Jewish photographer threatened by knife-wielding assailant in antisemitic attack in Bulgaria’s capital

Mordechai Lubecki, a photographer for Chabad – one of the world’s largest Jewish religious organisations – was attacked in an antisemitic assault in a street in Bulgaria’s capital city Sofia this week, the organisation said.

In the incident, partially captured on video, the assailant, a middle-aged man dressed in dark clothing and wielding a butterfly knife, shouted “Hitler!” several times at Lubecki and stole his yarlmulka.

The incident happened in the evening as Lubecki was making his way back to his hotel.

Police were called to the scene and arrived swiftly, but the assailant had gone. The incident is being investigated.

In his role as a photographer for Chabad, Lubecki has been visiting numerous countries across the globe, documenting Jewish community life.

Rabbi Yosef Salamon, of Chabad Bulgaria, was quoted by the organisation as saying that the incident was very unusual for the country in general and the city in particular.

(Lubecki, left, and the assailant, right, via Chabad Bulgaria’s Facebook page)

Please support The Sofia Globe’s independent journalism by becoming a subscriber to our page on Patreon:

Become a Patron!