Attack on a Rabbi in Orléans: Teenager Arrested, Investigation for Anti-Semitic Violence

An Assault in Broad Daylight

On Saturday, March 22, 2025, around 1:30 PM, Arié Engelberg, a rabbi in Orléans, was violently attacked while returning from the synagogue with his 9-year-old son. A teenager approached him in the street, filmed him, hurled insults, then struck him on the head and bit his shoulder.

A witness captured the end of the scene on video, showing a bystander stepping in to chase the attacker away. Several shocked witnesses encouraged the victim to file a complaint.

16-Year-Old Suspect in Custody

Thanks to surveillance footage, police quickly identified and arrested a suspect on Saturday evening around 9:30 PM. The 16-year-old, who was previously unknown to intelligence services, was taken into custody.

According to early findings from the investigation, the suspect allegedly asked the rabbi if he was Jewish before attacking him, confirming the anti-Semitic nature of the assault. The Orléans prosecutor’s office has opened an investigation for intentional violence motivated by religious affiliation.

Outrage and Official Reactions

The president of the Consistory of Israelite Communities of France, Elie Korchia, spoke with Arié Engelberg and assured that he was “shaken but safe.” He condemned the attack as an “unprecedented act of violence in an otherwise peaceful city.”

The assault has sparked widespread outrage. President Emmanuel Macron denounced the attack on X, calling anti-Semitism a “poison” and vowing that France will “yield neither to silence nor inaction.” Meanwhile, CRIF President Yonathan Arfi described the attack as “cowardly and violent.”

A Silent March Planned

In response to the attack, a silent march of support will take place on Tuesday, March 25, at 6 PM in front of the Orléans synagogue. The gathering aims to denounce anti-Semitism and show solidarity with the local Jewish community.