QUEENS, NY—On March 16th, 2026, members of the Jewish community in Queens, including Bukharian Times Editor-in-Chief Rafael Nektalov, and the surrounding areas came together at Queens Criminal Court to proudly show our support for Rabbi David Shushan.
The show of support was organized by the newly formed Kew Forest Republican Club.
“We organized this over concerns of rising anti-Semitism across NYC, and this particular crime hit very close to home as the club is based in Forest Hills,” co-founder Kathryn Donnelly said.
The Attack
The hearing follows a disturbing anti-Semitic attack that took place on January 27, 2026, in Forest Hills. Rabbi David Shushan, a 30-year-old father of three and BJCC youth Rabbi, was on his way to synagogue when he was confronted by a man who shouted anti-Semitic slurs before punching him in the chest and face near Queens Boulevard and 71st Avenue.
Despite the sudden violence, Rabbi Shushan fought back, later recalling how he found himself “rolling on the floor in the snow” during the altercation. He was ultimately able to photograph the suspect, who was quickly arrested at a nearby subway station.
The suspect, identified as Eric Zafra-Grosso, was charged with assault as a hate crime and aggravated harassment as a hate crime. Prosecutors requested $40,000 bail; however, the presiding judge released him on supervised release – a mistaken decision given the fact the defendant is still currently at large, and not reporting for his court arraignment, or even “outreach” by his legal defense.
Public Support
Local candidate for New York Assembly in the 25th District of Queens, Kenneth Paek, also attended the show of support over these same concerns. Mr. Kenneth Paek stated that he wanted to be part of a larger show of community support against anti-Semitic hate crimes that are increasing in our neighborhoods. A staunch supporter of Israel, Mr. Kenneth Paek has an incredibly impressive service and work history spanning from his years in the United States Military, US Navy and specialized foreign operation units, to being a retired NYPD Detective.
The public turnout was significant at the hearing, however the defendant, Eric Zafra-Grosso, did not appear. The District Attorney reported the defendant failed to appear at a Criminal Justice Agency appointment, after being let out on “cashless bail” by the inherently flawed decision of a Judge Sharifa Nasser-Cuellar.
There was no surprise in the courtroom among those that gathered to show their support for Rabbi David Shushan. It was a disappointing, yet not surprising, turn of events given the lawless nature of “cashless bail” and other bail “reform laws” that have been forced upon a once lawful New York City. More than this, one cannot help but wonder if the ideologies of Judge Sharifa Nasser-Cuellar, a Democrat, played a role in releasing the defendant in this case, who perpetrated an outright act of Jew hatred and violence against an innocent and visibly Jewish community member.
The disastrous “bail reform” package only serves to enable criminals such as the assailant in the case of Rabbi David Shushan, as evidenced by the fact that the defendant assailant did not arrive for his court arraignment on 03/16/2026. Moreover, there was no concerted effort by his legal defense to track and monitor the activities of the defendant in order to at minimum ensure a court presence at his own hearing.
I was among those in attendance at the public show of support for Rabbi David Shushan. As a licensed clinical social worker, psychotherapist, and member of the Queens Shomrim community patrol, I also want to recognize the brave and decisive actions of Shomrim members, whose response helped contain the attacker and led to his arrest.
Although the refusal of the defendant to present himself to the court today was yet another example of the utter lack of personal accountability in the “cashless bail” and “supervised release” insanity unleashed within the New York City criminal court system, the larger Jewish community of New York, together with our allies, showed that we will not be deterred in our fight against Jew hatred.
In fact, it is a recognized phenomenon that with the rise of anti-Semitic hate crimes in our neighborhoods, there is and will be a corresponding rise in public demonstrations against heinous acts of Jew hatred in our communities. The Jewish community refuses to be silenced, and we will demand public accountability of our elected officials to fully and thoroughly prosecute all forms of violence against the Jewish community—today, and always.
“The Bukharian community is and will continue to show solidarity with our Jewish brethren whenever needed. We are one people and will stand for each other,” said Rafael Nektalov.
That an innocent Rabbi, our very own Rabbi David Shushan, was attacked by a deranged anti-Semite in broad daylight on International Holocaust Remembrance Day is a cautionary tale: If we do not read the obvious writing on the walls, we are only enabling future attacks against our community.
But when we come together as a community as we did on Monday, we bring forward a call for justice and accountability that cannot be ignored.
Woe to those politicians and other elected officials who believe they can ignore us. Our power, strength, numbers, and political resolve are only beginning to grow. The Jewish community of Queens, New York is a true sector of diverse New York rooted in traditional values that correspond with majority American-held and supported values. We will not let the forces of moral ineptitude continue to make our neighborhoods and communities festering grounds for violence, indifference, failed social policies, and hatred.
The defendant failed to show again on Wednesday morning; stay tuned for an update in the next issue.
By Dmitri Oster New York