A New Jersey man has been charged with assaulting a rabbi during an alleged Sunday attack in Bergenfield, police said.
Jeffrey Zicchinella, 40, allegedly exited his vehicle around 2 p.m. and attacked the rabbi, according to a statement from the Bergenfield Police Department. A nearby resident intervened, and both sustained minor injuries before officers took Zicchinella into custody and booked him into Bergen County Jail. (RELATED: Skydiving Instructor Found Dead, Officials Rescue Another Skydiver From Tree)
Police said they believe the attack was an “isolated incident” and are working with the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office as the investigation continues.
The rabbi was reportedly identified as Avraham Wein, a Queens native who serves as assistant rabbi at Congregation Keter Torah in Teaneck, according to his biography on the Torah Academy of Bergen County’s website. He previously worked as a rabbinic assistant at Congregation Beth Sholom in Lawrence, New York, the New York Post reported.
Wein told the Post he was “touched” by the public’s concern and denied reports that he had been hospitalized and that he had been building a sukkah — a temporary outdoor hut used during the Jewish festival of Sukkot to commemorate the Israelites’ dwellings in the wilderness — in his front yard when the attack occurred.
Bergenfield Mayor Arvin Amatorio condemned the alleged assault in a statement posted to Facebook, calling it “a shameful act that has no place in Bergenfield.”
“I strongly condemn this attack and make it clear that we will not tolerate violence in our town, against anyone, under any circumstances,” Amatorio wrote. He said the community stands with the alleged victim and urged anyone with information to contact police.
The Bergenfield Police Department did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller’s request for comment.