An unlikely group of people got together at the 92nd Street Y to discuss the state of relations between Jewish and African American communities of New York City twenty years after the Crown Heights riots.
Unlikely Group Discuss Race Relations After Riots
An unlikely group of people got together at the 92nd Street Y to discuss the state of relations between Jewish and African American communities of New York City twenty years after the Crown Heights riots.
Recently, an unlikely group of people got together at the 92nd Street Y to discuss the state of relations between Jewish and African American communities of New York City. The panel, dubbed 20 Years After Crown Heights: Black, Jews and Jews of Color, included Russell Simmons, hip hop pioneer, media entrepreneur and author, Rabbi Marc Schneier, a serial award winner for his leadership in intergroup and race relations, Councilmember Letitia “Tish” James, Rabbi Robert “Bob” Kaplan, locally know for his community initiatives and founder of Project C.A.R.E., and Constance Rosenblem, editor of the City section of the The New York Times and author of Boulevard of Dreams: Heady Times, Heartbreak and Hope Along the Grand Concourse in the Bronx.
The panel was clear on what the discussion was not about: They were not going to rehash what happened that fateful summer twenty years ago. They were not going to take a look at the aftermath. They were not going to place blame or look at issues of the past. What they were going to do is use the Crown Heights Riots as a benchmark for present day intergroup relations in New York, as a reference point for a look at the community on a larger scale.
To start, everyone agreed that we’ve come a long way in race relations in the last two decades; that cooperation, not conflict, is a defining element, not only in New York, but across the country. Russel Simmons even dubbed the current state as the “era of great cooperation.”
“We’ve made much progress,” Councilmember James said, commending the work of the Crown Heights Mediation Center and Rabbi Kaplan’s Project C.A.R.E. – two local organizations working specifically to bridge the African American and Jewish communities, as well as the Jewish Children Museum, a project of her personal friend Devorah Halberstam, and its work to promote tolerance and peace.
Rabbi Schneier told of photo of he saw on the cover page of the New York Post of a Rabbi Issac Bitton and his young son badly beaten during the riots. Twenty years later, Rabbi Bitton’s teenage daughter took a leading role in the publishing of Crown Heights is Cookin’, a cookbook co-written by a group of girls from both communities. Schneier saw this as the perfect illustration of just how far we’ve come. The setting of diversity in New York has changed, he concluded, and we’ve learned that we need to work together.
Yet, they all also agreed that there is still work to be done, or as Councelmember James put it: “It’s a work in action.” The recurring theme throughout the panel was one of mutual empathy. “We’ve got to recognize that we have the same aspirations, the same needs.” Russell said. “It starts with tolerance but we hope to get beyond tolerance, to honest appreciation and even love.”
Rabbi Schneier echoed his sentiment, saying we need to recognize that everyone is suffering, especially with the current financial situation “There are 250,000 Jews in New York living on the poverty line right now, so much for the perception of Jewish affluence,” he extrapolated. “Yet we also need to understand what it’s like for children to go to school in overcrowded, understaffed classrooms, communities that have mortality rates that rival third world countries.” Finally, he asked that we “challenge ourselves to be more empathetic, to be part of a community… to put ourselves in the place of another human being.”
Rabbi Kaplan told us the only way to truly progress is to focus on the present, on what we can do today, rather than our issues and disagreements. He told of an interaction he had with a young Muslim woman, a community activist, immediately following the Gaza Flotilla incident. They obviously had their disagreements but the woman turned to him and said “Let’s not talk about it, let’s talk about how to take care of the seniors in our community.” “That’s what we have to do,” Kaplan finished off, “we need to upgrade the quality of life for all people in all communities… especially in this time of continuously less and less resources, we have to bond and work together.”
Councilmember James acquiesced wholeheartedly and spoke of her work with Councilmember David Greenfield on the childcare budget cuts passed by the city. They plan to cut 18,000 childcare spots, she explained, 5,000 of the spots belong to the Jewish children, the rest go to the Black and Hispanic communities. Together, James and Greenfield plan on holding a press conference they dubbed “Blacks and Black Hats”, as a stand of unity, of communities coming together to see that the needs of all its residents are being met.
In the end, Russell Simmons gave a clear call to action: “Get to know your neighbor.” Sounds simple enough.
Mendel M.
How come no Lobavitchers on the panel, experts such as Mr. Sperlin? Who is Rabbi Schneier and what does he know about our community?
Explain this
There is something I never understood about the riots. There are 1000s of auto accidents every year. some with drunk drivers, inter-racial etc. Yet there was only ONE riot that ever broke out from an auto accident, and it happened to be against the Jewish community that did nothing at all to provoke the riot.
The only claim against the CH community is that the Rebbe got “priority” treatment by having a police escort.
Considering what happened don’t you think the Rebbe should have had that escort? and even more, perhaps the city should have given him 24/7 security?
What was the “crime” of the CH Jewish community that justified the riot?
R- Shlomo In Eretz Yisroel
Ump, not one person, family or Rabbi[s] from Crown Heights. Those Jewish and including Rabbis on panel what do they really know what happened twenty years ago and at present meaning today ?! Crime is up. The Lubavitcher are being blamed. African Americans are portrayed as the victims ? At the very least invite Rabbi Shea Hecht to explain and portray the views of a local crown heights person/ family.
Chana, a former resident
If you’re going to discuss initiatives in the Crown Heights neighborhood, the least you can do is have a Crown Heights resident on the panel… Rabbi Shea Hecht should indeed have been invited. He is on good terms with all the diverse communities in the neighborhood.
Show me the money
Chanina Sperlin? What can he do for the Crown Heights community? What has he done for the Crown Heights community?
The Sperlin family has profited big time for this riots business. The best thing that could happen for the Sperlin family is another riot.
The Sperlin family have been robing the Crown Heights Community blind.
not in CH
Rabbi Schneier and Russell Simmons started a organization ($$) as a result of the riots , they dont need any input from crown heights residents.
brother from the hood
a littel respect 4 rabbi marc shnier . he is the Rebbas cousin.
his family changed the name from schnierson to schnier. i know his father , the rabbi of park east shull on 67-68th st nyc
a nice man .if you want to know more ask zalmen boumgaten also a cousin
Was it ever?
Was it ever mentioned that a NY police officer told Haalatz to leave the scene without the boy that so very unfortunately died? Was it ever mentioned that Haalatz was going to take him? I know the agreement was not to bring up what happened ten years ago, and at the same time, that information alone might have changed the direction of things. Maybe this information can serve to show an example of how important it is not to rush to react with violence, even in a crisis that has involved a very serious accident. There was no instruction or decision by any Chabad person to leave that poor boy. Never would they have, if the NY police did not tell them to. After all, the NY police are the professionals hired to handle and supposedly have the ultimate authority in matters of public violence. Is any of this misinformation?