Ari Halberstam HY”D Remembered 31 Years Later After Brooklyn Bridge Shooting

By FrumNews.com

NEW YORK CITY – The Manhattan side, ramp entrance of the Brooklyn Bridge is named the “Ari Halberstam Memorial Ramp” to honor the memory of Crown Heights bochur Ari (Ahron Yosef) Halberstam, HY”D, a 16-year-old talmud who was killed Al Kiddush Hashem, from critical injuries sustained in a terrorist attack at this very location. Today marks the 31st Yahrzeit of Ari.

On Yud Ches Adar 5754 (1994), Ari Halberstam was mercilessly gunned down by Rashid Baz ym”s, a Lebanese terrorist on the Brooklyn Bridge in NYC, the terrorist shot at a 15-passenger van full of Chabad-Lubavitch Yeshiva Bucherim who were returning from the hospital where they had been Davening for the Luavitcher Rebbe’s recovery. Many of the Bucherim were injured, Williamsburg Hatzalah Paramedics responded speedily, saving the lives of many bucherim that were critically injured, Ari tragically passed away five days later on Chof Gimmel Adar.

• “I will always remember my firstborn child, six feet tall, with eyes that were crystal blue as the ocean and shined like two diamonds, with a basketball in one hand and a Siddur in the other, always with a smile.”
• “Ari was murdered and his friends were targeted because they were identifiably Jewish. Today, we need to have Jewish pride. We stand here now on holy ground. Every time I cross the bridge, I stop and say a Brocha for my son. His blood is entwined in the steel beams of this bridge. His stature was as majestic as this bridge, and this bridge needs to remind us all to accept and respect each other no matter who we are or what faith we follow.”
• “My message is we will survive and hate will not win. Am Yisrael Chai.”

Ari’s mother, Mrs. Devorah Halberstam said.

After the 1994 attacks, Mrs. Halberstam co-authored, the first New York state laws to counter terrorism with then-Governor George Pataki, which included the death penalty for the crimes of a terrorist. These were signed into law by the Governor in 2001.

Mrs. Halberstam became active in fighting antisemitism, she was appointed in 2021 by the NYPD Commissioner as Chair of the civilian-led NYPD Hate Crime Review Panel for Community Safety.

The Jewish Children’s Museum in Crown Heights was dedicated in memory of Ari Halberstam HY”D.