A 68-year-old Jewish man was physically attacked by an antisemite on the Sabbath at around 1:30 Saturday afternoon, shortly after leaving morning prayers at a synagogue in Lauderhill, Florida.
The town is located in the Fort Lauderdale metropolitan area in Broward County.
The alleged attacker, identified as 42-year-old Trevor Rodney, was arrested Sunday. He is accused of yelling an antisemitic epithet while beating the victim on 6400 block of Northwest 44th Street.
The Jewish man had just left the Synagogue of Inverrary-Chabad a few blocks down the same street.
A passerby saw the attack happening, pulled over, and intervened by yelling at Rodney to stop hitting the victim, prompting the attacker to stop the beating and walk away.
The victim suffered “bruised eyes, several abrasions on the face and severe body pain,” and was taken to a local hospital.
Rodney, who was arrested Sunday, told police during questioning that the victim’s head “moved in circles” and that “a blue cloud appeared above his head.” He also added that he feared the victim would “eat his face.”
Rodney was charged Sunday with battery on a person 65 or older along with third-degree felony evidence of prejudice. He was booked and then released on $25,000 bond, police said.
According to a 2023 report by the Anti-Defamation League in Florida (the latest figures available for the state), antisemitic incidents more than doubled since 2020, with a total of 269 incidents recorded in 2022, a 42 percent increase over 2021 and an all-time high.
South Florida counties historically have had the highest number of combined antisemitic incidents, the ADL reported.
In 2022, there were a total of 102 incidents in South Florida – a 38 percent increase over the previous year — including 20 in Palm Beach, 35 in Broward, and 47 in Miami-Dade.
The year 2022 also brought increased incidents in other parts of the state as well, including 21 in Sarasota County, 26 in Hillsborough County, 28 in Duval County, and 21 in Pinellas County.
