NYC celebrity stylist is arrested for attacking rabbi and accused of using vile slur outside swanky hotel
A New York City celebrity stylist was arrested for attacking a prominent rabbi and using vile antisemitic slur outside the swanky Chelsea hotel.
Aleksander Janik, known as a personal shopper to the stars including Celine Dion and Rihanna, allegedly violently assaulted Rabbi Chezky Wolff, knocking him to the ground with his massive duffel bag in front of a crowd.
Janik, 52, was charged with assault as a hate crime and was released without bail on Friday after pleading not guilty in Manhattan Criminal Court just hours after he was arrested.
Wolff claimed the clash allegedly began when Janik's dog approached the doors of the Chelsea Synagogue, which he runs.
Wolff asked Janik to leash the dog but Janik refused and questioned why he should.
Aleksander Janik, known as a personal shopper to the stars including Celine Dion and Rihanna , allegedly violently assaulted Rabbi Chezky Wolff, knocking him to the ground with his massive duffel bag in front of a crowd
Video footage from the incident shows Janik striking the father-of-six in the head - knocking him to the ground, causing his glasses and yarmulke to be thrown off
Janik then allegedly muttered 'dirty Jews,' prompting Wolff to start recording him.
Upset that the rabbi was recording him, Janik then attacked the Wolff in broad daylight in front of many onlookers.
Video footage from the incident shows Janik striking the father-of-six in the head - knocking him to the ground, causing his glasses and yarmulke to be thrown off.
Janik disputes the facts offering a different version of events to The Daily Beast.
He stated that his dog was resting in front of the synagogue to avoid the heat when Wolff approached and demanded they move.
Janik alleged that Wolff used derogatory language toward him and denied using any offensive language.
He then boldly claimed that he in fact identifies as being 'half Jewish' himself and mentioned that his grandmother had a connection to Auschwitz. However, he did not specify whether she was a worker or a prisoner at the concentration camp.
He did, however, admit to physically attacking the rabbi.
Janik's social media accounts are filled with pictures of him posing with celebrities including Celine Dion, Rihanna, Brooke Shields, and Mayor Eric Adams
Janik, 52, was charged with assault as a hate crime and was released without bail on Friday after pleading not guilty in Manhattan Criminal Court just hours after he was arrested
'Yes, I pushed him. I pushed him with my bag,' he told the New York Post Tuesday.
'I protect my dog and myself. A stranger man who's following me with their phone in my face, I ought to protect myself. I don't know him,' Janik said.
'I support the Jewish community. I'm a very huge fan of every religion,' Janik added.
In response, Wolff's lawyer, Cary London said: 'We have no response to an antisemite's lies. Again — the Jewish people just want peace.'
The tote bag was apparently stuffed with hard objects including books or a laptop, which left a mark on the Rabbi's head, London told the Post.
Janik's social media accounts are filled with pictures of him posing with celebrities including Celine Dion, Rihanna, Brooke Shields, and Mayor Eric Adams.
Wolff claimed the clash began when Janik's dog approached the doors of the Chelsea Synagogue, which he runs. Janik then muttered 'dirty Jews,' prompting Wolff to start recording him
One witness wrote his account in a Daily Beast article, stating, 'I was sipping a margarita and eating tapas with a new colleague at an outdoor restaurant on West 23rd Street in Manhattan, when I heard an unfamiliar thud.'
'This thud was followed by the sound of a body hitting the ground, and the clattering of eyeglasses on pavement. I turned to see a bearded man quickly stand up, put his yarmulke back on, and chase after an assailant who was walking a golden retriever,' Ben Sherwood, publisher and CEO of the Daily Beast, who happened to witness the attack wrote on Saturday.
'Immediately, customers in the restaurant jumped to their feet ... There was a real sense of indignation on the terrace,' he wrote. '“This is New York City,” the British woman said, “and there’s antisemitism all around us.”'
