A Miami Beach man has been taken into custody following allegations of antisemitic harassment at a local synagogue, Temple Moses. As reported by Local 10, 25-year-old Jonathan Toubes was arrested near the synagogue on Normandy Isle after incidents that witnesses and Rabbi Daniel Haddad described to the police. The report suggests Toubes, living in proximity to the temple, confronted and shouted at an individual last Tuesday, September 16, with declarations including "Free Palestine!" and "Christ is King!" in addition to telling people, "Get out of my neighborhood!"
A detail which stands out from a security worker's testimony is Toubes's alleged statement that he had a right to express himself, even as he was informed that his words and actions were perceived as a threat. The synagogue, a traditional Sephardic one located at 1200 Normandy Drive, doubles as an educational center with Moses Montessori, fostering Torah learning and Hebrew language lessons. An arrest report released by Miami Beach police and obtained by Local 10 included accounts from multiple witnesses detailing Toubes's "circling the area" before his confrontation escalated.
The seriousness of the incident is reflected in the charges brought against Toubes, including disrupting a religious assembly, which has been classified as a felony, and another misdemeanor concerning harassment and discrimination based on religion and ethnic heritage. According to a Facebook post showing Toubes's mugshot, his bond was set at $2,500 for the felony charge and $1,000 for the misdemeanor. A snippet of legality was shared by Miami-Dade County Mugshots, detailing the charges of "DISTURBING SCHOOLS/ RELIGIOUS ASSEMBLIES/ PREJUDIC" alongside "HARASS/ INTIMIDATE/ BASED/ RELIGIOUS/ ETHNIC HERI."
The judicial process is underway with Miami-Dade County Circuit Judges Christine Hernandez and Stephanie Silver presiding over the felony and misdemeanor cases, respectively. Toubes will make his first court appearance at the arraignment scheduled for November 21 at 9 a.m., as reported by Local 10.
