{"id":318270,"date":"2026-08-11T00:54:36","date_gmt":"2026-08-11T00:54:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/318270\/"},"modified":"2026-08-11T00:54:36","modified_gmt":"2026-08-11T00:54:36","slug":"feds-make-new-acknowledgment-about-1994-fatal-brooklyn-bridge-terrorist-attack-against-jewish-students","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/318270\/","title":{"rendered":"Feds make new acknowledgment about 1994 fatal Brooklyn Bridge terrorist attack against Jewish students"},"content":{"rendered":"

Back in March 1994, Yossi Spalter traveled on a van with his Yeshiva classmates from Manhattan to Crown Heights over the Brooklyn Bridge.<\/p>\n

The trip changed his life when terrorist Rashid Baz opened fire on the van, murdering 16-year-old Ari Halberstam<\/a>, and injuring several others.<\/p>\n

Spalter was one of 14 Jews in the van who survived the attack.<\/p>\n

He spoke exclusively on Monday with CBS News New York’s Lisa Rozner in New Jersey, where he is now a rabbi.<\/p>\n

“We all knew that we were attacked for the simple reason that we were Jews and the simple reason that we were singled out because of our yarmulkes and our hats,” Spalter said.<\/p>\n

“The federal government did not take this case to begin with, which was very upsetting to me for [several] decades,” said Devorah Halberstam, Ari’s mother, who now sits on the NYPD’s Hate Crime Review Panel<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Baz was convicted of murder and sentenced to 141 years in prison. He died in prison in 2023.<\/p>\n

\"screenshot-2024-03-01-at-5-20-03-pm.png<\/p>\n

Ari Halberstam<\/p>\n

Devorah Halberstam<\/p>\n

Until now, the federal government hasn’t investigated the case as a civil rights violation and hate crime.<\/p>\n

Last month, just before he was named the director of national intelligence, then-U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton wrote to Devorah Halberstam, Spalter and the other men who survived the attack.<\/p>\n

His letter said, in part, “First, there is no question that if the murder of your son, Ari Halberstam, had occurred today, we would investigate it and seek to prosecute it as a federal hate crime.”<\/p>\n

Rozner asked Spalter if it was painful not having validation from the federal government for more than three decades that what happened was a hate crime.<\/p>\n

“It was definitely a question of why? Why deny us our civil rights?” Spalter said. “The very fact that now 32 years later it’s recognized it’s something that gives you that little confidence to show we’re not going to push what happened to you under the rug.”<\/p>\n

“All eyes sadly are on the Jewish community and so many hate crimes are happening,” Devorah Halberstam added. “[The letter] coming at this point in time was without a doubt a message to demonstrate our government and country has not abandoned us.”<\/p>\n

Mayor Zohran Mamdani said in a statement, “I am pleased that Ari Halberstam’s murder is being recognized as the vile act of antisemitism that it was. This recognition is long overdue and is a testament to Devorah’s extraordinary determination over more than three decades of advocacy. I hope this letter provides some measure of comfort and justice to Devorah and her family.”<\/p>\n

Spalter shared a magazine photo that captured his sorrow on the day of Ari’s funeral. He said it’s still difficult to talk about the tragedy today.<\/p>\n

“Ari was a sweet, extremely competitive, energetic boy. When he was committed to something, he went through with it all the way,” Spalter said. “If it was studying, he was serious. If it was sports, he was serious.”<\/p>\n

Clayton’s letter went on to say, “…while my office is not currently aware of any further investigative steps, we are committed to remaining vigilant in our pursuit of justice..”\u00a0<\/p>\n

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