Man Guilty in Jewish Hate Crime Attack Sentenced

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, Jr., recently announced the sentencing of Salem Seleiman, 30, to two years in state prison for a hate crime attack against a 29-year-old Jewish man, Joseph “Joey” Borgen, in Times Square in May 2021.

Seleiman pleaded guilty in New York State Supreme Court to one count each of Assault in the Second Degree and Assault in the Third Degree as a Hate Crime on September 29, 2025. He was sentenced on December 4, 2025.

Violent anti-Jewish hates crimes were on the rise in the post-COVID vaccination days of spring 2021. A contemporary Daily News story on the meelee at Broadway and 49th Street was headlined. “‘I could have died’ Jewish man attacked by hate-fueled mob recounts vicious Times Square beating as cops arrest suspect.”

That suspect, Waseem Awawdeh, 23, of Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, was the first of the mob brought to justice and indeed, photos of him that day show him on crutches. Five more assailants would be arrested over over the next three years, with Seleiman being the last.

One Battle After Another

That D.A. Bragg made his announcement on Friday December 5—the day after a large pro-Jewish rally, including Comptroller-Elect Mark Levine and popular Jewish musician Matisyahu, was held outside the Park East Synagogue, site of a recent, aggressively anti-Israel protest that NYPD failed to properly contain, is probably a coincidence.

Similarly, Bragg couldn’t have known that his announcement would compete for news break attention with reports that NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch apologized to Zohran Mandami for the fact that her younger brother, Benjamin, had called the Mayor Elect, “an enemy of the Jewish people” during a recent charity dinner speech.

It was certainly an impolitic remark and that the top cop said she spoke to Mandami about it is significant.

What it means, however, is opaque, given Mandami’s initial remark about the Park East Synagogue protests, which he implicitly defended by remarking “that these sacred spaces should not be used to promote activities in violation of international law.”

Bragg, Persistent, Gets His Man

D.A. Bragg, meanwhile, continued, noting that Seleiman is the sixth defendant to be sentenced for the 2021 attack and that five other defendants have pleaded guilty and been sentenced, including three who got state prison sentences in January 2024.

The aforementioned Waseem Awawdeh copped his plea for attempted assault in the second degree as a hate crime and criminal possession of a weapon, in June 2023.

Present for his sentencing before Judge Felicia Mennin, was Awawdeh’s victim, Joseph Borgen, then 31. Wearing a blue yarmulke, Borgen told Mennin, “Why is he getting a break? I really can’t fathom why he’s getting a deal. Me, personally, I wanted to go to trial, I wanted to see full justice.”

Though Mennin said “The behavior of the group was despicable... This is not how people behave in a civilized society,” she agreed that Awahdeh’s deal with the Manhattan D.A. was just.

For his part, D.A. Bragg said “No one should ever feel unsafe because of their religion, and we do not tolerate the antisemitic hate displayed by the defendant in this case.”

“Following a thorough and extensive investigation, Waseem Awawdeh is now sentenced to 18 months in jail. The three remaining defendants are expected to be tried on hate crimes charges in the coming months and face significant state prison time if convicted.”

Bragg Gets Another One

It’s obvious that the October 7, 2023, Hamas terror attack on Israel and Israel’s over the top counter offensive marked a new stage in the longstsanding conflict between Israel and Palestine but also the very meaning of Judaism in New York. Bragg’s prosecution of anti-Jewish hate crimes has more complex meanings today than it did at the time of the original mob attack in 2021.

“Salem Seleiman took part in the repugnant and bias-motivated assault of a Jewish man who was peacefully attending a rally,” said D.A. Bragg. “The victim was targeted based on his religion and did nothing to warrant physical violence. In recent years, we have seen increased threats and violence against Jewish New Yorkers, and we want the community to know that our Hate Crimes Unit takes these matters extremely seriously. If you or someone you know has been the victim of a hate crime, I urge you to call 911 or report it to our Hate Crimes Unit at 212-335-3100.”

According to court documents and statements made on the record in court, on May 20, 2021, a Pro-Israel rally and a counter Pro-Palestine rally occurred in Times Square. At approximately 7:00 p.m., Seleiman, who attended the Pro-Palestine rally, encountered the victim, who was wearing a yarmulke.

The victim was thrown to the ground, punched, struck with a crutch, pepper-sprayed and kicked by the separately charged defendants. During the assault, the victim was taunted with antisemitic remarks including, “filthy Jew,” “dirty Jew” and “f— Israel.”

After Good Samaritans attempted to intervene and protect the victim, surveillance footage captured Seleiman allegedly urging onlookers to leave the scene. As admitted in the defendant’s guilty plea, and also visible on surveillance footage, Seleiman kicked the victim due to his perception about the victim’s identity.

Seleiman was arrested in Tampa, Florida on a warrant for this case in May 2024 before being extradited to Manhattan.

D.A. Bragg thanked the NYPD, particularly Detective Alfred Genao of the NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force.