20 Years Since Riots, CH Has Day of Unity
Black and Jewish residents of Crown Heights joined Sunday in a rocking block party on the streetcorner that was the epicenter of the Brooklyn riots 20 years ago.
Utica Ave. and President St. was the scene of a horrific crash in 1991 in which Gavin Cato, 7, was killed by a car driven by a Hasidic man, sparking three days of street unrest.
But the violent memories were replaced with new signs of community unity: black and Jewish kids playing together on a bouncy castle, while their parents enjoyed the sound of steel drums just feet away.
“It’s impressive to see us all out here together. It’s nice to see some harmony,” said Tovah Sacho, 28, watching her two sons, Yossi, 3, and Ephraim, 7, run around with Jeremy Watson, 6, all of them playing with freshly formed animal-shaped balloons.
Jeremy’s mom, Patrice Watson, 30, agreed.
“In the past there was a lot of tension,” she said. “But today, we have to let it go. You see blacks and Jews in the laundry together. Going shopping. This neighborhood is changing, and people got to accept that.”
City Councilwoman Darlene Mealy (D-Brooklyn) said she’s been hosting the annual family fun day for three years.
This summer’s party had a somber undertone, falling on the 20th anniversary of the final day of the riots.
Mealy asked the crowd of about 500 to take a moment of silence to remember what had happened there two decades ago.
“Think of those we lost. And think about those we continue to lose to gun violence,” Mealy told onlookers. “You want to shoot, go to the Army.”
melamed
aza chassidishe chinuch
this is sick
this is against torah. no wonder the earth is shaking in c,h,
Big kids big problems
At this age it’s fine wait til they grow up.
@1
its a kiddush hashem please dont knock it.
@ num. 1.
what the heck is ur issue??? YES THIS IS A GOOD CHINUCH!!! having our children live together without hate, and racial tension will make being a jew easier and vise verso. so stop living in the ghetto and start living in america. 2011 that is!
to ......1
you may be smart but Hashem your creater knows better. start by learning novi and continue with shulchon aruch. if you cant understand them im sure many would be happy to help you. surely you dont mean to go against the abishter, just ignorance. once you had the chance to learn the beauty of torah im sure you comment will change
with love, your fellow jew.
to number five
darling wake up look around you sadly many in america 2011 are suffering greatly and wish they could turn the clock back and give a better chinuch to thier kids. its no game…..
KIDUSH HASHEM
This is a big Kidush Hashem!!!!! let the world see that us jews love thy neighbor ad thy self
to # 3,4,5 & 6 & all other bleeding he
tell me, you guys are FRUM? Orthodox or moderdox? The torah forbids PAS AKUM specifically to keep us seperate from the goyim.
How come the Rebbe never asked all the catholic school kids from President street to come to his chanukah rallies? Yes, to play in the marching bands on lag b’omer, but never to ply with our children!
At what magic age do you propose to tell your child that his best childhood buddy for the past 5 or 10 years is no longer an appropriate playmate?
It’s bad enough 1/2 the young people in the schunah dress wosre thn the goyim, now this too?
Oh I forgot – all the food and entertainment was FREE! So I guess that must mke it kosher!
Yesterday the Earth Shook, tomorrow the Waves will hit.
How long till you wake up and teach your children how to be good Jews, respectful to their non-Jewish neighbors, but fully observant of the entire Torah, including keeping apart from all non-Jewish influences?
yiddishakup to .........6
No. Start with Shulchan Aruch and then work your way up to Navi. If you begin with Navi, you end up in the New Testament.
Anonymous
There is no “UNITY” here, not in this picture and not from these comments. Condemning another Jew, based on a picture? The comments quoted? The children are clearly not playing together, the other child jumped in to “Mug” for the camera.
When you are approached by a person who is not Jewish and asked to comment, should you say something negative? Run and Hide?
No you stop and give the person a minute of your time.
Stop judging every book by its cover.
I was a child during the riots, its a haunting memory that will never leave me. I would not invite “my neighbor” into my home, but when outside I will act according to the Torah, treating all of Hashem’s creations with respect.
Yidishakup
“treating all of Hashem’s creations with respect”
Wendy’s cheese burger is also Hashem’s creation.
Cathlic school on president street is also Hashem’s creations
So I will send my kids to the Cathlic School and thank Hashem for Wendy’s pizza