By COLlive reporter
Anti-Semitic or heartless?
A disturbing video showing a young Chassidic boy being ridiculed with foul language about his looks has gone viral, drawing condemnation of the person who filmed it.
The clip showed the boy walking down what seemed to be a street in Brooklyn and being met at an adult ranting about his haircut – a shaved head under the kippah and long payos, a typical Chassidic look.
“I’d be crying if I looked like that too bro,” the man behind the camera is heard saying to the boy, and continues to use profanity in talking about “what they be doing to you.”
The video was viewed well over 1 million times. The Jerusalem Post identified the adult as Quai James who first posted it on Facebook on Saturday.
“Had to really let my son know how i felt about the whole Jewish Haircut… Pray for the lil homie,” James first wrote. He later edited the post, and removed the word Jewish from the caption.
While the video was removed from the original posts on Facebook and Twitter, it remains available on private accounts and in groups, as well as on Reddit titled “Guy makes fun of Hasidic child.”
One user “imajustgo” said: “This guy whipped his phone out to record himself berating a child for his looks. What is this universe.”
Others, such as “sea-haze”, pointed out: “I love the kid’s innocence. He’s genuinely paying attention as though he’s expecting this man to tell him something intelligible or worthwhile. It was super cute.”
New York City Councilman Brad Lander called the video “gross viral anti-Semitism,” adding that “I’m honored to represent thousands of Hasidic Jews. Smart & funny & pious & deeply committed to values. Critical to push back against this small-minded & dehumanizing hate.”
Video:
The person who filmed it has since apologized:
@FonrougeGab good afternoon . First I’d like to start by saying i truly apologize for posting that video of the young man, i never meant to come off as a racist. I have nothing against any race or religion. I posted the video just for a few laughs i didn’t think of how sensitive
— Quai James (@quaijames) May 7, 2018
and you are fine
we’re literally all alive and well bh
2018 = snowflakes; people getting offended for every petty thing.
i repeat we are fine.
no need to worry or cry lets calm down
because the boy had no clue what he was saying
If the message we give our kids is that when some chayo ro’oh tried to make fun of you you should be traumatized. In our family we were not raised to let pathetic things like this traumatize us. Aderaba, we were taught to shrug it off and the Rebbe even wants us to use this as an opportunity to educate the goyim about sheva mitzvos. We should make a cheshbon if we want to teach our kids that every little comment can traumatize them or if we want to teach them to be strong and faif oif de velt. Let’s… Read more »
Didn’t come off as a racist?! Let me go to any women wearing a hijab or a black colored man and tell them “i would be crying if i were you! Wearing that robe on you or having painted black skin!” EXCUSE ME!
Now that he apologised, will sit down in a Starbucks and talk it over a coffee.
Although he did say obnoxious things to a kid, he did apologize. I’m happy he realized his mistake. Of course, it should never happen anyway.
The blacks themselves are the biggest racists
where is the parent’s good g-d he was just saying something bad it wasn’t right but its more wrong the parents were not there
funny. the guy has never been to NYC? they wear rings in their cheeks, and everywhere, and color their hair, eyebrows, and everything else. and he picks on an innocent child? He is psychotic. its just abusive and intrusive, whether or not it was antisemetic.
Mental health and inappropriate behavior is so way unattended to.
Adorable little boy. The guy who took this video was being funny (or thought he was). He did not say anything that terrible. The only thing was he could have watched his language in front of a child. To call this anti-semitic is a bit much.
no its not a reason but he is just having harmless fun. and i laughed and im sure other jews did to. ppl need to laugh at themselves at some point in life
Chill yourself. you dont know whats going on in the guys head. maybe he is mentally challenged. dont judge ppl. just cuz u say something mean doesnt mean u went against any laws. do any jews know the 1st amendment. freedom of speech.
I agree. It was silly to post this video, but I don’t think the guy had bad intentions. And this is definitely not anti-Semitic. Let’s not get offended so easily, and save the word anti-Semitic for the real antisemites.
After reading this now with double Kavanah.
Why post the video where it can be spread further?? Hopefully this sweet neshomo did not understand what this individual was saying!
Di Hint Billen Un Der Ban Fort Vaiter. = The Dogs Bark And The Train Travels Further. Al Dow it’s a rachmones on the Jewish kid What he Lived True Over Here – But I Am Sure That The Jewish Kid will Be From Now And On Much STRONGER and Much PROUDER with his yidishkait and with his Yidishe Minhogim – Yidishe Customs then ever before. As it says, KaAsher YaAnu Oisoi Kein Yirbe VeChein Yifroitz.
don’t you think he might have been traumatized by the profane verbal onslaught from a very vulgar strange individual?
Stupid man – some people offend and insult wherever and whenever they can. But he at least apologized … But where was the parent/s?
This is sick and totally wrong, maybe even anti Semitic. However, from watching this video it appears this man had no malice or hate, neither was there any injury. This is just someone with low humor and poor taste. There’s no there there. Let’s focus on those that hurt or harass our communities with hate and malice. Let’s call them out for what they are; cruel, bigoted, racist antisemites and let’s push our police and elected officials to deal harshly with them.
Idk I thought it was kinda funny, what he said. That’s how he talks it’s not how we talk but I don’t think there was evil intent there. Whatever
Shame on our neighbors. They are so quick to get offended and quick to offend. Do unto others. they are the ones that do – to us.
horrific tirade on me, I also would have been scared & intimidated by it. I wouldn’t know what to expect next from this animal. I assume the child was very close to his home and not lost G-d forbid. Many chassidim do not follow social media so possibly that’s why the indignation and outrage was late in coming. I first saw it only today. Maybe Abe Foxman might be assist in this incident? This was truly abhorrent.
Even a regular adult knows not to say certain stuff kids if these parents of this kid wanted they have the rights from the law to sent this to court.one time I was on a train with my family and there was a black women a bit mental and she was eating her lunch and she said oh I can’t eat here in peace because of those nasty Jews and if they dont leave I will and she did and someone in the train cart who is lawer said if you want u can bring to court
I checked this guys instergram just to see his profile and I did and I went out of his account and on the look of his face he looks like some of norm black guy who has nothing to do with his life and just picks on people and swears Nasty things that’s what see in him
So if this was a situation in which the man told a black kid in cornrows or whatever… “I’d be crying if I looked like you”
According to your logic that is not racist?
People are just mean without even realizing , like sometimes they can be so judgmental. Whatever , that boy is really cute. Also that man might not be even antisemitic but just mean and bullying which isn’t right either way . Just saying frum Jews can be mean too, whatever…
Has anyone reported this to the cops?
Yes he should be arrested I called Dov Hikind and they did not care!! So sad!!
The kid was prob walking from his neighbor to his house?
share your nasty opinions to yourself
do you want others to judge your appearance, language or anything for that matter?
The criticism wasn’t as quick as it should have been. It was up on social media for two days. There were people laughing at it and sharing the video. People reported it and Facebook didn’t take it down until 2 days later.
Absolutely disgusting!
Jew or Jewish, but it’s also an ugly verbal assault on a very vulnerable and helpless small child!
so of course it was viewed more than a million times
He is speaking inappropriately to a child. The man should be arrested.
He knows he’s not supposed to talk to strangers and here he is being verbally accosted, by no doubt, a very strange stranger. I think he doesn’t know what to do, and if he’s crying as the brute says it’s because of this vile excuse for a human being. He frightened I’m sure!
Why is everyone so upset.
That little boy is adorable and will have a productive life.
The moron who ridiculed him is just that a dumb stupid moron.
You hear the voice. What do you expect?
Well said, LOL
And what would be the reaction if someone filmed a black kid and made fun of his hanging pants and skin color or anything else. All the liberal jewish politicians would look to lock up the camera man for life time jail. But when it comes to Jews like the crown Heights pogrom they all hid under their beds. Outvote every democrat. Let’s tegister and fight back.
All these kids they only know yidish
MORE TO THE POINT
WHERE ARE THE CHILDS IDIOT PARENTS THAT LET A CHILD OF 3 YEARS OLD WALK AROUND UNACCOMPANIED.
So what if they have such a haircut????
Is that still a reason why this cute kid should be ridiculed like that?????????
#7-totally agree with you. When it reaches this point, there shouldn’t be freedom of speech.
This person should go to jail.
Obviously the person filming is mentally ill, and it is unfortunate that this pure child is subjected to his rant… but the question begs why this child – who looks no older than 5 years old- is walking alone on the street without adult supervision?? Had a parent/adult been supervising even from a distance, this would never have happened!
Thank god this boy was only subjected to verbal abuse and the aftermath is limited to subjective interpretation.
Happens to be a very cute kid!!
Posting pictures and videos of children under the age of 18 without permission from their parents should be illegal. This is not an example of freedom of speech this is an example of humiliating and harassing a child.
Chill ppl im a frum jew and i still have the question of y this is a haircut
I do not see a parent in the shot, and there is clearly a stranger talking to the kid (with foul language). Where were the parents??
But that precious child was so adorable looking blankly at that man making fun of him ! That boy was probably thinking that man was talking weird lol!!
Thank G-d, the little bochur probably didn’t understand a word the camera “man” was saying because it isn’t English, Hebrew, or Yiddish. B”H.
I don’t even understand why this would be shared
People are just sick, plain as that.