Tragic Incidents in Queens Jewish Community Spark Fears of Antisemitic Pattern
A series of incidents in Queens, including the death of journalist Cara Traeger in a car crash and the unsolved murder of Rabbi Albert Itzkowitz, has raised concerns of antisemitism. The driver, Daoud Faisal, also faces hate-crime charges.
A series of tragic events in eastern Queens, one of New York City's five boroughs, occurring within a radius of approximately three miles (five kilometers), has sparked deep concern within the local Jewish community. Residents fear these incidents are not mere coincidences, but rather a developing pattern of antisemitic hostility.
The events include the vandalism of a kosher business flying Israeli flags, the unsolved murder of a rabbi and former kosher bakery owner, the desecration of two local synagogues, and a fatal car crash that claimed the life of Jewish journalist Cara Traeger.
However, authorities have clearly qualified these connections. Although the driver charged in the fatal crash, Daoud Faisal, faces separate hate-crime charges for vandalizing the kosher business, prosecutors have presented no evidence that Traeger or her husband were targeted. The crash is not being investigated as a hate crime.
The Fatal Crash and Charges Against Daoud Faisal
At the center of two separate criminal cases is 22-year-old Daoud Faisal, a resident of the Fresh Meadows neighborhood in eastern Queens. According to the indictment filed by Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz, on May 25, Faisal was driving a Toyota Prius at speeds exceeding 75 mph (over 120 km/h) in a 35 mph zone.
According to the charges, Faisal ran two red lights at the intersection of Union Turnpike and Francis Lewis Boulevard, colliding with two vehicles. The impact forced one of the cars into the crosswalk where journalist Cara Traeger, 71, and her husband, Michael, were walking.
Traeger, a resident of Hollis Hills and a well-known figure in the Jewish community, was critically injured and died four days later. Her husband was injured. Prosecutors state that Faisal exited his vehicle and attempted to flee the scene but was apprehended by bystanders. He is charged with manslaughter, assault, leaving the scene of an accident, and other traffic violations. If convicted, he faces more than 15 years in prison and is currently held without bail.
The connection that placed the crash into a broader context emerged later. In late July, Faisal was charged with hate-crime criminal mischief in connection with two incidents outside Bagels & Co., a kosher establishment in Fresh Meadows that displayed Israeli flags. It was revealed that the vandalism occurred on May 15 and May 23 — just ten and two days before the fatal crash. District Attorney Katz described the acts as a "detestable act of antisemitism."
The kosher business is located on Union Turnpike, only a few hundred meters from the intersection where Traeger was killed. The two desecrated synagogues — Young Israel of Jamaica Estates and Young Israel of Holliswood — are also located in the immediate area along 188th Street and Francis Lewis Boulevard. According to the New York Police Department, during a single night in July, bags containing motor oil and feces were thrown at the synagogues. The NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force is investigating both incidents.
Unsolved Murder of Rabbi Albert Itzkowitz
Approximately one week before the fatal crash, 75-year-old Albert Itzkowitz, a rabbi and former kosher bakery owner, was found shot to death near Kissena Lake in Kissena Park, Flushing — about four kilometers northwest of the crash site. The homicide remains unsolved, with no suspects or motives identified. Itzkowitz's family has urged police to investigate a potential antisemitic motive.
His daughter, Leah Lifshitz, told the Queens Daily Eagle:
"The circumstances demand answers in a city that has seen a sharp rise in antisemitic incidents. My father was clearly identifiable as a Jew. He was targeted in broad daylight. He was murdered in a public park, a place where he should have been safe. His family deserves answers. The Jewish community deserves answers."
Community and Official Reactions
The Jewish-American publication The Forward, which linked the events in a report on the community's growing anxiety, quoted New York State Assemblymember Nily Rozic, who represents the area. Rozic noted that even while investigations remain open, she views the events as connected:
"Context matters. When these kinds of incidents are accompanied by additional violence, it deepens the fear and trauma within the community."
Michael Traeger previously told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA) that while he does not know if his wife was personally targeted, he felt the driver "was looking to do damage in a very Jewish area." Traeger's daughter told The Forward that learning the suspect was linked to the vandalism of the kosher business days before her mother's death raises questions about whether the tragedy could have been prevented.
Ofir Akunis, Israel's Consul General in New York, wrote after meeting with the Traeger family and community members that the events "create a pattern of hate." However, officials emphasize that these concerns represent the feelings of family members and community leaders rather than investigative conclusions. The Queens District Attorney's office reiterated to The Forward that there is no evidence the Traegers were targeted, and the crash is not being prosecuted as a hate crime.
