The following is a letter sent by parade organizers to all the families in Crown Heights and and explains the changes made to the parade setup:
By the Grace of G-d

15 Iyar, 5767

Brooklyn, NY

Dear Parents,

As you may be aware, the Parade Committee has encountered various challenges in their efforts to secure permits for this year’s parade. The reason for this is because the Police Dept. felt that, based on the statistics and pictures from the last parade (5764), we did not attract a crowd large enough to justify blocking traffic on a major artery such as Eastern Parkway.

Important Lag BaOmer Parade Announcement

The following is a letter sent by parade organizers to all the families in Crown Heights and and explains the changes made to the parade setup:

By the Grace of G-d

15 Iyar, 5767

Brooklyn, NY

Dear Parents,

As you may be aware, the Parade Committee has encountered various challenges in their efforts to secure permits for this year’s parade. The reason for this is because the Police Dept. felt that, based on the statistics and pictures from the last parade (5764), we did not attract a crowd large enough to justify blocking traffic on a major artery such as Eastern Parkway.



The good news is that with the Rebbe’s brochos and the endeavors of many members of our community, we have succeeded in defending the Rebbe’s kovod and have obtained permits for the full use of Eastern Parkway, as planned. However, the permit was given on condition that we will have a minimum crowd of 10,000 people.

For traffic purposes, we conceded the use of Empire Boulevard and so the fair following the parade will be held along the entire length of Kingston Avenue, and extending on Montgomery Street from Brooklyn to Albany Avenues.

PLEASE NOTE: Although this hurdle was passed, Boruch Hashem, it is only because we gave our word that we would draw a sizeable crowd – the definition of which is a minimum of 10,000 people. All of the children in all of our local schools total only 4,000 people. It is therefore imperative for every single member of the community, children, women men, to place everything else on the side and make every effort to attend, and to be on time and to be present on Eastern Parkway, not on side streets or porches etc.

In addition, we encourage and ask you to contact friends and family from the surrounding areas and invite them to join with us as we celebrate Lag B’omer in grand fashion. There were very few issues where the Rebbe used the term “Bakosho Nafshis – a request from the soul”; the Lag B’omer parade is one of them. Success on Sunday will ensure the success of future parades, IYH.

We apologize for the sudden change; we hope you will understand that we are doing the absolute best under the circumstances. Together we will make Lag B’omer 5767 a resounding success, and may this parade be the Ultimate Parade of Klal Yisroel to the Geualah Hamitis Ve’Hashleima, Teikaf U’Meyad Mamash!

Respectfully yours,

The Lag B’omer Parade Committee

38 Comments

  • talmid of O.T. 73------76

    with the help from above ..and the help from here on this world ,,{ standing 2gether as one , one family ,the Rebbas family,,in peace from all sides of the spectrum , united .acdus, ahcud, we will have hatslocha, and a kidush Hashem and kidush lubavitch,and naces to the Rebba,, moshiach now !!!!

  • Rosey

    Yashaar Koach to each and every one of you for all your Effort that you put in day and night. May Hashem bless you, your families and the entire community for your work in trying to make a kiddush hashem in the spirit of achdus and Ahavas Yisroel

  • go 2 the parade

    s/o should make sure that all hebrew schools come 2. there is no reason why they should’nt. every chabad house in the tri state area should make sure that their sunday schools go.

  • Milhouse

    Those that might possibly have come in another year are probably going to the Israel parade.

  • Chaim

    I hope I am Very, Very Wrong about this, But I have a feeling that The Yellow Bandits are going to make a Huge Chillol Hashem/Chillol Lubavitch.
    It has already started…
    http://www.col.org.il/show_

    It’s a pity, so many people worked so hard on this and so much money was put in to this (I myself did the little I can). All it will take to ruin this beautiful event is a few (10-15) yellow, mishichist, terrorist thugs.
    Again I hope to be wrong!

  • nonchabad

    they are not coming because its also the Israel Day Parade.

  • Chabad... simply the best

    Yasher Koach to all the hard workers on this event, may hashem repay you kaflayim vtoshiya and all your requests be fulfilled!!!

  • talmid of O.T. 73------76

    CHAIM : be positive you should have learnd in o.t. maybe u would have more ahvas yisroale , say lechaim and forget about all the nareshkite ,, gut shabbos to u ….

  • talmid of O.T. 73------76

    they are not bad boys ,, they have just been brain washed,, to much to one idea

  • Hi

    stop being such a pesamist, and dont call them thugs. If a person goes with the right intensions and for the right reasons there is no reason for there to be a chillul Hashem. Just go and make the rebbe proud and finished!!!

  • ch resident

    Dear chaim I think that you are correct. I remember that the last parade was supposed to be apolitical to promote achdus but unfortunately the tsfatim had printed up 400 small yellow flags that they distributed to the kids at the parade, they also flew a gigantic yechi balloon above the crowd.
    I personally am not comfortable being associated with the yellow madness and I felt compelled to leave the parade.
    I will attend the parade on Sunday but if it gets hijacked again then I shall have to leave.
    One cannot expect people from outside crown heights to come and participate in our events if they are yechi infested because to them (and some of us) yechi is totally wrong and they do not want to associate with it.
    Clean up the parade and iy’h we will draw larger crowds in the future

  • chrup!

    i dont think its right that you give your word for a turnout of 10,000 people if you cant guarantee it. Basically, dont bet what you dont have! Whats gonna happen if theres no 10,000 people?!?!? whos gonna be to blame?

  • STOP WITH THE BIG EGOES

    when all the knockers of CH and Lubavich sat around in unity with our dear comissioner FOX
    they got the permits they needed, not the full they got 75% they did not get empire and did not get the bikers permit

    there was, and is anti semitisim going on the the government

    how come we cant do anything

    its simple
    if all those knockers instead of just sitting together with fox, but instead stareted to work to gether things would change all the way there powers are tremendes but siunce each ones ego is to big for the next they cant even all together get 100% results

    SHAME ON ALL OF THEM

    look at the mailing list of crown heights, its 3000 fam K”H
    if everyperson would come plus the local yeshivas with out of towners we allready reached over 10,000 plus with the hebrew schools that are coming with the other schools coming who are not going to be going to the isreali day parade why should there be a queston of if we will reeach 10,000
    BIG EGOES

  • chaya

    It’s sad that your biggest worry is that some people will “ruin” the parade with moshiach flags.

  • going to the parade proudly!

    chrup! they just want you to turn up so that we dont have to go thru this every year stop being such a pessimist and start supporting the community no one needs your negative comments.

  • mendel

    The reason members from other communities don’t come is because of the Tzfatim who many people feel represent the entire Lubavitch. People are not interested in coming to a Yechi parade. I think it’s much better if they stay in boro park where there is a nice program and No crazy Tzfatim saying Yechi.If Crown Heights members want to learn how to organize a Lag Bomer parade that results in a big kiddush hashem, they should learn from Aharon Ginzberg and his Lag b’omer parade.

  • response to CH resident

    To CH resident,

    “…if they are yechi infested because to them (and some of us) yechi is totally wrong and they do not want to associate with it.”

    How sad that you call yourself a lubavitcher! You need to learn some sichos! You should be embarrassed of yourself! Imagine the Rebbe reading your comment- what would you say then?

    Instead of insulting others,use your time by learning and getting the facts straight! How come lubavitchers themselves aren’t comfortable with the fact that the Rebbe is Moshiach- why do they feel they need to keep it a secret? Guess what? The secrets out- the whole world knows and the only ones that can’t face it are unfortunately some lubavitchers who haven’t learnt enough!

    Moshiach Now!

  • excited

    to chrup!
    what happened to lichatchile ariber???

    and what time does the parade start?

  • To all of you negatives commenting

    Why are so many of you so negative? What is wrong with you? Why do you have to let every good thing be filled with poisen? This is a beautiful, beautiful Achdusdik program – for sure the act that will bring about the Geula, by us uniting so beautifuly. Why can’t you just focus on the beauty and do your best to do what the organizers ask? We for sure can have the amount needed, if only you stop throwing poisin on everything and better, spending your energies on making sure you, your family and friends, neighbors and anyone else you can think of will be there and be on time? Why all this sick, negative talk about the Tzfaty’s? Yeah, so they’re crazy, extreme, think whatever you want to think, but why ruin such a beautiful, Achdusdike atmosphere? What for? Why are you being such a low-life? All the groups, all the diff. factions in Lubavitch are working TOGETHER on this; why are you bringing in negativity? Dont you think we had enough Tzoros in our community this year? Dont you think there’s a message here and that maybe, possibly, Achdush will be the answer?

  • And...

    And just, btw, there were many, many Bochrim working tirelessly in the last few weeks, to ensure that the different schools in the surrounding neighborhoods will be there. And many Chabad Houses are, in fact, bringing in their Sunday Schools and youth programs for this program. If you dont know, dont ‘blame’. Pple are working hard. If you takeh care, you should’ve asked the organizers what you could do to help that Shluchim should bring their people, and that other schools should come, instead of making them sound irresponsible and the Shluchim bad for not bringing their kids, when in fact they are, u just dont know what’s going on.

  • TIME

    be on time…be on time….WHAT TIME IS THE PARADE? I HAVENT SEEN ANY FLYERS OR SIGNS INFORMING WHAT TIME IS THE ACTUAL PARADE??

  • irresponsible

    dear chrup!,
    you will be to blame for not pulling your load.

  • hschool student

    1st of all, the peaple who worked on this project are amazing1 it takes alot of hard work!and what would you do in their place if you couldn`t get a permit and besides thats why their asking for your help to get pweaple who don`t always attened to go!annd as for the ch we are soppossed too have achdus right!so whats it your problome if they want to have yichi ballones or whatever!
    if you don`t want then don`t!today is lag ba omer the rabbi akiva students stoped deing!why did they dei? b/c of lack of ahavas isreal!like were having now!look i`m not ether for saying yechi were ever you are and screaming and all the other crazy things they do .but if thats the way they feel mekusher to the rebbe and will keep them from doing bad and your not doing it why should you care wether they do it or not!and as for turning peaple off! when peaple come to crown hights or chabad in general they come for the chassidus the real stuff!and won`t get turned off by a few crazy peaple! that is if their sincer!besides who says they don`t get turned off by you or this whole fighting buisness we have here!andjust try to do whats right and if you feel their wrong ether ignor them or explain it to them in a nice peacefull manner!
    but agein thanks to the lag bomer commitee their doing a great job!

  • BRHS

    To Chrup!
    I think if this community is real and really are chassidim of the Rebbe, who would not want to fulfil this Tayve of the Rebbe? Why, when the Rebbe came out without a doubt there were ten thousand peaple why should this year be different? We all believe in the parade as much as we did before Gummul Tammuz and we should think positively and Im Yirtzeh Hashem more than twenty thousand peaple should come and we should see the Rebbe at this parade!!
    MOSHIACH NOW!!

  • Anonymous

    Hi Wrote:
    …“If a person goes with the right intensions and for the right reasons there is no reason for there to be a chillul Hashem.”…

    Reply:
    “Right or wrong, you’re passionate. You care.” If that doesn’t sum up current liberal attitudes in the face of facts, I don’t know what does. Caring means more to them than actually knowing the difference between something that’s false and something that’s true.

    Is being realistic “pessimist”?
    Chaim is right, all you have to do is look at the past, Present* (to see the damage they have done) and you can understand why a person would just have that feeling that they will come mess things up, that is just what they are all about. One of the reasons the out of Crown Heights will not attend is only because of the “yechi”, the flags etc…
    From what I’ve been reading in the last few days that the Rebbe did not even allow signs that were (seemly) neutral I.e. proper for the coming of Moshiach and others with a similar message, because maybe just maybe a FEW people might not come. But since when did the “mishichistem” ever care for what the Rebbe said or wants?

    I guess we will have to wait and see, we will unfortunately continue this conversation Sunday night (I really hope and pray that we won’t).

  • Attention all what is on time????

    TEN O’CLOCK and there was posters evrywhere delivered evrywhere

  • A PROUD LUBAVITCHER!!!!!

    WHY DOES EERYTHING ALWAYS HAVE TO BOIL DOWN TO PROBLEMS BETWEEN MISHECHISTIM AND NON-MISHECHISTIM! I PERSONALLY AM NOT A MISHECHST – BUT FIRST OF ALL WHO SAID THEY WILL BE DOING ANYTHING – WAIT TIL IT HAPPENS AND THEN IF YOU HAVE TO SAY SOMETHING SAY IT!
    AND ANYWAYS IS THIS WHAT THE REBBE WANTED – THAT EVERYTHING WE DO SHOULD BE AN ARGUMENT! JUST GO AND ENJOY THE PARADE!
    CAN’T THERE EVER BE ANYTHING THAT WE DO THAT WE CAN JUST ALL GO AND ENJOY!
    WHY DO YOU THINK MOSHIACH ISN’T HERE YET – IT’S NOT BECAUSE ONE GUY IS A MISHECHIST AND ANOTHER IS NOT – BUT BECAUSE OF THE HATRED AND ALL THE POLITICS THAT ARE CONTINUOUSLY GOING ON!
    I PERSONALLY DON’T AGREE WITH THE WHOLD MISHECHIST BUSINESS – BUT I DO KNOW WE HAVE A MITZVAH OF AHAHVAS YISROEL – AND IF IN LUBAVITCH WE CAN’T SHOW THAT THEN WHO ARE THE ONES TO SHOW THE WORLD!
    BE PROUD YOU ARE LUBAVITCH AND ENJOY WHAT GOES ON AND DONT MAKE EVERYTHING INTO A FIGHT!
    THANK YOU TO ALL THOSE INVOLVED IN MAKING THIS LAG B’OMER HAPPEN AND I’M SURE WITH THE REBBE’S BROCHOS IT WILL BE A GREAT EVENT!
    A PROUD LUBAVITCHER!

  • ch resident

    It is inevitable that “they” will come and destroy the parade because that is all they do – destroy everything in this community! why do they feel compelled to display banners of their political feelings? no one else does!

    But lets just try out-number them so that they will vanish into the crowd- the least you coul ddo is come to th parade – if you dont because of the flags then you concede to “them”

  • Tachlis

    I think they should reconsider the Boro Park parade, because tons of people from Boro Park, Flatbush, and the surrounding areas, feel that they can just go there. Even if it’s at a different time, it’s enough for people to ‘fulfil their obligation’.

    So, after all this, I’m terribly curious, how many people were there?

  • Mushkaka

    It was the most awesome parade!
    I loved the bag pipers!!!
    They were so cool!

  • Teacher

    The parade was absolutely beautiful, a real Kiddush Hashem and Kiddush Lubavitch. To everyone who came – you made the Rebbe really happy! To anyone who did not – you’re the only one who lost.
    May we be with the Rebbe B’guf much before the next parade!

  • Anonymous

    The Parade was great! Great Turn out!

    Thank you every one for doing a great job.
    Especially a big Yasher Koach to the Shomrim, for making sure the above mentioned group did not have an opportunity to make a Chillol Hashem/Lubavitch (at least on the ground- It seems you now have to get up in the air :).
    Today you let them know that they don’t run Crown Heights.

    May Hashem protect you all from all harms way (from with in or with out),
    You made the Rebbe very prod today, Thank you again for caring.