Op-Ed: Anti-Semitism Did Not Cause the ’91 Riots
‘Crown Heights was about ‘black anti-Semitism’!” Twenty years later, I still hear the trope.
The Crown Heights riots have resonated for years as a “flashpoint” between blacks and Jews in New York. Indeed, “Crown Heights” has become a code word for intractable neighborhood tension arising out of anti-Semitism emerging from the black community.
There is no question that a serious anti-Semitic outburst occurred in August 1991 — an anti-Semitic murder was committed. But what were the conditions in Crown Heights that led to the riots and the murder, beyond the striking of little Gavin Cato by the Lubavitcher rebbe’s car? The key question with respect to Crown Heights is not what happened there, but why; and whether the dynamics that caused Crown Heights were and are to be found elsewhere. Was Crown Heights sui generis? Or ought Crown Heights be extrapolated to the black population in general, and to other communities around the country?
The August 1991 events in Crown Heights had more to do with longstanding “tribal rivalries” — rivalries of real estate, power, culture — than with a deep-seated anti-Semitism, an anti-Semitism that indeed may not have been present in the black population, which was hardly monolithic (it was largely West Indian), in that neighborhood. The conditions that caused Crown Heights were unique to Crown Heights, and had little to do with anti-Semitism, even as anti-Semitism did become a factor in the subsequent riot.
What Crown Heights was all about was the dilemma of two groups — Jewish and black — each growing rapidly in a small geographic area with limited land, struggling over access to housing and access to political power. It was a tinderbox ready to be set off, as it eventually was. It did not take long for the situation to be exploited by individuals from outside the neighborhood who cynically used anti-Semitism to achieve their goals.
Further, what was the nature of the anti-Semitism that emerged during the riots? Was the anti-Semitism of the black street kid yelling “Kill the Jew!” in the frenzy of the riots the same as the anti-Semitism of jihadist crazies? We won’t know very much about what goes on in neighborhoods like Crown Heights — where “Kill the Jew!” was directed at the most visible manifestation of white power — until we are ready to mount a serious ethnographic study on the street.
Consider another neighborhood, the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn. Williamsburg has many of the same ingredients as did Crown Heights — “tribal” rivalries over land and power, a well organized and politically savvy chasidic group (in this case, the Satmar chasidim), a minority group that feels it has been given the short end of the stick. Williamsburg has for years been a tinderbox that could explode as well. Same situation as Crown Heights, only in Williamsburg the community is made up of Hispanics and newly settled artists, and the streets never exploded.
Jerome Chanes was for 15 years national affairs director of the National Jewish Community Relations Advisory Council (NJCRAC, now JCPA). He coordinated the national response to the Crown Heights riots.
Toshav Haschunah
“Jerome Chanes …. He coordinated the national response to the Crown Heights riots.” What coordinated national response? Never heard of him before now but he clearly deserves the ADL/Abe Foxman Teats On A Bull Award because this guy’s antennae couldn’t tell the difference between a gentle summer breeze and a rock whizzing by one’s head. Have a happy Al Sharpton Day.
close down chinfo
rebbe’s car?
such a factual mistake show’s the authors knowledge of the 91 riots
SD
Ditto to comment number one. As one of the members of the CH Emergency Committee that handled ALL aspects of anything related to the riots during that time and the ensuing months,I never heard this person’s name. There were many politicians, orginization heads, media,officials,etc., that tried to tout thier efforts during that time, and again I never heard this name. I kept and still have dozens of cardboard file boxes of all the records and documentation of that period and again-who is he ? It says national response-who,what,where,when?
Levi W.
“beyond the striking of little Gavin Cato by the Lubavitcher rebbe’s car?” It was NOT the lubavitcher rebbes car. Get your facts straight before expressing your opinions, its difficult to take you seriously with your expressed ignorance….
I don-t forgive this
Anyone that was there knows this guy is an idiot.
In Williamsburg they break heads faster, that’s why there was no riot.
When they came here to help us they showed us how it’s done.
It was an anti-semitic riot spurred on by Al Sharpton, who some of us, like my son and myself remember seeing in CH spuring the rioters on. On the second day he was on a black radio station urging blacks to come to Utica and EP and then march to 770. “Anyone who doesn’t show up ought to take off his pants and wear a dress” or something close was a quote I heard
.....
“What [the holocust] was all about was the dilemma of two groups — Jewish and [nazis] — ”
Why would anyone think antisemitism had anything to do with it?!
It-s Not the Economy, Stupid
“What Crown Heights was all about was the dilemma of two groups — Jewish and black — each growing rapidly in a small geographic area with limited land, struggling over access to housing”
I don’t know who made this stuff up. I grew up in this neighborhood so I can tell you first hand why he is mistaking.
Regarding housing, there were two issues – non relevant to tinkerbox explosions – one concerning selling real estate to Jews, and the other real estate value.
1. Many Jews were faced with trouble purchasing homes from blacks despite extrely generous offers. This seemed strange and the talk back then amoungst Jews was that the black priests were forbiding their congregents from selling their homes to the Jews “lest they multiply and be greater than us.” So the growing Jewish community found it increasingly difficult to purchase houses in from blacks in the neighborhood.
2. Since potential buyers were offering 200 or 300 percent of the real estate values, the few who did agree to sell began to raise their asking prices to match that which was being offered. Soon, only the rich could afford to purchase houses. 200,000 dollar homes were being sold for nearly a million.
Neigher of the above two problems cause any so called “tension” between the Jews and the blacks. If there were any tension, it was the antisemitism from the so called “preists.” Since the media is hesitant to blame antisemitism for their reluctence to sell, the quickest and simplest selling logic is that the “black leaders” feared that the price of real estate would sky rocket. This is nonsene sine a) selling houses to Jews has nothing to do with rising real estate value. “NOT” selling to Jews is 1) Anti semitic 2) Discrimination 3) causes real estate value to rise. Also, this real estate rise theory is rediculous since we are talking about a 5 block by 5 block neighborhood.
Now, what on earth does the rising cost of real estate have to do with runnign the streets yelling “kill the jews!” NOTHING. So please don’t blame the crown heights pogroms on the rising caust of living.
Any REAL jurnalist would see this nonsence for what it is and expose what really lies at the heart of the matter: plain old fashion Antisemitism.
Kill the Jews!!
Ajmagininddidad
“Anti-Semitism Did Not Cause the ’91 Riots”
What????
Then what did? The price of tea in china?
To 5
That reminds me – there was a subway accident on the 4 line headed for Utica Avenue during the riots in the middle of the night. Not many were hurt, but the strange thing was that the train was packed with people as if during rush hour which was strange for midnight. It was said at the time that the subway to Crown Heights was full because blacks from all over the city were streaming in to join the looting. Now I understand why they were coming: It was because of Al Sharpton’s calling.