12 Year Old Girl Mugged on Kingston and Empire

At around 4 O’clock Friday afternoon a 12 year old girl was approached on Kingston Ave. and Empire Blvd. by a group of black girls, aging from 14 to 15 years old, they bullied her around and mugged her of 11 dollars. The police responded in time to file a report.

A very disturbing factor about this mugging is its similarities between the mugging that occurred on Thursday Evening, in which a girl was approached by a larger group in broad daylight which assaulted and mugged her as well, Click here for that story.

All this is happening when our wonderful politicians are busy fighting amongst themselves to gain power in one way or another while us residents are getting terrorized, the police seem to have lost handle on the situation here and the summer isn’t even out in full swing yet. Where have we gotten to? When a girl gets mugged in the height of the Shabbos preparations and these animals get away with it! On Kingston and Empire no less.

Girl Assaulted and Mugged in Broad Daylight

Thursday evening a girl was Mugged and Assaulted on the corner of Eastern Pkwy and Brooklyn Ave while on her way home. The incident took place while it was still light outside and people were walking around. The girl was approached by a group of 5 or 6 black teen’s both male and female, and out of fear she just blacked out. While she was out they managed to steal her cell phone, and pull one of her earrings off.

A Lubavitcher who witnessed the incident got into his car and gave chase to the group, reports have it that there was a black man chasing them as well, but this is unconfirmed. Most of the group fled down Brooklyn Ave while one of them turned down President St just as police showed up for the Bochur that had gotten struck. The police nabbed this one teen and cuffed him, the girl that was mugged and assaulted was then brought down and was asked if she can identify him, but she replied in the negative since she blacked out and she couldn’t even give them an exact number of people involved, the police were therefore forced to let him go.

Later on, a few children playing on the block found this girls phone thrown under a bush close to her house. The girl refused medical attention, and was still noticeably shaken 2 hours after the incident.

One of the issues that happened here (aside from the girl getting assaulted) is that the Lubavitcher that gave chase didn’t have the number to call Shomrim, and even more so is that no bystanders chased after them either. One of the strengths of our community is that when such an incident happens someone can scream “CHAPTZEM” and would get a response from people walking on the street and even from people in houses, it used to be a term as effective as screaming FIRE, in which every would come out and help. Today people will just look the other way.

Terrorists Killed More Than 14,500 People in 2005

Terrorists killed more than 14,500 people in 11,000 attacks across the globe last year, the U.S. State Department said in its annual report on terrorism.

Fifty-six of those killed were Americans, the report said. Three thousand of the deaths were attributable to 360 suicide bombings. There were 25,000 people wounded and 35,000 people kidnapped, the report said.

“We saw indications of an increase in suicide bombings,” the report said, noting that the July 7, 2005, bombings in London that killed 54 people were the first such attacks in Europe.

The report sums up a year in which suicide bombers also attacked in Iraq, Jordan, Israel, Egypt and Indonesia. The most significant attack for which al-Qaeda claimed responsibility was the Nov. 9, 2005, suicide attack against hotels in Amman, in which at least 57 people died, the report said.

Sale of Third Avenue building could bring Slope to the Gowanus

A powerful real-estate developer has bought the Jewish Press building near the Gowanus Canal — the latest in a series of moves that could transform the industrial area into a village of housing, stores, art galleries and waterfront esplanades.

“We are very excited about the acquisition of the JP site,” said Sara Mirski, spokeswoman for developer Shaya Boymelgreen. “The site provides improved access opportunities to [a] proposed waterfront esplanade and park” along the canal.

The sale of the building, on Third Avenue between First and Third streets, coupled with construction of a Whole Foods market one block south and development along Fourth Avenue one block east, accelerates the perception that Park Slope is expanding through the old Gowanus neighborhood all the way to the canal (“Park Slope River,” anyone?).

Brooklyn Tragedy: 4-Year-Old Killed By Falling TV

Click Here for a Newscast of this story

Late Wednesday night the carpet the little girl had been laying upon bleeding, was rolled up and taken out of the home. The carpet will be buried with the 4-year-old’s body as required by Orthodox Jewish tradition.

Just after 6 p.m. Wednesday night, neighbor Naama Jakobov saw the toddler’s panicked father carry the child out of the home at 624 Ave. M to a waiting ambulance.

“I came outside saw the father holding the daughter,” Jakobov said. “His shirt was soaked with blood. And I just heard that unfortunately it was fatal.”

Merkos Book Finalist at National Jewish Book Awards

Likened to the Jewish Pulitzer Prize, the National Jewish Book Awards have chosen Merkos Publication’s “The Last Pair of Shoes” as a runner-up for the Louis Posner Memorial 2005 Prize.

Judges selected “The Last Pair of Shoes” in the category of illustrated children’s books, for skillfully drawing the readers in and managing to “convey the moral value” without “being preachy.”

Author Sashi Fridman, who lives in Russia, was not at the National Jewish Book Awards ceremony last night, but her delight in the award comes through across the continents. Not only is the award a pat on the back for Fridman’s first foray into children’s prose, but the award promises a wider audience for “values of kindness and sharing the book tries to convey.”

Librarians from around the country contact the National Jewish Book Council for their list of award winners and finalists which were honored at last night’s ceremony at the Center for Jewish History in Manhattan. “They use them as a guideline for ordering” their Jewish book selections, said Program Director Miri Pomerantz. Copies of the book are dressed up with the National Jewish Book Award’s glossy seal.

Va’ad HaKohol Responds To Comments

After many readers commented on the letter issued by Moshe Rubashkin in the name of the Va’ad HaKohol, we received a response from the Va’ad addressing issues raised by individual’s comments.

Presented in the extended article are the responses to the comments along with letters from Rubashkin in response to; R. Mangel, Nash and Sprelin. Update: Letter From Nuchie Gross.

Dangerous and Reckless Police Chase

Tuesday Evening our infamous Police car number 1474 pulled a real dangerous one. A guy on a motorcycle went down the wrong way on Kingston Ave coming from Eastern Pkwy. Then turned right onto Union St.. That is when the Police car saw him and went after him in hot pursuit down Union St. going the wrong way untill New York Ave. where they made a right towards Eastern Pkwy. where they finally stopped the motorcycle.

The motorcycle is a small one that we see black teenagers ride around; these bikes are illegal for street use. That, coupled with the way the teen was driving prompted this wild chase.

The chase was one of the greatest displays of recklessness on behalf of the NYPD, the dangers it put everyone in, at the intersection of New York and Union they nearly got into a triple accident, all of which would have been head on, pedestrians that would have not been looking that way when crossing, and being that Union St is so narrow it can only accommodate one car and that’s not mentioning how fast they were driving. It’s a miracle nothing happened.

More pictures and the rest of the article in the Extended Article!

Vandals Topple Headstones

Bellingham, WA – Bellingham resident Barbara Howard, 72, takes her dog Happy for a walk almost every day in the Bayview Cemetery where her son is buried.

During her walk last Wednesday, she bore a somber look as she observed the work of vandals who knocked down 45 headstones during Easter weekend.

“I’m furious because this is sacred ground,” Howard said. “I don’t care whether you call it a hate crime or a prank, it’s not all right.”

Letter From The Vaad Hakohol Regarding the Upcoming Elections

To: All members of Crown Heights ANASH
From: Crown Heights Jewish Community Council
Subject: Beis Din Election this coming Sunday IY”H

We are pleased to announce that the elections for additional Rabbonim to the Crown Heights Beis Din will take place IY’H as scheduled this coming Sunday, 2 Iyar (April 30th.)

We are indeed fortunate that the election managed and monitored by a large contingent of Netzigim including, but not limited to, Benny Raskin, Moishe Haber, Alexander Weiss and Reuven Lipkind as well as by the highly respected Election Services Corporation.

The Election Services Corporation has been contracted to monitor the election process and assure absolute integrity to the entire process. Their credibility and reporting will hold up in any Beis Din or civil court, should such testimony ever be required.