A hateful teenager was caught on camera tearing down an inflatable bear holding a menorah outside a Jewish family’s Brooklyn home during Hanukkah.
Shaken, but refusing to “back down” in the wake of the vandalism, the family purchased an even bigger bear as a replacement, homeowner Ikey Cabasso told The Post.
“It’s the whole concept of the holiday, light has to shine brighter, we shine brighter,” Cabasso said.
“We’re not going to fight with them. We’re not sitting here looking to fight. We’re going to shine brighter. We’re going to do the right thing,” he said.
Cabasso provided a short clip that shows a young man rip the inflatable menorah from the 8-foot bear last Friday before taking another tug and destroying the holiday decoration.
“The kid just came and obliterated it unprovoked, I saw it on my cameras,” he said. “My wife had just pulled out of the driveway with my kids maybe 30 second earlier.”
“I just don’t understand how a bear could make someone so upset, but that’s the situation we’re living in.”
The incident is just the latest instance of antisemitism in the Big Apple since Israel and Hamas went to war in October.
Cabasso filed a police report on Tuesday, and said he thought the vandal was from nearby Coney Island Prep Charter School.
The neighborhood has dealt with ongoing problems from the kids at the school, he said, including one youngster who recently screamed “Free Palestine!” and spat at a Jewish neighbor.
During a meeting with school after the vandalism Cabasso demanded the bear be replaced, and also offered to give a lecture to educate students about the situation in Israel.
The school’s response to the incident remains unclear.
Coney Island Prep Charter did not return requests for comment from The Post.
Cabasso put up the inflatable bear to show his kids it’s important to have pride in their religion and that “there’s nothing to be afraid of” following the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel.
A day after the bear was ripped down, Cabasso sat down with his kids and they ordered another inflatable Hanukkah bear – only bigger.
“So we ordered a bigger one and I said ‘Guys, this is what we do as Jews, we fight,’” he said.
Cabasso, who went to Israel on a solidarity mission after the country was attacked, believes the act was a clear example of antisemitism.
“There’s Christmas decorations on the block, they’re still standing,” he said. “Honestly, how someone could come onto somebody’s property is insane.”