Sue Sheftz, who was travelling on the bus on her way to the supermarket, challenged the man over the remark.
“I told him you can’t say that, that it was disgusting, and that’s when he turned on me instead,” she told the JC.
The man then allegedly launched into an expletive-laden tirade at Sheftz, who said she was surprised that no one else on the fairly full bus came to her defence.
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“He called me the c-word, used the f-word throughout, and told me that I ‘should die’,” Sheftz said. “It was nothing about my appearance, and I doubt he knew I was Jewish. It was just lots and lots of cursing.
“He could have had something in his hand, he could have lunged at me. I didn’t know how quite to react. I think I was in shock.”
Sheftz later spoke to the bus driver and recorded both his details and the bus information to pass on to police.
Chief Inspector Dan Eagle said: “This was a distressing incident for the victim, and we have been working alongside Brighton & Hove Buses to secure CCTV footage and evidence.
"We can give the assurance to our Jewish communities, that there will be focused patrols in communities, at synagogues, schools, and events. We will continue to work with our communities and partners, to identify any emerging issues and respond to them swiftly to make sure people feel safe and are protected.
"Anyone who recognises the man shown in the CCTV image, or anyone with further information about the incident is asked to report it to Sussex Police online, quoting serial 773 of 25/04."
