63 Comments

• Menachem Mendel

  The organizers should not have let Poltorek speak. Not only is he one of the leading community antagonists, his threats to sue the city does not help getting the Mayor and police to be more helpful.

• resident

  Menachem Mendel is right on the money. I was shocked to see such a terrorist speak. He caused so much added Machloykes on Rosh Hashana, & he certainly doesn’t speak for me!

  Kudos to all the other speakers, who were excellent. Chanochie Hecht did a great job MC’ing the rally.

  We need to keep up the pressure…I spoke to Vega last night. What a horrible, insensitive man! He really needs to go!

• trouble

  Lets see if the rally gets results

• Avrohom

  MM,
  In point of fact, Elie Poltorak is a highly intelligent yungerman whose threats of legal action are probably more effective in the long run than all the begging for “more police.”

  It is depressing to see so many residents of the community gather to protest and hear them reiterate the same BS praise of the police activity.

  The police are NOT doing their job here, they do NOT care about the local residents, they are ONLY concerned about their published crime stats…

  There is no excuse to be rude and chutzpadik to local and city politicians but there is every right and obligation for us to be firm and to express our disgust with the way things are running.

  Kudos to the Poltoraks, Selwyns and Friedfertigs of our community who are unafraid to demonstrate at a demonstration.

  Yes, Elie. DO threaten legal action against a city overrun with anti-Semitic police heads. If need be, DO sue the Jewish-headed City Hall for their total disregard for the safety of an entire community in their city. All they care about are numbers and votes. Legal action kills both of those things. Hit them where it hurts.

• Just Wondering

  Menachem Mendel, you’re wrong. His speech was great (and he was the one Webby quoted about the police sweeping the crime under the rug).

  Webby, why’s he the only speaker missing from the pic’s?

• CH Mom

  I agree with the first commenter re Poltorak. He has earned a name as a major player on a particular side of the community politics – the crime issue is a cause everyone needs to get together about. He will be a divider, not a uniter.

• User

  Were there police patrolling the protests? Haha.

• me

  it should hav bin in front of the 71st

• yossi

  Whoever orginized this rally did a grate job.

• yosi

  I didnt see (in the pictures)any members of the CHJCC did they participate ,support or were against the demonstration.
  what is their stance?

• Chaya Mushka

  who organized the rally and why was it hostile when earlier reports on crown heights dot info indicate positve movement on the part of the police?

  thank you commenter Menachem Mendel for letting us know that Eli spoke. sorry to read you have issues with him.

• zebra

  wow, who were the black people that spoke? what a kiddush hashem!

• CHer

  Who ever let that Yechi nut onto the mic?

• Need more!

  Very nice,

  But I see the community there.

  There are a Bounch of Bochorim and Guest that came for Tisray (which is not much).
  We need a real Rally With Fathers,Mother,Son etc… people that live here in Crown Height.

  It need to be in front of the 71st.

  I’m very sorry to say, but this just won’t do it.

• crownorion

  you crown heights people just talk this protest is first of the kind in nyc. do what willumsburg and flatbush does. just act and do, not just talk like wimps.

• Jack Diddly

  I happen to also think that polterak is not the smartest person, however I do agree with what he said, besides threatening to sue the city (if he’s in-fact working on it) – is a great idea, how else are you going to get them to pay attention? – MONEY TALKS, in fact, MONEY SCREAMS!!!!!

• WE NEED BIGGER RESPONSE

  Why didnt we get a bigger response by the rally in willamsburg and boro park there would have been 5000 people, I dont know maybe there wasnt more advertising, i think we should rally once a week and all call mayor bloomberg show we realy mean buisness.ENOUGH BEING CALT BLUDDING EVERYBODYS KIDS ARE OUR KIDS

• Duby

  wow!!!!

  I am so impressed, happy, gladdened – and all those posotive words at the unified protest that went on in CH!!!!! good for all of you that participated and good for all those that decided to get together and do something.

  For the Eminem dude who posted before me – of course the first comment has to be a negative one – cuz we ALWAYS seem to notice the bad before the good … (dude, go back to your Kollel and stay there)

  Once again, congrats for finally standing up to make a difference …

  I would love to see more information on how the police / city respond to the rally….

  Good Yom tov to you all….

• 2 Questions

  1. Where is Rubashkin?
  2. Why shmais does not cover this?

• CN

  Who are the 2 black speakers who are pictured? We should know the names of our friends.

• BOURCH HOFFINGER

  B"H
  Not being investigated as a Bias Crime? What was it?
  Sounds fishy.

  A law suit is not violent. A law suit says: "We pay for our services and have every right to recieve them!" It’s pressure. Hasn’t this been going on too long?
  Menachem Mendel, who are you? Don’t hide. How is Mr. Poltorek an "antagonist? " Who says so? I don’t know him or some of the people that called this demo, even though I was there. Why didn’t the Community Council sponsor this? It’s CERTAINLY a good thing! We have the Mitzvah not to stand idly by our brother’s blood. Hashem wants to see our achdus.
  If you can’t tell me (and others) how Mr. Poltorek is an "antagonist" you might be someone who’s saying Motzei Shaim Ra and right after Yom Kippur you might be playing with fire.
  Sincerely yours,
  Boruch ben Tzvi HaKohaine Hoffinger

• BOURCH N. HOFFINGER

  B"H

  The newscast on Channel 12 didn’t show the crowd, or speeches.

• Resident

  Why was this event held in front of 77o and not 71st Pct? Why did the organizers arange this event without a few days notice?

• resident

  Kol Hakovod to the organizers! It was smart thinking to call it for that time at 770, many people were around anyway (the precint would never have yielded that size crowd unfortunately)
  Hopefully the police presence we have now will not drop off in a mere day or two, the NYPD must see that we are to be paid attention
  The speakers were good, and spoke from the gut/heart although Poltorak could have been left out -too controversial right now

• Israel

  Why demonstrate in front of 770 when the place to demonstrate is in front of 71st precinct? Even better if you could get even half of this crowd to demonstrate in front of city hall it could surely bring more positive results.

• Thank you to the organizers of this!

  A special thank you to all the Israeli boys that came and lent a presence to this demonstration. To the 200 regulars that were there thank you for coming and showing that you care about your own streets, house, car and neighbors. As for the rest of you out there, well what can I say? I guess we are in general a very selfish, uninvolved and uncaring community. I mean why were the vast majority of Crown Heights residents absent?!? I also think the Israeli girls could have skipped a half hour or so from Conway and shown some support to the place that hosts them for a month and a half a year. That being said Ah Greiser Yasher Koach to the Organizers of this event and if we do this again please be a bit more organized.

• Yankel

  The only thing Bloomberg cares about is his image. If the city is hit with a lawsuit he might stop this craziness of compstats.

  Whether the messenger was the right one is another question.

• Mendy

  Who were the black people speaking? Kudos to them for not fearing the (sure-to-come) criticism from their own people for "selling out to the Jews."

• RESIDENT

  ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF HOW DISORGANISED OUR COMMUNITY IS. B"H IT WAS HELD IN FRONT OF 770 SO PPL WHO ARE THERE ALREADY JUST CAME OUTSIDE AND WE HAD "SHOW" OF THE COMMUNITY. BUT WHAT ABOUT THE RESIDENTS??? WHERE WERE THE HIGH SCHOOL GILRS AND MOTHERS WITH CHILDREN THAT ARE AFRAID TO WALK OUTSIDE? I SAW ABOUT 20 HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS. AND A LOT OF VISITORS WHO WERE STANDING ON THE BALCONY, EVEN AFTER IT WAS REPEATED NUMBERIOUS TIMES "PLEASE MOVE TO THE "LADIES SECTION" SO AS A RESULT THE "LADIES SECTION" HAD 50-60 PPL ALL TOGETHER!!!! ON MA’S SIDE WE HAD A LOT OF BOCHURIM FROM 770, SOME MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY BUT WHAT ABOUT THE REST? I WOULD LIKE TO ASSUME THAT IT WAS NOT ADVERTIZED PROPERLY THAT THE RALLY WILL BE HELD. THERE WERE NO ANNOUNCEMENT ON THIS SITE OR SHMAIS THAT THE RALLY IS BEING HELD AND I AM NOT IN SCHOOL ANYMORE, BUT I AM SURE, IF THE PHONECALLS WERE MADE TO THE SCHOOL’S OFFICES TO MAKE ANNOUNCEMENT IN CLASSES THAT THE RALLY IS PLANNED MUCH MORE PPL WOULD COME! THE PICTURES SHOW A MASS OF PPL BUT KNOWING HOW MUCH PPL WE HAVE IN OUR NEIGBERHOOD I WAS ASHAMED BY THE TURN OUT.

• cc

  Yasher Koach to those who organized this. I couldnt make it there myself, but I was very happy to hear about this and read about it now on the website.
  This should lead to increased safety and we should have the Ultimate with Moshiach, now!

• hi

  Its about time they took action

• yossy hershkop

  poltorek was one of 2 speakers i agreed with for the most part menachem mendel at this point it wont be such a bad idea to sur the cops at leat poltorek has the guts to take on the establishment

• Observer

  The demonstration looked like a pseudo success. I think another one should be planned and this time calls to the schools and neighborhood corporations, stores, etc. should be made so more people know about it. I for one would have gone had i known about it and i would have made sure to take every family member and fried with me. We need to keep this neighborhood crime-free.

• to RESIDENT

  You want to know where the mothers with children were? At 6 pm, most mothers of small children are at home with their kids giving them supper, homework, baths, nursing babies etc. This does not mean that we don’t support the community, so don’t be so quick to judge others.

  I personally, would never come to a demonstration with 5 small children amongst huge crowds of people, it;s unsafe and unfair to small children to have to stand after a long day for a long period of time in mass crowds where they could fall.

  Again, this doesn’t mean that "we mothers" don’t support the community.

• Outraged!

  Yossi, exactly. It makes no difference of what he did on Rosh Hashana was appropriate or not. he sees injustice and he fights it. So even if he did go too far in one battle, why does that disqualify him from the other. He is the man with the guts. He’ll get up and say it as it is, regardless of if the issue is Rabbonim or police inaction. Now, playing that role, it is slippery and dangerous, and we can allow for a mistake or two, especially considering his apology!!!

• Anonymous

  The two Black political figures are Jesse Hamilton who ran for the 43rd Assembly District and Carl Cohen head of the 71st Precinct Council.

  The reason there was no officials from the Vaad Hakohol was due to the fact that the Demonstration was not endorsed by them.

• Mother

  Reason I wasn’t there was because I didn’t know about it. Believe me, if it would have been advertised many more people would have shown up.

• ACHer

  Its a shame there wasn’t that much advertising! I only knew about it because I was walking on kingston! Otherwise, thanks to the organizers! It is much needed to make our voice heard! To all those critisizing… does it matter who it is that is speaking? are you willing to get up there and make the same kind of speech that Mr. poltorek made? He was actaually very good! does it matter what you think of him? He did what needed to be done give him some credit for that!

• MENDEL

  WHY DIDNT ANYONE THROW POLTRAK OFF THE STAGE

  I DONT CARE WHO U HOLD OF BUT U DONT DO WHAT HE DID IN FRONT OF THE ENTIRE SHUL

  IF SOMEONE DID THAT IN WILLI OR BORO PARK THEY WOULDNT HAVE A MOUTH LEFT TO SAY IM SORRY

• youguysareridiculous

  yay you got the isrealies to stand outside of 770 instead of standing inside did you offer free orange juice if they stand outside? the CHJCC should be representing the community not the forigners.And putting uneducated knowledgeless yungerman to speak really gets the message across to the NYPD.

  BYE!!!

• RESIDENT

  to RESIDENT wrote:
  You want to know where the mothers with children were? At 6 pm, most mothers of small children are at home with their kids giving them supper, homework, baths, nursing babies etc. This does not mean that we don’t support the community, so don’t be so quick to judge others.

  I personally, would never come to a demonstration with 5 small children amongst huge crowds of people, it;s unsafe and unfair to small children to have to stand after a long day for a long period of time in mass crowds where they could fall.

  Again, this doesn’t mean that "we mothers" don’t support the community.
  —————————————
  I AM ALSO A MOTHER AND FOUND TIME TO COME AND BE THERE AS WELL AS OTHER MOTHERS. YOU ARE SAYING THAT IT’S NOT FAIR TO OUR KIDS, AFTER LONG DAY IN SCHOOL TO SHLEP THEM OUT AGAIN….; BUT IS IT FAIR TO OUR KIDS TO BE AFRAID TO WALK ON THE STREETS OF OUR NEIGBERHOOD? IS IT FAIR TO THEM TO SEAT INDOORS AND NOT BEING ABLE TO PLAY OUTSIDE? IT IS NOT!
  THE KIDS THAT WERE THERE DID NOT SEEM LIKE COMPLAINING. THEY SAW THEIR FRIENDS AND HAD FUNN AND LET ME TELL YOU NOONE WAS PUSHING ON THE LADIES SIDE.

• Itzik_s

  The demonstration looked like a pseudo success. I think another one should be planned and this time calls to the schools and neighborhood corporations, stores, etc. should be made so more people know about it. I for one would have gone had i known about it and i would have made sure to take every family member and fried with me.
  ——————————–
  Exactly. The announcement should have been made early in the morning and posted here so that people, myself included, would have known to be back in CH by 6. I was not in CH most of the day yesterday but would have made it a point to be there had I known about it.

  And we do need to get the community united behind this – that includes our so-called recognized leaders.

  If nothing is done, or if the extra protection is just for show, a replay is needed right after Yom Tov.

• worried CHer

  btw, ever think when all this started happening? all these crazy things happening around CH? maybe has to do with our own machlokes. when it gets worse by us- sitch in ch getting crazy. and israel too- maybe if some pple resign…or something else, maybe olmert will give up his position too. i think there’s some connection to what is happeing by us and what’s going on all around. let’s improve sitch in ch and iyh, improve other sitches. CH- let’s show we are really kan tziva hashem es habracha!!!

• Eliezer

  people! wake up! at least we had the israelis, without them it would have been disasterous. same if it would have been in front of 71st, just like all the meetings! CH residents dont manage to make enough of a presence. truth is that maybe if there would have been more advertising…
  In the future, webby, please try give some warning.

• Willy yingerman

  I want to farshtark my brider three miles up the road.I live on Bedford and Myrtle in Williamsburg.In the last couple of years we have almost doubled the Jewish area of Williamsburg.In fact I really live in what was known as Bed Sty.Anyway, time that you guys stood up for yourselves.Continue to develop and maybe some day Crown Heights will meet vsomewhere around Eastern Parkway and Bedford Ave.Git yom tov and a git kveetel

• Mother

  There should have been more show from the community but you can’t blame anyone – there was not enough advertising, most people did not know about it and those who did had very little notice. A mother of children cannot get supper cooked and her children fed and be out of the house at 6:00 on a two hour notice that’s just impossible.

• Proud Schechunster

  Will people please get off this whole "if this happened in Williamsburg or boro park". this stuff does happen there as well to an extent, and also they live in a different demographic, and never had riots.

  so while, yes we do need to stand up for ourselves, and get those cameras the CHJCC mentiond in a flyer, and strenthen the shomrim/shimara defense groups, and maybe even offer some type of self defense classes .
  what we realy need is some pride and be alittle more proactive and not always reactive as the rest of the people in our "demographic’ who have a victim angry and inferiorit complex attitude, and turn to violence.

  basically what im trying to say is, have some self pride and stop looking at everyone else

• CH resident

  I understand alot of people may not like poltorak, but atleast he spoke straight to the point with force and passion, unlike some of the other timid speeches…

  Overall, I doubt this protest will change much, but atleast it makes some sort of a statement and it’s a step in the right direction… if not for the Israeli Orchim this protest would probably have looked pitifully empty…

• CH Resident

  Thanks Willy yingerman for your words of encouragement. from the stories I hear of the CH/willy hatzalahs working together, it gives me alot of optimism that Ch and Willy can work together on matters, including fighting crime..

• Yisroel

  Why are we letting a 28 year old speak for us after he embarrass our Rabbonim in public?

• NeedMore!

  "to RESIDENT wrote:
  You want to know where the mothers with children were? At 6 pm, most mothers of small children are at home with their kids giving them supper, homework, baths, nursing babies etc. This does not mean that we don’t support the community, so don’t be so quick to judge others."

  You misunderstand,
  We are not G-d forbid blaming the mothers for not coming.
  What is being said is, that a real rally should be in a propor time that all of the community can come (also mother).
  I.E. having a bounce of Bochorim/the guest that came for Tisray will not help at all.
  We-Fathers, mothers, sons and daghters should be the ones demenstating.
  Like I wrote before, it was a nice idea but it’s just not it.

• stop kidding

  "Yisroel wrote:
  Why are we letting a 28 year old speak for us after he embarrass our Rabbonim in public?"

  This is besides the point that is being diccused, but since it’s already broght up…
  Forget about embarressing the Rabbonim (which is bad, don’t get me wrong).
  The bigger problem is that a Safer Torah was left out and open for 20 minutes while he did what he did.
  A thing like this has never happened in the history of the Jewish people (by Jewish people).

• chaim l.

  all of a sudden after a certain anti-lubavitch weblog shut down before rosh hashana, the 1 and only commentere there who write every comment decided to start commenting here with his same q&a comments and stupid names.

  in other words, eli – please use your engery for good things.

• do not bash the yechi nick

  so much for your concern!!!!!
  that does not give you any excuse to bash someone for their belief. shame on you.!!!!!!!! its unnessecary loshon hora!

• Itzik_s

  Who organized the demonstration? Was it Elie Poltorak? If so, then he has the right to speak.

  However, threats of suing the city are kind of childish, as we will never get our acts together to go through with such plans.

  Maybe we need to ask our neighbors in Williamsburgh (and yes, I agree with the WB poster and hope that we do converge physically just as our interests converge) to lend us a few shtarkers for Tishrei as we never seem to be able to teach local troublemakers a lesson!

• To MM and Yisroel:

  You know what? I’ll put it as it is. No one "let" him speak. They ASKED him to speak. Get it? The organizers asked him to speak, which means that they obviously don’t share your prejeduces about who is embarrasing which rabbonim. V’da"l.

  If you want to arrange your own rally, invite whoever votes along your lines. Until then, accept that your rabbonim aren’t "our rabbonim."

• Been there etc

  So many great comments…most are pinpointing the main problems, but these are, I think, the salient points:

  1. We are all agree that this was a good first step to taking back our neighborhood. Not perfect, but a good first step.

  2. Agreed, we MUST keep up the pressure. We need a bigger, louder, more organized rally, with lots of internal & external publicity & notice. How about Chol Hamoed, or Isru Chag? Get moms & kids out there. Let’s have banners & signs.

  3. Agitators, troublemakers, rabble-rousers etc MUST NOT SPEAK. It just takes one media person to pick up on what happened in 770 on Rosh Hashana & we all lose credibility. I don’t care if the "message" is good, the "messenger" can kill it all.

  4. PR that shows the Vaad etc actually doing something is a case of bolting the door after the horse has gone. We need them to meet with US, the residents/victims of CH.

  5. SHOMRIM…you can & do make a difference. Is that car patrolling yet?? I presume you have met with your Willyburg & BP counterparts & are implementing some different tactics?

  6. Pressure must be applied to get rid of Vega. Commissioner Kelly was commander of the 71st…he needs to revisit his old haunts.

  How many of you remember the impromptu, but effective, rally outside the 71st in, I believe, 1992 after a particularly heinous & terrible crime? That was certainly effective, & we didn’t let up on the pressure.

  Finally, I was VERY involved in the aftermath of the CH riots. I actually never want to do that again. But everything a small group (of mainly women!!) achieved helped restore some levels of normalcy & life to the neighborhood. It can be done. Waiting for the CHJCC/Vaad to do anything is like watching grass grow.

  And it takes just as long to see any change. Somebody out there…take charge!

  Norman Rosenbaum…ARE YOU READING THIS?

• Outraged

  Stop kidding: What about when the gaboyim didn’t proceed with kriyas Hastorah until they escorted a certain bachur, who insisted on calling the Rebbe up for maftir, out of shul. The gaboyim, under directions of the rabbonim, held the sefer torah for about a half hour just to get a person, who was expressing his belief, out of shul. In this case, a person was protesting a clear injustice, in a situation in which no other forrum is provided for protest. So why is what Elie Poltorak did on RH any worse than what the whole community did three years ago on stam a shabbos?

  Your prejudeces are horrible.

• Jewish Defense Organization

  B’SD
  Jewish Defense Organization
  212-252-3383
  http://WWW.JDO.ORG

  JDO has spread the word that it has self-defense classes, completly free
  so that Jews can learn G-D willing to protect themselves and each other
  at the JDO Brooklyn Headquaters.
  To find out more call the above phone and leave a message.In fact this very summer some people from various Jewish communities,inluding Crown Hts came for
  training.The situation now is serious, but much can be done to defend and protect local Jews !
  When the Crown Heights Pogrom happened in the summer of 1991 led by that Black Hitler Sharpton it was JDO
  that sent its Security Team to help defend Jews in your community !
  We must never again allow those attacks to ever happen again !

  By the way chemical mace is now legal and the State of New York gives training and licenses to carry it.
  Any Jew that can handle a door knob can be trained to use mace in self-defense.
  Find out where the courses and license is issued from.

  Anyway anyone interested in serious self-defense training, kickboxing,street fighting,how to use various " tools of self-defense" (legal) call 212-252-3383

  We send our condolences to all those Jews that were atttacked by anti-semitic hoodlums, in the streets of Crown Heights.

  Demonstrations were done during the Pogrom some were in Crown Heights, others like when JDO marched on Dinkins own home, some were at City Hall.The ones at City Hall and at Dinkis home always got the most publicity.Again feel free to call us if you need us !

• ERB

  Eli Polltarak,

  If your going to threaten the city – do it with a little more umph!! you sounded unsure of yourself.

• Farshtay Nisht!

  I TOTALY agree with outraged!

  I was a vistor in CH that week, and I was shocked at wat happened that Shabbos, all that fighting with the Sefer Torah opened!
  If theres a guy that happens to have a problem with calling the Rebbe, people must just IGNORE! what a Shame they did to the bochur, his family etc. who knows at what derech he is now?

• Let-s Take Back our Shechunah

  It seems to me that the best words of advice were made by "been there etc." His comments are concise, and sum up the entire picture with clarity and vision.
  My dear brethren; this is no time to keep fighting and hurting eachother. We must overlook our differences and work together in a united way to take back our community.
  I firmly believe that steps taken in this direction, from all sides and from Lubavitchers and Yidden bichlal from all walks of life, will surely usher Moshiach NOW!!!

• Kyle

  Geoffrey Davis spoke out against swastikas drawn on Mr. Klein’s house on Lincoln Pl. before any African American leaders in Crown Heights the article was written in the Brooklyn Downtown Star newspaper (google it in for youeself) and yet all you do is insult him and his family.I am a huge supporter of Geoffrey Davis and James Davis