Miami, FL – A Brooklyn Rabbi visiting Miami was killed while walking to synagogue on Saturday morning.
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Rabbi Joseph Raksin, 60, was walking with a friend to North Miami Beach synagogue Bais Menachem, at 1005 N.E. 172nd Terrace around 9 a.m. when two young men reportedly approached and shot him, Miami-Dade Police said.
Raksin was airlifted to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center, where he died shortly thereafter.
The two suspects ran away on foot and by bike and police still do not have a description of them.
Raksin is from Brooklyn, Crown Heights section, who was in South Florida to visit his granddaughter and other relatives.
Police have released a statement saying “At this time there is no indication of this being a hate crime,”.
But Brian Siegal, director of the American Jewish Committee’s Miami and Broward Regional Office, said he believes Raksin’s shooting may be connected to the recent act of vandalism at the nearby Torah V’Emunah, an Orthodox synagogue, 1000 N.E. 174th St.
Chesed Shel Emes is working wth medical examiner to avoid an autopsy.
Hava Holzhauer, ADL Florida Regional Director, said in a statement. “That at this time, it appears to be a robbery that went badly.”
“Currently no evidence has been brought to light that it was motivated by anti-Semitism”.
“This is a terrible tragedy. While the motivation for this crime is still being investigated, nothing can justify the killing of an innocent man walking to his place of worship to pray on his holy day.”
“We appreciate the professionalism that the Miami-Dade Police Department has shown in securing all the evidence surrounding the crime and assuring that this investigation remains an exceptionally high priority. Let us hope that the culprits are swiftly apprehended and brought to justice.” Said Holzhauer
BD’E. Nebech sounds like a victim of DOMESTIC TERRORISM, REGARDLESS OF WHAT THE COPS SAY.
Oy gevald, BDE !
“Not a hate crime”, They just kill people for their enjoyment. The biased media reporting is partially to blame also.
This is outrageous! He just celebrated his 60th birthday, visiting his daughter and her family; walking to shul in broad daylight, on a very Jewish street…Hashem yishmor! Really devastating
BDE!
There are still those individuals who don’t know that Jews don’t carry money on Shabbos. One time, a Black person came into our Shul on Shabbos looking for a handout. Several people told him that on Shabbos, Jews are prohibited from carrying money. His response was “I never heard of that”. He left, but came back during the week, again looking for money. This specific incident could have been both a robbery and a hate crime. Even if one gives money to these animals, there is no guarantee that they won’t shoot, anyway. In any event, Florida has a death penalty, which I hope is used in this case, against those vicious savages from the jungle.
Boruch Dayan Ha’emes.
What a horrible tragedy.
Why would you “avoid an autopsy” on a murder vcitim? Surely you need to help catch the killer/s for pikuach nefesh in the future 🙂
by the way the nifter was was yossi rackson obm from crown heights Brooklyn
Avoid an autopsy !?
He needs an autopsy. Do we want another Kahane story where the murdere walks free?
All Rabonim say that in a murder case we must have an autopsy, so Yiddish blood isnt hefker.
““At this time there is no indication of this being a hate crime,””
this is just random shooting of a rabbi? come on! this is a hate crime if there was any!
jewish blood seems to be cheap nowadays. people need to demand that this death not go without a huge investigation to find his murderers and no matter the age they be prosecuted for murder! no deals , even if teenagers.
old enough to murder, old enough to serve
This article did not give a description of the animals involved in this heinous crime stating “that the police do not have a description”. Yet, if one watches the video, the black female tv news anchor clearly states that “two Black males were involved”. Also, the Hispanic reporter assigned to this report, twice stated “two Black males were involved”. In addition, it was reported that it was not a robbery, as the shooter just came up to the victim, shot and killed him, and walked away. Clearly, this was a hate crime. We need a leader like Meir Kahane (z’l), whose organization would take care of animals, who had no respect for Jewish life or property.
Bde may his family know of no more sorrows