A disturbing incident during the first days of Pesach has left the Crown Heights community on edge as organizers prepare for a public rally in response to the assault of a Black man in a wheelchair by a member of the Orthodox Jewish community. The attack, which took place on Lincoln Place, has drawn widespread condemnation across Crown Heights and beyond. But despite the near-universal denouncement of the assault by Orthodox Jewish leaders, concern is growing over inflammatory messaging accompanying the rally, which some fear could lead to renewed tensions between the Black and Jewish communities. On Yom Tov, 30-year-old Levi Kabakov, a Jewish man walking with his children, confronted a Black man in a wheelchair, Troy McLeod, who was out walking his two muzzled but unleashed dogs. According to police and eyewitness accounts, Kabakov demanded that McLeod cross the street after his children appeared frightened. Though McLeod complied and crossed the street, Kabakov allegedly emerged from his home and physically assaulted McLeod—striking him with a wooden block and a bench, and shoving him from his wheelchair to the ground. “I was scared, I was trying to get back up, I was in shock,” McLeod told News 12. “There was no need for it.” The video of the incident shows McLeod’s dogs remaining calm throughout, contradicting any claim that they posed a threat. McLeod says the attack left him with pain in his hands and ongoing difficulty getting around. He continues to walk his dogs daily and has called for accountability. Kabakov has been charged with felony assault and aggravated menacing. He was arraigned on March 30 and released without bail pending a court appearance in July. From the outset, Crown Heights Jewish leaders have unequivocally condemned the assault. “There is absolutely no justification for assaulting someone in a wheelchair — ever,” said Rabbi Yaacov Behrman of the Jewish Future Alliance. “The perpetrator has been arrested and charged. The community is horrified.” Privately, some community members have gone even further, labeling Kabakov a rodef — someone whose reckless behavior places others in danger — noting that his actions could easily provoke backlash and antisemitism against the entire Orthodox community. Soon after news of the incident broke, flyers began circulating on social media announcing a rally in protest of the attack — originally planned for outside 770 Eastern Parkway, the headquarters of Chabad-Lubavitch. The flyer included deeply troubling language: “Assaulted in a wheelchair by members of the Orthodox Jewish community.” One post said, “Shame on the Jewish community — this is despicable.” Such messaging has alarmed many in Crown Heights, evoking painful memories of the 1991 Crown Heights riots, when misinformation and community blame led to violence, looting, and the murder of Yankel Rosenbaum Hy”d. In response, Jewish leaders engaged in urgent outreach to the rally organizers to clarify facts and discourage the event from targeting the broader Jewish community. “We’ve been in touch with the organizers and made it clear that if people are upset with how the case is being handled, the protest should not be directed at a religious institution or community,” Rabbi Behrman wrote. “Our understanding is that the organizers are now working to change the rally’s location and messaging.” Sources say the rally may be moved to a neutral location, such as in front of a […]