CROWN HEIGHTS, Brooklyn — Last night Rabbi Yosi Jacobson was in middle of his weekly shiur with the members of his congregation Beis Shmuel. The shiur was held at the Shluchim Office on Eastern Parkway when suddenly an unexpected guest walked in: N.Y. Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly. Kelly was in the neighborhood after the spate of attacks against Jews in recent weeks culminating in the vicious beating of a Jewish teenager on Albany Ave last Thursday night.
Rabbi Jacobson and Police Commissioner Kelly Argue, during Kelly’s Visit to Crown Heights
CROWN HEIGHTS, Brooklyn — Last night Rabbi Yosi Jacobson was in middle of his weekly shiur with the members of his congregation Beis Shmuel. The shiur was held at the Shluchim Office on Eastern Parkway when suddenly an unexpected guest walked in: N.Y. Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly. Kelly was in the neighborhood after the spate of attacks against Jews in recent weeks culminating in the vicious beating of a Jewish teenager on Albany Ave last Thursday night.
Rabbi Jacobson complained to the Commissioner about the lack of security in the neighborhood to which the Commissioner retorted that he had worked in this neighborhood many years ago and the neighborhood is much safer today than it was 10-20 years ago. “If you ask me if that is perfect, I will so no, problems will always pop up here and there.”
Jacobson replied: One of the Nazis that was put on trial for war crimes told the American judge that if he would have known that 6 million Jews would have been killed in the war he would not have participated in it because he intended on killing only one Jew.“ The judge who didn’t like the answer said, ”the moment you take the life of one innocent person there is no difference between one and six million.“
Kelly did not like the comparison (as you can see in the video below) and responded angrily: ”C’mon don’t give me that, don’t tell me things have not improved. Tell me where there is one other state that will give you the protection you are getting here.“
Rabbi Jacobson immediately tried to calm things down and said ”we thank you and pray that you utilize the power that G-d gave you protect the residents of this neighborhood.”
On his way out Kelly was stopped by one of the participants in the meeting and told him of how this past Shabbos as he was walking from the synagogue a group of blacks threw stones at him. Kelly listened very attentivly and asked that he file a report and promised to personally deal with this report.
We wish to thank Refael Harel for this exclusive video clip that was taken by a cell phone video
eli
i think jacobson went way to far. and steped out of line. and was disresctfull.
i expected better then that from him
Mayim Rabim
Very, very disappointing Jakey!
Here is a wonderful opportunity to speak to someone who can make a difference and you invoke the Holocaust!? Weak.
He is a law and order guy. That is his language. His job is to protect and serve,to protect you. To treat all people fairly. To treat black on white violence equal to white on black violence. To repond to concerned citizens, so people dont have to fear walking in their own backyards. This is the conversation. “Why isn’t this considered a hate crime,” “Where is the grand jury?”
The second you mentioned the word “Holocaust” (we wont discuss the condescension) you completely alienated him.
He rightfully shut you up. A wasted opportunity.
Moshie L
just wait till it’s your mother and I promise that your tone will change 180 degrees. Someone needs to stand up till we have a community leader stand up for us.
BP yid
I don’t think that R’ jacobson went too far, someone needs to say somthing!
Yossi
Perhaps Rabbi Jacobson can write a letter clarifying his intentions and use that to relate the safety concerns of here and now.
Perhaps had Mr. Kelly not been (rightfully) thrown off by the Holocaust, R’ Jacobson would have succesfully gotten a point across.
Whatever
Jacobson didnt command any respect, a holier-than-thou attitude that obviously wasnt appreciated!! second guy did much better and spoke a language kelly understood!!
WatchDog2
I think the commissioner was trying
to tell him that compared to the
80’s it’s a whole lot safer and nobody
can argue with that. He also says
that they are working to make it better.
So what exactly did R. Jacobson want more?
Also R. Jacobson was telling him to use
his powers giving by God which I think
is disrespectful to Kelly because
he feels like you are imposing your beliefs on him and that he owes your God something for his position.
big fan of jaconson
i think the commish misunderstood jaconsens remark.
i dont think Jacobson meant to tell the commish that new york is as bad as nazi germany- i think his point was that even if things are better than 20 years ago, even if 1 jew gets hurt it is still 1 too many.
but beryl salt overdose the nazi symbolism on purpose
A concerned jew
Jacobson didn’t go far enough & gave in very quickly.What should have also been stated It is obvious from the anger resentment etc. that things have not improved & that he as the leader should not be satisfied. Furthermore the commissioner should really open up his eyes & look around.If he really cares he should not be satisfied & demand from those under him do everything within reason to listen, react & satisfy the demands & requests of the people under their protection.
MG
Yasher koach to Rabbi Jacobson. We need more leaders like him that have the guts to tell it like it is.
Was he disrespectful? Absolutely not. We cannot afford to kowtow to the goyim. We must unite to defend ourselves and fight anti-semitism where ever it occurs.
I promise you that Raymond Kelly does not give a hoot about our community. Don’t forget, he was also police commissioner during the pogrom during David Dinkin’s administration.
izzzy
rabbi jacobson spoke rite to the point and it hit kelly(look how he answers back, he is not answering the point that rabbi jacobson brought out)
CHT
He did went far – but I am glad that happened. It sets the tone that these meetings are not just pleasant political campaign – there are tensions we need to go over them (sooner better) and do work.
Chana R.
The Commissioner had no clue what R’Jacobson was talking about. So what was the point of all that?
The man even seemed offended that R’Jacobson was relating what apathetic people, during the holocaust, were saying at the time to what the Commissioner just said.
WHY Kelly come there anyway? And why don’t we know how to state our position in a persuasive, intelligent way?
chabadnik
i believe it was really babyish on behalf of the commissioner to do/say what he did
Sholom Ber
I respect Rabbi Jacobson for his candor in trying to advocate for this community, but I think the Mashal of the Nazi at Nuremburg was too extreme. Perhaps with his intelligence he could have chosen a better way to refute the Commissioner’s argument instead of equating or comparing the argument to one proposed by a Nazi criminal. Most people would not take lightly the suggestion of being similar to a Nazi. I know Rabbi Jacobson did not intend to compare the Commissioner to a Nazi, but rather to point out the fallacy in his justification of the crime rate here in Crown Heights. But the fact that Kelly got so defensive shows that he did not like the comparison and immediately tuned everything else out. Rabbi Jacobson realized his mistake after he tried to assuage Kelly with words of spirituality, but the damage had already been done. The lesson: Choose your words wisely.
Concerened neighbor
Unfortunately Kelly was very arrogant in his fallicious statement that the neighberhood is now safer than it was 20 years ago.
Recently it has become unbearable due to his department’s condoning black violence against Jews.
If a black attacks a Jew he knows that in the end the Jew will get blamed.
It also unfortunate that Yossie Jacobson backed off under attack from Kelly.
Our problem is quite simple. If a jew is muuged etc. we do not have Sharpton’s who rabble rouse so they are not afraid of us. wheras if anythinh happens to a black then Sharpton is right there.
The police are afraid of them not of us.
chana
I agree with Eli. When you take things that far out of context.
But even for those who agree, do you honestly think that Kelly is going to walk away saying, “I love these Jews.”
Things do need to be said but in an appropriate way.
Nazi this Hitler that!
I don’t think bringing up Hitler is productive!
really?
better than it was ten years ago? that’s like being the tallest midget. sounds nice, but the situation is still horrible. but, hey its politics.
Shmuli
Rabbi Jacobson could not have said it better. He just happened to be speaking to a person who does not want to hear that. He wants to hear the good things he’s accomplised.
Good Job!
I would’ve gone even further!
Thank you R’Jacobson for speaking my mind.
Bored on Empire
B’chlal I am concerned that YY Jacobson is getting too comfortable wityh himself. He spoke way way to harsh, especially with a person like Kelly, who is probably twice his age, and also Jacobson is public seems “tzo zich varfen” Like at the OT dinner, when infront of all the peeple he spoke and made fun of theyeshiva.
Jake, Es Past Nisht Far dir
please, just stop talking
Attn all wannabe “orators” and rhetoricians: you’re not clever or effective when you bring up Nazis, Germany, the Holocaust, etc. It’s counterproductive. Even if your point isn’t to compare the two situations, but to make an unrelated point. They expect you to. And they expect to turn you out when you do. Pulling out a yellow star, referencing Germany, or dropping “6 million” is pathetic. Everyone stereotypes the Jews as a whiny people who overuse the holocaust-card. You’re not helping. Use rational arguments. Not empty emotionally charged rants. Beryl Sugar’s a little bit of a nut. Fine. I’ll accept that. But Jacobson – I don’t believe you know what you’re doing either. But people think you do. So play it smart.
le le
Crown Heights, NY – Rabbi Jacobson Has It Wrong, Stop Complaining And Start Uniting
Crown Heights, NY – The problems in Crown Heights, once again in the media, are not new. They are simply the latest incarnation of several old symptoms.
Many in Crown Heights among the Chassidim will tell you, that the problem is that Jews and black aren’t communicating enough. But while there is certainly ample evidence of that on the street, conversely, there is perhaps no Jewish community with as entrenched and ongoing a dialogue at the leadership level between Jews and their non-Jewish neighbors as there is in Crown Heights.
As a matter of fact, after the recent major-league chillul Hashem of Jews beating Andrew Charles, the black son of a police officer (VIN News would have a completely different opinion had the young man been caught in the act of a crime), the Crown Heights Jewish Community Council met with its black counterparts to actively—and successfully—defuse a volatile situation. CHJCC board member Dr. Tzvi Lang said, “The harder things get, the harder we try to work together,” referring to said meeting. In like manner, black State Sen. Eric Adams, to his credit, refused to participate in a sparsely attended, negligible protest by black “activists” (read: Jew-haters) after the event.
But with new crimes against Jews, most recently the outrageous stoning of an elementary-school bus by black juveniles and the horrific beating of a bochur by black teens, the questions persist. And at recent press opportunities, several prominent Crown Heightsers, including Jewish Leadership Council leader Beryl Sugar and popular young lecturer Yossi Jacobson, took to the mikes to express their opinions—and get it all wrong.
Both Sugar and Jacobson—the latter when no less than Police Commissioner Ray Kelly made an unexpected appearance in Crown Heights—invoked the horror of the Holocaust when protesting the purported lack of police protection in that corner of Brooklyn.
This is not about anti-Semitism. This is about lack of leadership.
VIN News has it on good word that New York’s Finest, from the foot patrolmen of the 71st Precinct and up, would love to work with Crown Heights’ community but cannot due to the rampant infighting—which has nothing to do with the Moshiach issue, mind you. As one high-ranking official told us, “There’s no one to talk to.”
To Rabbi Jacobson, we say: we respect your scholarship and your contributions, we have given you many times covarage on our site of your good deeds to your community and to Klal Yisroel. But to tell Commissioner Kelly—who went out of his way to come to Crown Heights—that the situation compares to a Holocaust story was out of line. The Commissioner was right to take offense at that.
And to our brothers in Crown Heights, we respectfully assert that when your Community Council and your rival Shmira and Shomrim groups get their respective acts together, your friendly neighborhood police department will get its act together too. Remember that in Flatbush and Borough Park and Williamsburg there is plenty of crime too—but when it comes to community leadership, there is one voice that speaks for the community, making it profoundly easier for the police to work with the community.
schneur
Rabbi Jacobson made a point that needed to be made because Kelly was trying to undermine the severity of the current situation, and Rabbi Jacobson was making it clear that because things may be better now then 20 years ago it is no excuse not to do what is needed to be done today.
YYJ
He’s an expert in Chasidus and great storyteller. That doesn’t mean he has anything remotely intelligent to say about anything else. Clearly.
mendel
he did great, more of us shouldstart being less political and be able to have the guts to say it how it is.
frustrated resident
Basically Kelly told R’ Jackobson “settle down Jew-boy you’re lucky that we WASP’s don’t persecute you like they do in other countries”. In other words Jews are not equal citizens, are only tolerate by their non-Jewish masters and so don’t deserve equal rights.
How dare he turn his back on a Rabbi while his talking to him. Would he do that to a priest?
ct
i agree with eli
experimenting
LETS TRY AN EXPERIMENT…
KEEP UR COMMENTS TO URSELF JUST FOR THIS POST.
CR
With all do respect, and much respect is due Rabbi Jacobson, but this over did it. commissioner kelly went out of his way to show he cares, I think it was great he came down and getting rid of vega is great. he’s right, it is better now then it was 20 years ago, and I know he’ll bring the crime back down. He’s the right man for the job.
I hope Rabbi Jacobson apologizes.
anonymous
Jacosen wasn’t too disrespectful but he was too preachy, you don’t have to always talk to a person like you’re learning a blot of Gemora
Former student of R- J.
Rabbi Jacobson could have answered: Singapore is a safer country than NY- they have stricter, enforced laws. Having an attitude of comparing to other places to make him justify the anarchy here is “irrational talking”. There was so much more the Rabbi could have said to put him in his place.
MN
While Rabbi Jacobson may be right in attitude, he only reinforced the stereotype that Jews play victim and are constantly equating everything to the Holocaust.
Kelly should have been agreed with right away. And he seems to be as concerned and attentive as you can expect.
Come on already
Has nobody in Crown Heights heard of <a href=”
Kelly was too arrogant to listen ...
the only reason why the commisioner got so upset was because Rabbi j. was correct…. unfortunately Kelly was so arrogant that he could not take a lil’ of critisism to understand what was said to him… All Rabbi jacobson was saying was don’t try to minmize the situation by saying it’s way better… because if one life is hurt way better doesn’t help… but the fact is that it will never be perfect, but if you continue to have the mind set of it’s better then it will only get worse and worse.. you have to always aim for perfection to the utmost that you can do!!!
sf
The gratitude should have preceded the criticism, in my humble opinion. Any other approach usually backfires.
Rabbi J, should have said more!
Rabbi J, I have to say Hats off to you. No one ever gets respect by backing down the way the Chaninas and Elis of this community have been doing. Tuches Licking to the politicians does not help. Opening ones mouth and hitting the nail on the head is the only way to earn respect. Those of you who are on ur high horse about how Yossi J. spoke should think about how Mrs. Sherman feels for sending her kid out at night for formula… or how Rabbi Balkany feels for having his son in CH that shabbos. In that light, I think he should have spoken harsher!
Use your brains
If Kelly wasn’t intelligent enough to understand R’Jacobson point(not that he is comparing the situation to the Holocaust) then maybe he isn’t intelligent enough to be the commissioner.
Also it was rude of Kelly to start turning his back on him while R’Jacobson was talking.It shows a lack of respect on Kelly’s part and his general attitude towards the CHJC.
question
Let’s say Kelly did not understand him. Why did he assume he is irrational? why did he not ask him to explain himself? i think the video shows how much he disrespects CH! look carefully. why not show interest and try to understand what the Rabbi is saying??
m Moscowitz
the commish is a no nosense guy, was the cheif in 71st many years ago went out of his way to take care of the rebbes motorcade. i think R jacobson should have given more respect, not a lecture but a thank you and blessings. hes not in the education field, es in the street protection business. I dont think jakey had any harm in mind but it came out bad.
Not real
The only reason Kelly thinks that it’s safer here than 20 years ago is because it’s on paper forged by the 71st Precinct with Vega at the helm! If he doesn’t see it in the statistics, then i guess it is ‘safer’, but again it’s not realistic!
Yasher koach Rabbi Jacobson!
chayal
at least Rabbi J. said something. Hindsight is 20/20 vision. You are all nitpicking what he said after you had plenty of time to think about and to see kelly the kaakers reaction. If he would’ve reacted positively, you would all be praising rabbi J. AT LEAST HE SAID SOMETHING. I’m sure you all could’ve said it better, at a SURPRISE visit, without preparing…
And, it was chutzpah for him to walk away while a member of the clergy was talking. He wouldve not done that to a priest or a monk or a muslim cleric.You don’t just turn your back because you don’t agree with his views.
Kol hakovod Jacobson
I think that R Jacobson was right on target. The commissioner was basically saying that everything is perfect besides a few minor detail. To which he brought an example of how one life is also too much.
Sternie
It’s true that there is no leadership here anymore. How can Vega be criticized when he has to put up with Chanina’s politics and ploys, Rubashkin is MIA permanently, Lang is over his head, Plotkin is not, the Halberstam lady wants her museum to get more money,Sugar isn’t ready for prime time.
Jacobson talks pretty, but he really doesn’t have the street pulse of the city.
Let’s give the police a chance, but keep them accountable. We want Rudy Giuliani back? Well, Kelly is the closest we will ever get.
To Chana
Who cares what Kelley wants! First is out safety. There is ABSOLUETLY no room to cherry coat things.
Respect
To all those who say that we should have used a different tone. That ‘nice soothing kiss ___‘ was the one used by politicians till now. How can anyone here buy ‘The safety is fine besides for a few details’. How can you not feel the pain of the parents of the kid that was beated? When POOR Efraim Klein was killed we used nice words, which got us nowhere.
BE REALISTIC if we do not fight strong we will end up in a worse situation
BCH
Disappointing. There was no reason to invoke the Holocaust. In fact, it gave Kelly an excuse to disengage from the exchange.
Kelly said that things are “much better then they were 10 years ago”. The obvious answer to that statement should have been, “No, things actually are much worse, sir. Since Rudi left office things have been progressively getting worse and have gotten intolerable and we are fast approaching Dinkins times.”
Kelly’s empty phrase about “other cites” was totally irrelevant. Let the police work like they worked in THIS VERY CITY during the Giuliani administration! That would be enough for us, wouldn’t it?
ENOUGH!
For the Grand Finale – Here comes Berel Sugar with his Yellow Star!!
Elie Poltorak
Ysher koach to Rabbi Yossi Jacobson for speaking truth to power. He’s the type of community leader we need. Yasher koach to the mispalelim of Beis Shmuel and the Jewish Leadership Council for finally doing something about the deteriorating security situation in the shchuna. We should all unite around them so that we speak with one voice. Then the politicians will ignore us at their peril.
We need to disown those traitors among us who side with our foes, v’da”l.
moshiach now
i don’t think Rabbi Jacobson was disrespectful to Mr Kelly.
what Rabbi Jacobson meant is you have to take each case of hatress that our brother enduring while walking down the street as important and significant as if it will be 6 million. if you don’t stop it after one it could be more and more. we have to make a big deal if one got injured as if it was 6 million because kol yehudi arev ze laze, and when you hurt one jew is like you hurt the klal israel.like if it was our sons, our brothers, our fathers. who was not hurt to see Alon Sherman picture, we were all with no doubt.
Rabbi Jacobson just wanted to clarify to Mr kelly one jew is as important as 6 millions, today we will be able to say because the holocaust won’t come back but the amount shouldn’t go over one. because one is already too much and if we don’t do anything it will be two, ten, twenty rass veshalom. and this is what we don’t want. so stop it after one!!!!!!!!!!!!Mr Kelly.
Thank you Rabbi Jacobson.
outraged
There’s a difference between respect and kissing up. R’ Jacobson was very respectful and the point he made was valid. I don’t think anyone was out of line except for the arrogant commissioner. Since when is “not yet completely miserable” something to be proud of?
As for my fellow chassidim here, this kind of reaction is very surprising. R’ Jacobson is a talmid chachom, a chossid and responsible for delivering the Rebbe’s message to tens of thousands worldwide. For him we must have the highest degree of respect which is REALLY lacking in many of these comments.
You don’t have to agree. But to tell R’ Jacobson to “keep his mouth shut” is really crossing the line.
Sheya Ebert
You guys need to catch a couple of Shvartzes in the act and knock them out senseless. As they have done to our guys they should be paid back tenfold to these hoodlums. Acting like victims only emboldens the Shvartzes to do it more. Getting the police to do their job is only a small part of the solution. Getting the home boys to fear you is what you need. I have lived in Crown Heights and I have taught Martial Arts to a number of guys and much more of that is needed. There must be more action taken to defend yourselves as opposed to relying on others.
shmuli
where is moshe rubashkin when the community need him?
ceo
at the risk of criticizing anyone strongly, I have to say that anyone who criticized Rabbi YY Jacobson is a fool. What would YOU have said better? Wouldn’t the Rebbe have said something similar? YES.
Don’t apologize for being Jewish Rabbi J was just being a Rabbi, not an apologizer. He didn’t get irrational, he didn’t get aggressive. He was trying to prove a point. The commissioner was VERRRRRY rude and acted like a common person to RAbbi J, it was disgusting to watch him be so overtly rude and impatient!!! The other guy who spoke to the commissioner spoke from his heart and the commissioner treated him with a bit more patience because he had to, as he was a victim, whereas Rabbi J is a spokesman and a Jew and I don’t think that he had patience for that.
former chjcc member
Having had lots of experience in the past dealing with police and all types of politicians, I can tell you that Rabbi Jacobson was right on target. All of you who are criticizing him are totally off base. You are forgetting what our purpse is and what are our goals. Jewish blood is being spilled! The streets are unsafe for our kids! Predators are roaming the streets while we have to cower in fear! Is all that we have to be worried about is how to treat the Commissioner with kid gloves? He must get the message, and it must be said without mincing words! The debate of whether invoking the Nazis is right or wrong is totally irrelevant! I can assure you that the Nazi parallel was NOT the reason Kelly got upset and turned his back. The reason he turned his back was because he was on the defensive! His own police department have become impotent! The Nazi parallel was just his excuse and not the reason. He had nothing to answer, so he picked on the language that was used. I personally would have not invoked the term Nazi, however i can tell you , that the parallel is not so far off. In 1938 before the holocaust even began the Nazis allowed the pogrom of Kristalnacht, which in itself is a big enough crime even withoout the holocaust. In Kristalnacht the government looked the other way while the jews were massacered by the masses. Here in Crown Heights the police look the other way when jews are beaten, robbed and assualted. how dare he claim that its safer here than 10 years ago. That is absolutely false. And so what if France may be more dangerous for a jew to live, does that make it right here in NY? If he were visiting a black Community that is outraged by some incident that affected them, and the Commissioner would be talking to a priest, do you think the tone of the conversation would be as civil as the conversation with Rabbi Jacobson? They would be screaming and cursing so badly , that the Commissioner would have 20 cops in riot gear protecting him. Im not saying we should stoop down to that level, we as jews should speak in respectful tones. However, lets call a spade a spade. We must tell the truth, and say it like it is. As the Rebbe always said , bedarkei noam but at the same time bechol hatoikef. Rabbi Jacobson lived up to it and if all our leaders made their point so effectively and took of the gloves we may get some results.
Thank you Rabbi Jacobson and may Hashem take us out of this golus immidieately!
Now what!?
I think everyone has a big problem misunderstanding the situation here. You have the top POLICE BRASS coming into your neighborhood in the middle of the night, doing a “spot check” which probably even caught the 71 by surprise. He could have sent any one of his other deputies to do the “dirty work” He’s showing he’s concerned whether it’s beacuse he might want to run for Mayor or becase it gives the department a better light in the media, who cares?? The appropriate thing to do in this situation would be Thank you Mr Kelly for coming here tonight we are really concerned about xxx street or going past xxx avenue @ certain times of the night or why police reports are missing? and Mr. Kelly anything you can do to help us will be welcomed with open arms thank you again for coming out in the midle of the night when you could have been at home with your family. I think Perhaps Mr Kelly deserves an e-mail from every resident in the CH or frum communities “bechalal” and just to let him know we truly appreciate what he is doing for our communities. Btw he’s right you don’t see this anywhere else example: lakewood
best guy in CH
nice video … great to see chanan feldmans smiling face in the background!
good ol’ sydney mates
Rabbi Should Stress G-d
“Holocaust” is a word that instantly shuts the ear to any rational opinion. It is a subject, i believe, that should only be invoked under limited circumstance.
I do however respect Rabbi Jacobson’s “lofty” or “holier-than-thou” attitude. I, personally, would be extremely hesitant to speak in such a “religious” manner. However, Rabbi Jacobson’s position as Rabbi entitles him and necessitates such speech. Whether it was “politically productive” in this situation is beside the point. I just wished that Rabbi Jacobson would have had more time to fully convey the message. Commissioner Kelly has g-d given abilities and that point should be stressed by Rabbis he meets. Let the others take care of the diplo talk.
Dissapointed in Jakey
As we can clearly see on the video, R. Jacobson’s message offended the commisioner. Contrast his delivery to the respectful and uniting way the Rebbe always spoke to public figures that came for dollars.
I encourage R. Jacobson to apologize for his lack of tact and send a strong but tactful message to the commisioner indicating that we appreciate his interest in our community but are distressed by our experiences with the 71st.
give me a break
L’havdil, don’t y’all think that using the Holocaust every time there’s any kind of forum is akin to the Blacks trotting out slavery all the time? L’havdil!
The Holocaust, as an issue, should not be a tool to get heard, nor should it be used every time we have a beef.
If this is all Rabbi Jacobson can come up with it’s a real let down. He had a grest opportunity to get a message across. He did but it was the wrong one. HIS message was, look at me I don’t know to make any sense, but I’m going to keep going any way cos this is what I do, I talk, people listen, I drone on & on & on…..
Great job!
Yitzchak
A few points:
Rabbi Jacobson was trying to make a point which Kelly didn’t get – not because of a lack of intellect but rather because he was very defensive and didn’t want to listen.
In HINDSIGHT (after seeing the commissioner’s reaction) yes maybe he could have worded it better, but that’s why they say hindsight is 20/20.
Let’s remember, the commissioner walked into a room in which a clergy member was giving a lecture, as a Guest in a house of prayer he has no right to disrespect the rabbi in front of his congregants, The fact that there isn’t more outrage
at R. Kelly for TURNING HIS BACK on R. Jacobson says allot about us.
Shmuli
I was there his point was a very good point, Just kelly did not get it he was not comparing NY to Nazi Germany!!! He was saying don’t belittle one Jew getting hurt by saying it was better in the 80’s…
GO YOSSI GO!!!!
Go Rabbi Jacobson
Maybe the holocaust was not the best example..NEVERTHLESS R JACOBSON WAS ON THE RIGHT TRACK.
Kelley basically tried to shut everyone up. Jacobson was basically trying to say that even the littlest crime is unacceptable.
For too long we have dealt with the likes of our community council big guys invitng goyim over, kissing them, hugging, bribing us and them with his money.
When Sharpton has a problem he has no problem SPEAKING UP.
Let us not forget, Crown Heights is not a seperate city. Technically we are New Yorkers like everyone else and can demand security for the neighborhood.
Let us stop acting like we are Israel sitting in a General Assmebly of the UN meeting. Let us make demands and be heard and let these officials know they are doing a bad job
Yankel
Kelly has aspirations to becoming Mayor, and that may be what prompted him to visit Crown Heights.
We still appreciate his visit, as we need whatever help we can get.
Kelly’s remarks about the neighborhood being safer than 10-20 years ago was foolish. Imagine President Bush telling the American people not to worry about the economy because it’s better than the 1930s.
Rabbi Jacobson spoke sharply and rightly so, perhaps he shouldn’t have used the holocaust as an analogy, but let’s remember this was a surprise visit.
Berel Sugar deserves our thanks. He is doing something because no one else is. If anyone has complaints, please step up and prove yourself. I’m sure Berel won’t mind taking a back seat if he sees something been done.
Both sounded stupid
Kelly and Jacobson are both highly intelligent accomplished people but I’m sure these are not snippets they’d use for publicity!
Jacobson, whether right or wrong, used the very infective Holocaust cliché! It’s not important if it’s true or not we are trying to be effective not counterproductive!
Kelly sounded like an out of touch elitist politician, expecting us to be very happy because it’s worse elsewhere!
A Shliach from Afar
It’s actually a cheap line and frankly cheapens the holocaust and the memory of six million to exploit it in this manner. Sure all you ’emotionalists’ will feel that he retorted strongly. But the hard fact is that ‘aineh doimen moshol lenimshal.’ If you want to talk about the blacks beating the Jews being akin to the Nazis then indeed there is no difference between beating one Jew or many Jews. But the police must then be compared to the US Army who stepped in to stop the Nazis. It didn’t happen in one day – but each day things were getting ‘better’ insofar as the Nazis being weakened and beaten back. The US Army of course did not rest on its laurels until all Nazis were destroyed and so too I would like to think with the NYPD. In that sense Jacobson’s comment was wide of the mark – he did himself an injustice and left a bad taste in the commisioner’s mouth.
Divrei chachomim binachas nishmoim – a missed opportunity here.
What Happened?
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