Bergenfield Rabbi Assaulted; No Bias Found

Rabbi Avraham Wein was assaulted outside his Bergenfield, N.J., home around 2 p.m. Sunday when a man allegedly exited a vehicle and attacked him. Neighbors intervened and restrained the attacker on video; both Wein and a Good Samaritan suffered minor injuries and Wein was not hospitalized. Police arrested 40-year-old Jeffrey Zicchinella (also reported as Jeffrey Vangoldren/Vangeldren), charged him with two counts of simple assault, and are holding him in the Bergen County Jail. Authorities initially probed a possible antisemitic motive given the timing before Sukkot, but Bergenfield police and the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office said their review of surveillance, social media and witness accounts found no evidence of bias or a prior connection to the victim and concluded it was a random, isolated act. Officials said the suspect has an extensive criminal history, ordered extra patrols around synagogues and Jewish homes as a precaution, and urged residents not to spread unverified reports while the investigation continues.