4 US educators stabbed in northeast China, including Jewish teacher with Israeli roots

Four American educators from a small Iowa university were injured in a stabbing attack in a public park in northeast China’s Jilin province yesterday, according to Chinese and US government officials.

Iowa Representative Adam Zabner tells Reuters his brother was one of the victims from Cornell College in Iowa.

“My brother, David Zabner, was wounded in the arm during a stabbing attack while visiting a temple in Jilin City, China,” he says.

“I spoke to David… He is recovering from his injuries and doing well. My family is incredibly grateful that David survived this attack.”

Adam Zabner has said that his mother is originally from Israel and his father from the Venezuela Jewish community, and the couple immigrated together to Iowa.

A US State Department spokesperson says in an emailed statement that they are aware of reports of a “stabbing incident” in Jilin, China, and are monitoring the situation.

The educators from Cornell College were on a teaching exchange program with a partner university, Beihua, in Jilin City.