BROOKLYN, NEW YORK: The two vandals in New York City who were confronted in a viral video for tearing down posters of Israeli child hostages kidnapped by Hamas militants on October 7 have now been identified.
In the video, Brooklyn 'magician' Noah Schaffer and his wife Kelly Ann, a city social worker and teacher, were seen being confronted by an unnamed Jewish woman after tearing down another set of posters.
They are believed to be part of a wider group of pro-Palestine activists taking it upon themselves to take down the posters in New York and other western cities.
What are Noah Schaffer and Kelly Ann doing in the video?
The video begins with the unnamed Jewish woman approaching the couple to try to snatch away the posters that were already torn down by the couple, reprimanding them for their actions.
Kelly remained silent, clutching the posters in her hand.
Her husband Noah then laughed at the Jewish woman who had confronted them, saying, “We don't consent to you recording us,” and promptly walked away
The video was posted on X on October 22 on a page named ‘StopAntisemitism’ which claims to be the “leading non-partisan American based organization fighting antisemitism.”
Their caption to the video read, “WOW - a Jewish woman in Brooklyn confronts a couple removing posters of missing Israeli children kidnapped by Hamas terrorists. Notice how the man cynically laughs at the Jewish woman. Recognize them? DM us!”
It was later brought to light that the pair lived in a $900,000 apartment in Prospect Park South. Noah previously worked for ‘A Taste of Magic’, a magic and dinner show on the Upper West Side.
Kelly, his wife, previously worked as a social worker at Urban Dove, a city school program in New York.
She is listed among protesters on the website 'Antifa Watch' after being arrested in New Jersey at a protest outside the Bergen County Jail where she and others demonstrated against ICE.
Noah now works as an Executive UX Strategist at Human Factors International, according to an update on the Twitter thread.
The couple have since deleted their social media and LinkedIn accounts.
They join a growing list of students and pro-Palestine protesters who have been filmed removing posters depicting Jewish hostages in the city.
Noah Schaffer and Kelly Ann slammed on X
If the plan was to garner sympathy for their cause, the couple managed to do just the opposite. Here are some damning reactions Kelly and Noah drew on the platform since the video was posted.
One X user wrote, “I love how they believe they're making a political statement by removing these posters. The arrogance of these anti-Semites is staggering.”
Another X user smeared the couple’s insolent attempts saying, “I see two hateful grifters leeching off of the blood of their societal causes.”
One X user commented: “Yikes, she works at an organization that "enriches the lives of youth," but if they are Jewish and kidnapped then it's okay?”
Another X user put it aptly, “I have one word for these two who removed posters of children abducted by Hamas on October 7. SHAME”.
One user commended the identification efforts saying, “Wow that was quick, proper use of Internet”
Another user commented on the couple going private on all of their social media handles by saying, “Looks like @NoahSchaffer went private. He knows what’s coming.”
One user was extremely disappointed and wrote, “It is deeply depressing to realize how many people walk among us with hearts full of hate. I admit I was totally ignorant to the level of antisemitism but now that my eyes have been opened I can’t unsee it.”
Another X user reminded everyone on the platform, “Don’t let them sneak around. Shine a light on the anti-semites.”
NYC Mayor Eric Adams has steadfastly supported the Jewish community since the beginning of the conflict.
There have been a number of pro-Palestine protests in New York City since the violence broke out in the Middle East on October 7, but none have become particularly violent or unruly.
Among demonstrations this weekend was one attended by non-binary ‘And Just Like That…’ star Sara Ramirez, who waved a transgender flag at the protest despite Palestine and Hamas following Sharia law that makes homosexuality illegal.
