Ari Halberstam
Encyclopedia
Ari Halberstam was a yeshiva student from a distinguished family associated with the Chabad-Lubavitch
movement, who was killed in a terrorist shooting in New York City
.
Raised under the personal supervision of the seventh Lubavitcher Rebbe, Menachem Mendel Schneerson
, the Halberstam family's ties to the Rebbe include his father, who worked as a butler and personal manager to the Rebbe. The Halberstam family also includes a rabbinic dynasty of its own, the Bobovers, whose first Rebbe was Shlomo Halberstam.
, and was returning to his Brooklyn home via the Brooklyn Bridge
. On the entrance ramp to the bridge, gunman Rashid Baz
opened fire on the van, which also carried more than a dozen other Hasidic students. The attack critically wounded two of the young men and injured two others. The lone gunman, who was equipped with a submachine gun, two 9mm guns, and a "street sweeper" shotgun, pursued the van full of terrified students across the bridge. He fired in three separate bursts, spraying both sides of the van, before disappearing into traffic. During the shooting spree, the gunman reportedly shouted in Arabic "Kill the Jews," expressing revenge for the massacre of 29 Muslim worshipers at the Cave of the Patriarchs
in Hebron
by Baruch Goldstein
.
Halberstam was rushed to St. Vincent's Hospital and was the most severely wounded, having been shot in the head by Baz. As a result of the massive brain injuries, Halberstam was pronounced dead five days after the shooting.
. Later that year, the Rebbe died and was buried across the aisle from Halberstam.
due to his childhood exposure to violence during the Lebanese Civil War
. They argued further that Baz' actions were triggered by the killing of 29 Muslims just four days earlier by Baruch Goldstein
in Hebron. The jury rejected this argument, and on December 1, 1994, Baz was convicted on one count of murder, 14 counts of attempted murder, and one count of criminal use of a firearm. Despite the conviction of Baz, the Halberstam family and others wanted the case reclassified as a terrorist attack and wanted a further investigation to probe any terrorist links to Baz. On August 26, 1999 the United States Department of Justice
and FBI agreed to open an investigation into Baz. The investigation did not yield any new leads connected to terrorist organizations but the Justice Department
did formally reclassify the incident as an act of terrorism
.http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F20D12F639580C758CDDAB0994D8404482&n=Top%2fReference%2fTimes%20Topics%2fSubjects%2fR%2fReligion%20and%20Belief
Chabad-Lubavitch
Chabad-Lubavitch is a Chasidic movement in Orthodox Judaism. One of the world's larger and best-known Chasidic movements, its official headquarters is in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn, New York...
movement, who was killed in a terrorist shooting in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
Raised under the personal supervision of the seventh Lubavitcher Rebbe, Menachem Mendel Schneerson
Menachem Mendel Schneerson
Menachem Mendel Schneerson , known as the Lubavitcher Rebbe or just the Rebbe among his followers, was a prominent Hasidic rabbi who was the seventh and last Rebbe of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement. He was fifth in a direct paternal line to the third Chabad-Lubavitch Rebbe, Menachem Mendel...
, the Halberstam family's ties to the Rebbe include his father, who worked as a butler and personal manager to the Rebbe. The Halberstam family also includes a rabbinic dynasty of its own, the Bobovers, whose first Rebbe was Shlomo Halberstam.
Murder
On March 1, 1994, Ari Halberstam was visiting the ailing Rebbe at the Manhattan Eye, Ear and Throat HospitalManhattan Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital
Manhattan Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital is a specialty hospital in New York City that was founded in 1869 and is currently located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan at 210th East 64th Street...
, and was returning to his Brooklyn home via the Brooklyn Bridge
Brooklyn Bridge
The Brooklyn Bridge is one of the oldest suspension bridges in the United States. Completed in 1883, it connects the New York City boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn by spanning the East River...
. On the entrance ramp to the bridge, gunman Rashid Baz
Rashid Baz
Rashid Baz is a Lebanese-born immigrant and convicted murderer who, in the Brooklyn Bridge shooting, shot and killed 16-year old Ari Halberstam on March 1, 1994, while driving on the ramp to the Brooklyn Bridge .-The Shooting:While driving on the approach ramp to the Brooklyn Bridge from the FDR...
opened fire on the van, which also carried more than a dozen other Hasidic students. The attack critically wounded two of the young men and injured two others. The lone gunman, who was equipped with a submachine gun, two 9mm guns, and a "street sweeper" shotgun, pursued the van full of terrified students across the bridge. He fired in three separate bursts, spraying both sides of the van, before disappearing into traffic. During the shooting spree, the gunman reportedly shouted in Arabic "Kill the Jews," expressing revenge for the massacre of 29 Muslim worshipers at the Cave of the Patriarchs
Cave of the Patriarchs
The Cave of the Patriarchs or the Cave of Machpelah , is known by Muslims as the Sanctuary of Abraham or Ibrahimi Mosque ....
in Hebron
Hebron
Hebron , is located in the southern West Bank, south of Jerusalem. Nestled in the Judean Mountains, it lies 930 meters above sea level. It is the largest city in the West Bank and home to around 165,000 Palestinians, and over 500 Jewish settlers concentrated in and around the old quarter...
by Baruch Goldstein
Baruch Goldstein
Baruch Kopel Goldstein was an American-born Jewish Israeli physician and mass murderer who perpetrated the 1994 Cave of the Patriarchs massacre in the city of Hebron, killing 29 Palestinian Muslim worshipers and wounding another 125....
.
Halberstam was rushed to St. Vincent's Hospital and was the most severely wounded, having been shot in the head by Baz. As a result of the massive brain injuries, Halberstam was pronounced dead five days after the shooting.
Funeral
As the funeral procession took place on Eastern Parkway, outside the central Lubavitcher synagogue, some 10,000 mourners and more than 250 police officers took part in the event, to maintain safety. Halberstam was buried in the Montefiore Cemetery in QueensQueens
Queens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....
. Later that year, the Rebbe died and was buried across the aisle from Halberstam.
Baz' sentencing
Baz' defense team portrayed him as suffering from post-traumatic stress disorderPost-traumatic stress disorder
Posttraumaticstress disorder is a severe anxiety disorder that can develop after exposure to any event that results in psychological trauma. This event may involve the threat of death to oneself or to someone else, or to one's own or someone else's physical, sexual, or psychological integrity,...
due to his childhood exposure to violence during the Lebanese Civil War
Lebanese Civil War
The Lebanese Civil War was a multifaceted civil war in Lebanon. The war lasted from 1975 to 1990 and resulted in an estimated 150,000 to 230,000 civilian fatalities. Another one million people were wounded, and today approximately 350,000 people remain displaced. There was also a mass exodus of...
. They argued further that Baz' actions were triggered by the killing of 29 Muslims just four days earlier by Baruch Goldstein
Baruch Goldstein
Baruch Kopel Goldstein was an American-born Jewish Israeli physician and mass murderer who perpetrated the 1994 Cave of the Patriarchs massacre in the city of Hebron, killing 29 Palestinian Muslim worshipers and wounding another 125....
in Hebron. The jury rejected this argument, and on December 1, 1994, Baz was convicted on one count of murder, 14 counts of attempted murder, and one count of criminal use of a firearm. Despite the conviction of Baz, the Halberstam family and others wanted the case reclassified as a terrorist attack and wanted a further investigation to probe any terrorist links to Baz. On August 26, 1999 the United States Department of Justice
United States Department of Justice
The United States Department of Justice , is the United States federal executive department responsible for the enforcement of the law and administration of justice, equivalent to the justice or interior ministries of other countries.The Department is led by the Attorney General, who is nominated...
and FBI agreed to open an investigation into Baz. The investigation did not yield any new leads connected to terrorist organizations but the Justice Department
United States Department of Justice
The United States Department of Justice , is the United States federal executive department responsible for the enforcement of the law and administration of justice, equivalent to the justice or interior ministries of other countries.The Department is led by the Attorney General, who is nominated...
did formally reclassify the incident as an act of terrorism
Terrorism
Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
.http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F20D12F639580C758CDDAB0994D8404482&n=Top%2fReference%2fTimes%20Topics%2fSubjects%2fR%2fReligion%20and%20Belief
Legacy of Halberstam
Among the items named in memory of Halberstam include:- Ari Halberstam Memorial Ramp on the Brooklyn BridgeBrooklyn BridgeThe Brooklyn Bridge is one of the oldest suspension bridges in the United States. Completed in 1883, it connects the New York City boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn by spanning the East River...
. - Ari Halberstam Memorial Fund, established in 1994, following the brutal shooting of Ari Halberstam. The fund organizes fund raising campaigns to distribute funds to various causes. Ari's fund helps give educational scholarships to underprivileged students and works closely with other community organizations in their fund raising efforts.
- The Ari Halberstam Sportsmanship Award, Ari's life and ability in sports are honored annually by Barry Panzer, who coaches the basketball league at Kingsway Jewish CenterKingsway Jewish CenterKingsway Jewish Center is a historic synagogue at 2810 Nostrand Ave. in Midwood, Brooklyn, New York, New York. The Center complex includes the synagogue , school block , and catering hall wing . The synagogue features a series of 18 windows designed by Abstract Expressionist artist Adolph Gottlieb...
by dedicating an award in memory of this teenager who was on equally strong footing in the basketball court as he was in the beth midrashBeth midrashBeth Midrash refers to a study hall, whether in a synagogue, yeshiva, kollel, or other building. It is distinct from a synagogue, although many synagogues are also used as batei midrash and vice versa....
(house of study). - The Jewish Children's MuseumJewish Children's MuseumThe Jewish Children's Museum is the largest Jewish-themed children's museum in the United States. It aims for children of all faiths and backgrounds to gain a positive perspective and awareness of the Jewish heritage, fostering tolerance and understanding...
, dedicated in memory of Ari Halberstam. - Ari's Law: requiring a license in order to possess a Gun Kit from which a firearm could be produced.
- Torah Scroll: Completed on the first anniversary of Ari's murder, written entirely by his uncle.