Posted to Chabad News on

Op-Ed: This Is Not a Snow Problem -This Is a Leadership Problem

by a long time CH resident 

Just last month, the Vaad HaKahal held a meeting full of speeches about responsibility, unity, and all the wonderful things being done for the shchunah. Fine words. Inspiring slogans. PowerPoint Judaism.

But today, the streets tell a different story.

Garbage is still not being picked up.
Bags are rotting on corners.
Sidewalks are blocked.
And 311 won’t even let residents file a complaint — hiding behind “snow operations” from half a month ago as an excuse.

So I ask plainly: Where is the Vaad HaKahal now?
Where are the elected officials we were told to vote for?
Where are the people who claimed to be our voice?

You may say: “This is a city issue. Call the mayor. Call DSNY.”
Yes, of course the city is responsible. But we did not vote for the sanitation commissioner. We did not vote for the mayor in this community forum. We voted for YOU.

You ran as our local representatives.
You won.
Now do your job.

Representation does not mean meetings and newsletters. It means pressure. It means calling City Hall every day. It means standing in front of cameras and saying: Our neighborhood is being ignored and it will not be tolerated.

Instead, what do we have? Silence.
And silence smells worse than the garbage.

And let’s be honest: this is not just about snow. Snow sitting for a month and killing parking is annoying, but that’s only half the issue. Garbage rotting in a Jewish neighborhood is something much deeper. It is a ביזיון — a disgrace.

How did we reach a point where families must drag their garbage to the corner and hire private trucks, as if we live in a third-world city instead of New York?  

We are coming now from the Siyum HaRambam. The Rambam teaches that cleanliness and health are part of serving Hashem. דרך בריאות הגוף is part of עבודת ה’. Sanitation is not politics — it is halacha.

Do you remember what happened in Mitzrayim with the Karaites? The Rambam writes that his first wife and daughter died during a plague because the Karaites refused to clean, saying: “If Hashem brings illness, we have no right to act. We shouldn’t go to doctors or practice sanitation.”

That was religious fatalism.
And the Rambam called it wrong.
Dangerously wrong.

We are not Karaites.
We are not a people who say, “Hashem will take care of it, so we don’t have to.”
We believe in השתדלות. We believe in responsibility. We believe in ניקיון — physical and spiritual.

Leaving garbage piled in the shchunah and shrugging is not faith.
It is negligence.
And pretending this is “not our issue” is cowardice.

If the Vaad HaKahal exists only for announcements and photo ops, then say so honestly. But if it exists to protect the dignity and wellbeing of the community, then now is the time to prove it.

We don’t need another meeting.
We don’t need another statement.
We need action.

Pick up the phone.
Demand emergency cleanup.
Escalate.
Publicize.
Pressure.

Because a community that tolerates filth on its streets will soon tolerate worse in its standards.

We are not asking for favors.
We are demanding what every neighborhood deserves: cleanliness, dignity, and respect.

So again, with pain and with urgency:
Where is the Vaad HaKahal?
Where are the officials we voted for?

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28 Comments

  • A chossid

    This is what we get when we elect new people tonthe Vaad and they retain and or hire the people who we didnt items for and lost!…

    If one runs and loses, please be dignified and leave….

    Also silent are the self appointed “leader’s and spokespeople”…

  • mn

    Is the situation unique to crown heights or a citywide issue?

    If it’s city wide (and it seems to me that it is), then how exactly do you demand that crown heights should get preferential treatment?

    And when was the last time we had a major snow storm followed by two weeks of below freezing temperatures?

    Complaining is easy…, when you have a solution call me back….

    • Did you even try?

      No one is going to fault the community council if they are not able to get the job done.
      But if you don’t even try, And what are you worth?
      Bmaileh, You spoke to the mayor put on Pressure and all that… Instill the situation didn’t change, Okay we understand you did your best.

      But the shrug your shoulders and say it’s not our problem, That’s when the constituents take issue.

  • Blah blah blah

    Another anonymous kvetch. Everybody loves to kvetch. You’re not special.
    The sanitation dept is run by the city and it’s been a mess everywhere. The only place the garbage was picked up was from the mayor’s house.
    If you think that this antisemitic mayor cares about the Crown Heights garbage, you should get your head checked.

    • A chosid

      its not a kvetch! they ran on and platform…. they need to at a minimum attempt to deliver…

  • Botnick Ephraim Daniel

    Not only did we elect the CHJCC, the faithful Crown Heights bloc also helped elect the mayor. We are seeing the inevitable results. Use common sense and fight harder and more openly next time.

  • Stop being ridiculous

    It’s below freezing temperatures outside for a few weeks. Is that also the Vaad Hakohols fault that they didn’t fix it? We didn’t vote for the weather, we voted for the Vaad.
    This whole article makes as much sense as if it was written about the weather. Get a grip.

  • Terrible CHJCC

    They didn’t bring Moshiach, they are not doing a good job. They should resign in disgrace. The fact that there are still yiddin living in golus means that they are not doing their job that WE elected them for.
    That is the real ביזיון — a real disgrace!

  • Andrea Karshan

    I think blaming this all on the Vaad HaKahal is wrong. They only have so much power.At the end of the day it’s up to the City to do things like pick up garbage.And the Vaad HaKahal can’t force them to do it. You forgot to mention that the CHJCC did their own snow clean up. Where they paid people to clean up streets from snow.So they are trying. Give them some slack.

  • Ut Azoy! Another Op-ed

    Mr. Anonymous you really hit the nail on the head. I couldn’t have said it any better.
    “We don’t need another meeting.”
    “We don’t need another statement.”
    WE NEED MORE OP-EDS!
    (especially anonymous ones)
    You will be the reason that all our problems will be solved. You are a role model for taking real action.
    I’m sure whoever reads this will be inspired to take real action just like you have.

  • sara g

    You are talking about people who were given the power to sit in meetings and eat rugelach. They aren’t going to do anything.

    As far as Zero, I like to shoobeedoobee on him as much as anyone else – maybe more!!! – but the snowstorm and resulting garbage isn’t his fault.

    • Not true look at willy

      Williamsburg park slop I believe also borrow park and definitely communities in Manhattan had their streets cleaned up week ago if not more
      We are the only losers stuck

  • Drake Up

    Dear Mr. (Ms.?) “long time CH resident,”
    You seem confused.
    First you state that “We are not a people who say, ‘Hashem will take care of it, so we don’t have to.’ We believe in השתדלות. We believe in responsibility…”
    And then you go on to say that the “Vaad Hakohol will take care of it, so you don’t have to.” Whatever happened to your Hishtadlus and responsibility?

  • Nehemia Gordon

    Please tell me where the Rambam writes (in the original Hebrew or Judeo-Arabic) that his wife died because of Karaites who rejected medicine and sanitation.

  • Crown Heights Resident

    I wouldnt be that harsh on the Vaad Hokohel, they’re trying and making progress. The weather is not their fault and the snow and garbage is a city wide issue. What hurt though are the massive piles of garbage during the Kinus Hashluchos where Crown Heights is on display. I feel that an effort should have been made to privately remove garbage around 770 & Kingston Ave.

  • Montrealer

    Quite amusing that garbage trucks plow the streets but they can’t pick up garbage. They must be NYC angels

  • Another keyboard warrior

    Besides, based on the date this article was posted, garbage had already gotten back to the regular pick up schedule last week. so why all the complaining?

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