.
Yes-jihadi protesters attacked Jews outside a synagogue, and the only people facing trial are the victim and the man who protected him. In any normal state, the assailants would have been arrested. In New Jersey, the man who broke a chokehold and saved a life was indicted for felony assault and hate crimes. Meanwhile, the man who put Zilberberg in that chokehold-the same man identified as an aggressor in a federal civil complaint-remains uncharged by local prosecutors.
When a Jewish man is violently attacked at a synagogue and the rescuer is prosecuted while the attacker walks free, the message is unmistakable: Jews are not safe in New Jersey.
What Really Happened
The federal civil complaint filed by the U.S. Department of Justice on September 30, 2025, lays out the truth clearly. Protesters stormed synagogue grounds. They shattered police barriers. They blasted sonic weapons at point-blank range. They used threats, force, and intimidation to obstruct Jewish worship. They dragged a man across synagogue property and choked him. They screamed antisemitic slurs in an atmosphere of escalating national hostility toward Jewish institutions.
New Jersey prosecutors saw the same footage and chose to indict the Jews.
And the contradiction is staggering: the same week New Jersey charged Dr. Glick, the federal government sued the agitators. The DOJ’s lawsuit names the groups and individuals involved and includes photographic evidence-one slamming Zilberberg into the ground, activists blasting vuvuzelas inches from Dr. Glick’s ears.
The federal government recognized what New Jersey did not admit: Jews were attacked. A synagogue was targeted. The mob-not the victims-was the aggressor. Dr. Glick acted defensively.
This is not a jurisdictional disagreement. It is a moral indictment of New Jersey’s prosecutors by the federal government.
The DOJ is now seeking sweeping protections around synagogues statewide, including buffer zones, restrictions on unpermitted protests, damages, and significant civil penalties. Washington sees the danger. New Jersey denies it.
Meanwhile, Dr. Glick’s trial was set to begin this week and the judge did not appear, so it was postponed. Over 100 had turned out to support him.
But will he face prison?
The Essex County Prosecutor’s Office misread the situation. They saw a synagogue invaded and a man choked. They saw a mob screaming genocidal threats. They saw a 53-year-old dentist intervene when police were absent. And they indicted that man who stopped the attack.
New Jersey criminalized Jewish self-defense. And that is dangerous.
Dr. Moshe Glick acted with courage and restraint. He protected a fellow American and very likely prevented a tragedy. His prosecution is legally irrational and morally disgraceful.
By contrast, the federal government has recognized the truth. The DOJ stood with the victims. Its lawsuit confirms what the Jewish community has said from day one: this was an attack, not a protest. And Dr. Glick is a hero, not a criminal.
New Jersey Must Fix This – Now
Governor Phil Murphy must intervene-immediately and unequivocally. He must ensure the charges against Dr. Glick are dropped and that the state makes clear that protecting Jews from violent assault is not a crime. If Governor Murphy does not, then the Department of Justice must escalate, and President Donald J. Trump must act to protect US citizens.
Dr. Moshe Glick defended a man being choked on synagogue grounds. He did what any decent American hopes he would do. Now New Jersey must defend him.
And if it does not, the federal government must.
Ronn Torossian is an Israeli-American entrepreneur and philanthropist.
Sounds like Governor Murphy and his DOJ should be investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law!
Essex County Prosecutor’s Office is not an elected position. The prosecutor is appointed by the Governor.
Therefore their actions are a direct reflection of the position of the Governor of New Jersey.
@Donaldo
This is an important context. Thank you.
Who will actually press charges ?
Who will drop the charges ?
What is the state of our system ?
Our system is not in the hands of a lawful people !
DO NOT CHASE POLITICAL PEOPLE:ELECT GOOD PEOPLE
eddie dee dee
We need a closer look at the prosecutors!!
dreuveni:
Will we name the prosecutors to check the prosecutors ?
eddie dee dee