Outrage First, Facts Later

While returning to school from a class trip, a third-grade student from Yeshivat Noam in Paramus was severely injured when a rock was thrown at her school bus on the New Jersey Turnpike. As the buses traveled near the Teaneck Road exit, a large rock shattered a window and struck the young girl in the head. What initially appeared to be a minor injury quickly turned into a nightmare. A CAT scan revealed bleeding on the brain and the child now required surgery. Thank God the surgery was successful and she is recovering.

It was frightening and understandably shook the Jewish community to its core.

Almost immediately, social media erupted. Though the school and law enforcement explicitly stated that they did not yet know the nature or motive of the incident (and there were no external markings on the bus that identified it as a bus with Jewish students), many online rushed to label it a horrific antisemitic attack. Predictably, the declarations followed. This is the end of Jewish life in America. Jews are no longer safe. History is repeating itself before our eyes.

Two days later, an arrest was made.

This was not a hate crime. It was a tragic act of violence committed by someone deeply unwell.

Authorities announced that the suspect, already charged in a series of rock-throwing incidents across Bergen County, was not motivated by antisemitism. He was mentally unstable. State police revealed that he had been awaiting trial for similar acts, including an aggravated assault in Bogota that had already landed him in jail. Court records showed multiple additional charges after his release, including alleged assaults on law enforcement officers, criminal mischief, and trespassing.

This was not a hate crime. It was a tragic act of violence committed by someone deeply unwell.

Just a few months earlier, a similar story unfolded. In October, a rabbi in New Jersey was attacked outside his home. Surveillance footage showed bystanders rushing to help as the rabbi and a good Samaritan suffered minor injuries. Within minutes, the internet declared with certainty that a rabbi putting up his sukkah was attacked in broad daylight by an antisemite.

Strong statements followed and dire warnings were issued, spreading fear.

But the facts told a different story. Police stated, “This was a random act of violence. No words were exchanged prior to the assault, and there is no indication that this attack was motivated by race, religion, or ethnicity.” The suspect had a criminal record. There was no evidence of a hate crime. The rabbi was not putting up his sukkah. And yet the online verdict had already been rendered.

Antisemitism Is Real

I do not share these stories to minimize or dismiss the very real and disturbing rise in antisemitism. The statistics are undeniable and the threats are real. The horrific acts of violence that have occurred are too painful and numerous to count. We must remain vigilant, courageous, and vocal. We must call out hatred, confront it, and fight it legally, morally, and spiritually.

The rush to assume motive is understandable. After October 7^th (and the response to it), comedian Jim Gaffigan captured a feeling many Jews recognized when he quipped, “Does anyone else feel the need to call all their Jewish friends and say, ‘Okay, you weren’t being paranoid’?”

And yet, Judaism asks us to pause, think and reflect.

The Mishna states, “Be slow to judgment” (Ethics of the Fathers, 1:1). Rabbeinu Yonah, a foremost commentary on the Mishna, explains that one who is quick to judge, even if he believes he is speaking truth, his error is not considered accidental. It is closer to willful wrongdoing because he failed to reflect. A hasty mind lacks the depth required to truly know and make proper judgments.

Rushing to Conclusions

Today, information travels instantly and opinions spread faster than facts. There is a kneejerk reaction to quickly alert, alarm, analyze and advise, often without the patience to gather, to listen, to learn. This is dangerous for the content creator and consumer alike.

We are watching this same phenomenon play out now as the public, on the left and right, rushes to conclusions about the incident involving the death of Renee Nicole Good at the hands of an ICE agent in Minneapolis. Before full video evidence emerged, before facts were established, before investigations concluded (or were even conducted!), each side hurried to condemn or defend, to accuse or absolve, filtered entirely through preconceived narratives. We saw not events, but reflections of our own assumptions.

“Be slow to judgment.”

Pursue the truth responsibly. Outrage untethered from truth only fractures the world further.

Deliberation is what our hyperconnected, emotionally charged world desperately needs. Being slow to judgment makes you trustworthy and credible, so that when real hatred and genuine threats appear, you won’t be merely crying wolf.

In a world rushing to conclusions, have the courage to pause.