Dr. Moshe Glick began his testimony before the Justice Department’s Religious Liberty Commission with a criminal indictment—his own. “Esteemed members,” he said, “I am a grandfather and likely the only panelist here charged with four felonies.” He paused, then added, “You can call yourself a civil rights activist until you are charged with four felonies. My crime? Defending a 70-year-old man.”

Glick told the commission that an “unauthorized protest blocked and intimidated worshipers,” disrupting what he described as a “peaceful Jewish-Christian gathering.”

Glick’s ordeal began on November 13, 2024, when a Jewish-Christian gathering was held in Teaneck, New Jersey, focusing on prayers for the safe return of hostages from Gaza and discussions about purchasing homes in Israel. As attendees entered the synagogue, a protest erupted outside. According to court filings and video evidence cited in federal proceedings, protesters blocked the entrance, shouted at worshipers, and physically confronted several attendees. One man was reportedly placed in a chokehold and body-slammed to the ground. Glick intervened, using a flashlight to stop the assault. “I stepped in and stopped the brutal assault,” he told the panel. “The only one arrested was me.”

Following the incident, Glick was charged with four felonies, including aggravated assault and weapons offenses connected to the flashlight he had carried. In contrast, those who had initiated the violence faced no charges. He described the first indictment as “so flawed the prosecutors abandoned it,” but a second indictment was issued, exposing him to years in prison, potential loss of professional licenses, and separation from his wife and children. Glick refused plea deals, stating, “That would have meant I had done something wrong for defending against a vicious assault.”

The case eventually drew federal attention. In May 2025, the Department of Justice filed federal charges under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, marking one of the first instances of the federal government pursuing legal action to protect a synagogue after a mob attack.

In January 2026, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy granted Glick a full pardon. “I was never convicted of a crime,” he told the commission. “I am thankful to Governor Murphy.” Glick also expressed gratitude to U.S. Justice Department officials who he said had helped expose what he described as a pattern of selective enforcement against defenders of Jewish communities.

This incident, and the legal process that followed, became the focal point of Glick’s testimony. “If they can criminalize defenders in these circumstances,” he warned, “what would happen to people of faith all over this great nation?” The case highlighted a recurring concern: whether American law enforcement treats Jewish houses of worship with the same seriousness and protection as other faith communities.

He described what he saw in stark terms. “I recognized the signs of airway collapse—his life buckling, loss of consciousness,” Glick testified, recounting how an older man was allegedly placed in a chokehold and body-slammed. “Only then did I use the flashlight I was carrying.” He insisted the action was defensive. 

Glick told the commission that he “pleaded for the police to help.” He said others involved in the altercation “provided statements to the police and faced no charges.” The response from authorities, as he described it, was blunt: “No one else committed a crime.” Glick called that conclusion “chilling.”

The legal fallout was severe. “I was indicted twice,” he said. The second indictment included charges of aggravated assault and weapons offenses tied to the flashlight. “Years in prison, potential loss of my license, separation from my wife and children,” he recounted. “My faith in the justice system was shattered.” Accepting a plea deal, he said, “would have meant I had done something wrong for defending against a vicious assault.” He refused.

The federal case followed months of criticism that enforcement had been uneven. One widely cited critique alleged “swift justice for churches, delayed action for synagogues.” Glick framed his experience as part of that disparity. “Electively targeted me while letting the video aggressor walk,” he said. “That is bias.”

He described what he sees as a broader pattern: “When antisemitism rises, it is a sign democratic values and religious tolerance, civil liberties, are in decline.” He added, “Normalizing antisemitism in law enforcement and turning silence into a dire warning for freedoms—this cannot stand.”

Glick widened the lens beyond his own case. “Over our 3,500-year history,” he said, “we have seen this pattern.” He cited the biblical promise to Abraham: “I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all the families of the earth shall be blessed through you” (Genesis 12:3). He called it “a divine law of history,” adding, “Nations that bless the descendants of Abraham prosper. Those that curse them invite ruin.”

Glick closed with the Birkat Kohanim, the Priestly Blessing: “May the Lord bless you and keep you; may the Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you; may the Lord lift up His face upon you and give you peace” (Numbers 6:24–26). Then he turned from blessing to resolve. “I did not come here to beg,” he said. “I came to call for action.” He concluded with a line that hung over the room: “This is a hill I am willing to die on. God bless President Trump and this nation.”

If you believe defenders of faith communities deserve equal protection, support Dr. Moshe Glick’s legal defense now.