Tisha B’Av in 770

Here are a few pictures from a little after the saying of Eicha. More pic’s in the extended article.

Tisha Be’av 5765

Today is Tisha Be’av, the day when Jews mourn the greatest tragedies of Jewish history, among them the destruction of the First and Second Temples in 586 BCE and 70 CE. In a stroke that might be considered emblematic of the gulf between the settlers and most Israelis, the disengagement plan officially takes effect at midnight tonight, thereby handing its opponents an easy claim that we are about to witness yet another stain on Jewish history.

Pain of Israels Withdrawal From Gaza Strip
Is Felt by American Jews, Too

Starting this week, American Jews are likely to see wrenching scenes of Jewish soldiers expelling defiant Jewish settlers from their homes and farms in the Gaza Strip, as Israel begins its pullout there. The experience for many Americans will be almost as painful and perplexing as it will be for Israelis, because the two societies are so interwoven, with the Gaza settlers’ ranks made up of many transplanted New Yorkers and other Americans.

Still, like most Israelis, Jews in New York and across the nation largely support the government of Ariel Sharon in its plan to pull the 9,000 settlers out of Gaza.

Attempting to annul the expulsion

On August 10 at approximately 9:15pm, Rabbi Y.Y. Jacobson took the stand on the podium in the synagogue at 770 eastern pkwy, to explain to those present, in practical terms and in many different perspectives, the insanity and dangers involved in disengaging from Gush-Katif.

After being given a clear and practical perspective on the situation, the volunteers were ready to meet up at a designated location as they began to dial the numbers of those actual soldiers assigned to the duty of expelling Jews from their homes, to convince them to do what it takes to serve justice by not wrongdoing the Jewish families of Gush-Katif.

At 1:00am – the time when in Israel most people are already awaken and before having left their homes to work – the first shift of volunteers began to scroll through an arranged list of 30,000 police-men, soldiers and army personnel. The goal was to reach every individual on this list, and to explain to them the severity and resulting consequences which will occur in the event of disengagement.

The list of 30,000 phone numbers alongside the names of police and army men was divided amongst the volunteers, every one of whom was given three stapled papers, listing some one hundred and fifty police and army men’s phone numbers, whom he were to contact.

There were numerous volunteers, each of whom approached the conversation in a differing manner from that of his fellow volunteer. The responses varied dramatically. Some conversations were quickly concluded, while others transpired into lengthy and philosophical discussions, at times lasting up to twenty-minutes. When there was no answer, a message was left with the answering-machine, making sure not to leave a single soldier or policeman untouched. There were many police and army men who were touched, learning that there exist Jews from over seas that spend their nights –not sleeping, but rather – making efforts to distract a planned expulsion of Jews, occurring literally thousands of miles away.

It has been a few months since the expulsion plan has initially been announced and it is truly frightening that the plan still exists. There are now, only a few days to the date slated for the expulsion. We’ve been taught that “even if the blade of a sword is placed against a person’s throat, one should not despair from G-d’s mercy”. And as we know, “There is not a thing which stands in the way of ones will”. Therefore, if every individual will produce from his will a practical action, then surely and undoubtedly – not withstanding the odds – the decree of expulsion will be annulled.

We are guaranteed that a campaign of effort does not return unproductive. What more can we ask for?

SHOMRIM CATCH THE CAR THIEF OF CROWN HEIGHTS

On Thursday At 7:30 in the evening a suspicious person was walking around the neighborhood known to Shomrim as “The Guy Who Breaks into Cars” and was looking into cars.

Members followed the perp around for some time and 7 members stopped what they were doing and immediately began to fallow this man around waiting for him to strike. They followed him throughout the area and set a perimeter around the block of Crown St. between Brooklyn Ave. and New York Ave. where the perp was sitting on the front steps of 404 crown waiting for the street to go quiet so he can make his move but little did he know that there were members of Shomrim watching his every move from every corner of the block while a member snuck up from porch to porch till he got to 400 Crown where he waited for the perp to get into the car then called the back up to move in one member opened the car and shocked the perp and the guy said he was just looking for bread (yeah right!).

After a few minutes the police turned up with not much to do beside arrest the perp and say “thank you, it’s a pleasure working with you” later on the police revealed to us that the suspect was wanted and had 18 prior arrests, and had just been released from jail this morning.

If you see anything suspicious don’t hesitate to call Shomrim at (718) 774-3333

New Bagel Shop in Crown Heights

Early last week a new bagel shop (Bunch-O-Bagels) opened for business. Located on Troy Avenue between Carroll Street and Crown Street.

This place used to be a major hangout (the old barber shop) where allot of mischief would originate.

We should expect better service, a larger variety of bagels, sandwiches and more, in a more comfortable setting.

I wish them much success and please don’t make me wait 20 minutes for a bagel, (although I am not holding my breath with that).

Click ‘extended article’ for pictures

The New York Times Q&A: The Gaza Withdrawal

What are Israel’s plans for withdrawing from the Gaza Strip?

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and his Likud Party-led government are proceeding with plans to unilaterally withdraw all troops and Jewish settlers from the Gaza Strip and parts of the West Bank. The process of removing settlers is scheduled to begin in mid-August and will take up to a month, experts say. Israel has controlled the Gaza Strip and the West Bank since it won the territory during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War, also known as the Six-Day War. However, sections of Gaza and the West Bank are now under Palestinian control.

Which settlements will be evacuated?

All of the 21 Israeli settlements in Gaza, and four–Ganim, Kadim, Homesh, and Sanur–of some 125 settlements in the West Bank. In all, about 7,000 to 9,000 settlers will be moved, says Geoffrey Aronson, director of research and publications and an expert on Israeli settlements at the Foundation for Middle East Peace in Washington.

Jewish Groups In Bind On Subway Profiling

Notion of race-based searches has centrist groups stymied in replay of Guantanamo silence.

As civil libertarians head to court to halt police searches of subway commuters, insisting it will lead to racial profiling, Jewish organizations here are struggling to reconcile their strong support of civil rights and civil liberties with concern about preventing terror attacks.

While illegal, some say racial profiling — among the tactics regularly used in Israel — is a necessary evil if police are to concentrate limited resources on apprehending terror suspects.

And major Jewish groups, seldom shy about weighing in on matters of the moment, have been publicly silent in the debate.

“It’s a very complicated question and can’t be dismissed, or accepted, out of hand,” said Marc Stern, legal affairs expert for the American Jewish Congress.

Bus Attack Highlighting Links
Of Israeli Extremists and Americans

Last week’s terrorist killing of four Israeli Arabs has cast light on a network of ties linking mainstream American Jewish groups to an extremist fringe in Israel that nurtured the Jewish gunman.

The killer, Eden Natan-Zada, was a 19-year-old Israeli army conscript who had gone AWOL with his weapon after refusing to participate in the upcoming evacuation of Gaza. His attack on a busload of Israeli Arabs was described by top Israeli officials as a terrorist act aimed at inciting Arab-Jewish violence and derailing the Gaza withdrawal.

Israel’s defense minister this week told a Knesset committee that at least nine other soldiers were AWOL with their weapons, and defense sources told the daily Ha’aretz that several of the missing soldiers appeared to match Natan-Zada’s psycho-social “profile.”

Jewish group denounces video on Auschwitz

Israel begins collecting West Bank weapons

Jerusalem — Security officials on Wednesday began collecting army-issued weapons from residents of two West Bank settlements slated for evacuation in an effort to prevent violence during Israel’s upcoming withdrawal from the area, according to officials and media reports.

The weapons collection came as thousands of soldiers participated in their final dress rehearsal for the withdrawal at a dusty farming community in southern Israel.

Beginning next Wednesday, Israel plans on withdrawing from all 21 Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip and four small enclaves in the West Bank. About 9,000 settlers will be uprooted from their homes.

New York seeks to stop Sunday worship in schools

As most of you probably know that the Rebbe started an outreach program to the NYC public schools. On Sundays groups of “Rabbi’s” would go to these public schools after school hours and have different activities and Frum Jewish studies, it is completely voluntary.

Now the churches decided to take a swing with it just like us, and now New York State is evicting them, and in the process they are saying “hay they are doing it why cant we?”

NEW YORK — Dozens of volunteers show up at 7 a.m. on Sundays at Christ Tabernacle to haul screens, banners and musical instruments to a school two miles away.

The evangelical, charismatic church on bustling Myrtle Avenue near several strip malls, brick row houses and cemeteries is growing so fast that there is no place to put its 2,500 members.

The resulting spillover into a local school mirrors what booming churches in New York’s five boroughs do every Sunday morning. But a hearing slated for tomorrow could change that.

Federal District Court Judge Loretta A. Preska will hear arguments in Bronx Household of Faith v. Board of Education of the City of New York, which could lead to the eviction of all churches from New York schools.

UPDATE: CH Resident to be deported

Israel’s attorney general has ordered an Israeli-American deported to the United States due to fears by security forces that he could carry out acts meant to derail Israel’s planned evacuation of 25 Jewish settlements, the Haaretz daily reported Wednesday.

The American, Saadia Hirschkop, 18 from Crown Heights, N.Y., agreed to be deported for 40 days instead of serving jail time for the period, the daily said.

NYPD: “Lonewolf Terrorists” A Concern

Slumping in his prison clothes and pallid from a year behind bars, Shahawar Matin Siraj didn’t look like much of a threat as he silently endured a routine hearing in federal court this month.

But the 23-year-old Pakistani immigrant stands accused of a scheme to attack a busy New York subway station with bombs hidden in backpacks.

Solidarity stance

Crown Hts. unites to cool racial tension

It’s been a hot summer in Crown Heights.

After years of relative quiet, a recent string of alleged bias incidents and an uptick in robberies have sparked concern among both black and Jewish community leaders in the historically emotion-charged neighborhood.

“My concern right now is that there is a powder keg out there,” said Robert Matthews, chairman of Community Board 8, which covers the neighborhood. “We need to get to the source of it and eradicate it.”

Leaders from the two groups have held a series of meetings lately to discuss ways to dissolve the feared increase in racial tensions.

They also joined forces to march through the neighborhood last week to send a message of solidarity.

‘BURGLAR’ BEATEN AFTER CHILLING ENCOUNTER

Residents of a Crown Heights building beat up a serial burglar after he broke into an apartment, then held him for the cops, police said yesterday.

Dale Shields — whose long criminal record includes at least seven prior arrests and several convictions for burglary-related offenses — was roughed up by the residents of 881 Eastern Parkway. He was treated at Kings County Hospital for bruises and a minor head wound.

Shields, 39, is charged with burglary, attempted assault, menacing, trespass, possession of burglars’ tools, criminal mischief and harassment, a law-enforcement source said.