A young Orthodox Jewish nurse was allegedly choked and beaten on a New York subway while her attacker shouted “Jews eat children” — and the case exposes how deep antisemitic hate and public-safety failures still run in America’s biggest liberal city.
Story Snapshot
- A 23-year-old Orthodox Jewish woman was allegedly choked, thrown to the floor, and left with a concussion on a Manhattan subway train while her attacker shouted antisemitic slurs.[2][3][4]
- Police arrested 34-year-old Bronx resident Diana (also reported as Anna) Smith and charged her with hate-motivated assault, aggravated obstruction of breathing, and aggravated harassment.[1][2][3][4]
- Video recorded by the victim captured Smith yelling “Jews eat children,” echoing a classic blood libel historically used to justify violence against Jews.[1][2][3][4]
- The attack occurred amid a documented surge of antisemitic incidents in New York City, with organized Jewish groups warning that hate is escalating from words to violent street attacks.[1][3][4]
Hate-Fueled Assault On A Manhattan Subway
New York police say the incident unfolded on a C-train in Lower Manhattan, where Bronx resident Diana Smith boarded and began loudly ranting about Jews “stealing wealth” and making other hostile comments toward passengers.[1][2][4] According to the 23-year-old Orthodox Jewish victim, Smith’s attention soon locked onto her; Smith stared, smiled in a disturbing way, and then escalated into direct antisemitic abuse.[1][2][3][4] The woman’s visibly Jewish appearance made her an obvious target in a confined subway car packed with bystanders.
Part of the encounter was captured on the victim’s phone, providing rare, direct evidence of the hate driving the assault.[1][2][3][4] In the recording, Smith can be heard yelling that “Jews eat children,” a modern twist on a medieval blood libel that has long been used to demonize and incite violence against Jews.[1][3] Witnesses and the victim say this verbal barrage continued even as fellow riders tried to calm the situation.[1][4] Instead of de-escalating, Smith allegedly doubled down, turning from words to physical violence in a matter of moments.[1][2][3][4]
From Vile Slurs To Violent Strangling
According to police and multiple reports, the confrontation turned brutal when Smith allegedly lunged at the young woman, knocking her phone to the ground before grabbing her by the throat.[1][2][3][4] Investigators say Smith choked the victim, shoved and kicked her, then hurled her to the subway floor, where she continued the assault.[1][2][3][4] During the attack, a clump of the woman’s hair was ripped out, and she later required hospital treatment for a concussion and other injuries.[1][2][3][4] The victim later said she kept repeating to herself, “I am not in Nazi Germany.”[1][2][3][4]
When the train reached Canal Street, the injured woman managed to escape the car to get help, while another passenger hit the emergency alarm to alert authorities.[1][2][3][4] Police officers intercepted the train and took Smith into custody, preventing her from disappearing back into the city.[1][2][3][4] Prosecutors charged Smith with hate-motivated assault, aggravated criminal obstruction of breathing, and aggravated harassment, explicitly tying the violence to her antisemitic statements.[1][2][3][4] That charging decision reflects the legal reality that words like “Jews eat children” are not just ugly opinions when paired with a targeted, violent attack; they help prove motive.
Hate Crime, Mental Illness Claims, And Rising Antisemitism
Some commentary around cases like this often tries to shift the conversation to the attacker’s possible mental health struggles, implying that bigotry may be secondary or irrelevant.[2] In this case, the public record provided so far does not include any clinical diagnosis, hospitalization records, or competency findings for Smith, meaning speculation about her mental state remains just that—speculation.[2] By contrast, the antisemitic slurs and the physical targeting of an obviously Jewish woman are documented on video and in eyewitness accounts, giving investigators concrete evidence of bias.[1][2][3][4]
DEMENTED HATE: Orthodox Jewish Woman Assaulted in NYC Subway Hate Attack
A 23-year-old Orthodox Jewish nurse had a clump of her hair violently ripped out on a packed Manhattan subway car earlier this week as her attacker screamed "Jews are eating kids!"
The suspect, identified… pic.twitter.com/0ZT7XyKkZ4
— Moshe Schwartz (@YWNReporter) June 3, 2026
Jewish advocacy groups say this attack fits into a disturbing pattern rather than standing as an isolated outburst.[1][3] The Combat Antisemitism Movement reports 193 antisemitic incidents in New York City through May 31, averaging more than one per day, and stresses that harassment is increasingly crossing the line into open street assaults.[1][3] That trend is especially alarming to families who rely on public transit and want their children and grandchildren to be able to ride a subway or walk a city block without being hunted for wearing a yarmulke, modest dress, or other expressions of faith.[1][3]
Sources:
[1] Web – Woman allegedly choked subway rider, yelled antisemitic remarks in …
[2] Web – ‘Jews Are Eating Kids’: New York City Subway Rider Harasses and …
[3] YouTube – ‘Jews Are Eating Kids’: Jewish Woman Attacked On NYC Train
[4] YouTube – A Shocking Antisemitic Attack on NYC Subway
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