Campaign Aims to Raise $40,000 for Stabbing Victim
Leibi Brikman, the newly married young man who was stabbed last week in broad daylight in the heart of Crown Heights, was getting ready to be released from Kings County Hospital, when things turned sour and his lung collapsed again. He was transferred by Hatzalah to NYU Hospital and underwent yet another procedure.
His parents, Rabbi Chaim and Rivky Brikman, dedicated Shluchim serving the Seagate and Coney Island Jewish communities, are unfortunately as of late no strangers to hospitals.
Several of the people whose lives have been touched by the Brikmans have gotten together and launched a fundraising initiative, with the aim of raising $40,000 for the family over the next 30 hours. Each donation is doubled by a matching donor.
In a heartfelt letter to the wider Jewish community, the campaign organizers ask:
How much can one family endure?
Is it not enough that the father had a brain tumor at age 25?
Is it not enough that he had a second brain tumor 10 years later?
Is it not enough that they were focused the whole time on doing for others, in Seagate, throughout Brooklyn and beyond?
Is it not enough that they rallied their community when it was nearly destroyed by superstorm Sandy?
Is it not enough that the day their newlywed daughter was to move to Seagate to further their work there, her husband was rushed to Sloan-Kettering with a tumor?
Is it not enough that they got through this and their son got engaged and married three weeks ago, only to be stabbed in the back and left fighting for his life?
Rabbi and Mrs. Brikman are famous for helping everyone and anyone – except themselves, and they are not asking now. If you were to ask them if they need help, they will change the subject.
But don’t ask them: Ask yourself. And then you should give. Give the way Rabbi Chaim and Rivky have given of themselves over the past quarter century to Jews of all walks of life and communities. As a rabbi/EMT/medical coach, Rabbi Brikman not only helps everyone, he helps everyone who helps everyone.
Now it is our time to help them. Because to help them is to help the hundreds and thousands that they in turn help. What Hashem’s reasons are we will never know. But we must do our part. Enough is enough; at least financially this dynamite couple should have no worries. Enough is enough. This cannot be endured.
Signed,
Those who have been helped by the Brikmans
To contribute to the fund please visit matchathon.com/stabbing.
Ma Rabbi
Why have the police not caught the criminal yet?
They have his photo. Where are the community leaders? There needs to be pressure on the police to act. Refuah Shlamuh to Mr Brikman.
Heard in the name of the "Mavinim"
I heard that they know who the guy is, but they are waiting for “some reason” to get him. They say he is homeless and gonna be easy to get.
I don’t know whether to believe that $^*# but if that’s the case, get your act together and charge for attempted murder.
If that’s not the case, why haven’t the police swept through the neighborhood thoroughly, with helicopters and all. This is a big deal!!!!!
Levi S.
may god almighty bless the brikman family. May Leiby be completely healed. And may god almighty bless them with extra measures of good news to offset the tragic incidents.
if not for their sake, then for gods sake. Because as jews we have a neshoma which is part of god, so we are a part of god. We only dont realize it in the physical world but from gods perspective we are a part of him. So if we are not feeling well, then god is not feeling well. May god heal himself.
WORTHY CAUSE
I will certainly contribute. simply because of what happened to this poor young man but the above letter is a bit much. Is it not evough of a reason the fact that he got stabbed and for no reason? But the question begs to be asked; why hasn’t the council offered a reward for ihformation leading to the arrest of this attempted murderer?????