Daily Archives: August 10, 2005

Israel begins collecting West Bank weapons

Jerusalem — Security officials on Wednesday began collecting army-issued weapons from residents of two West Bank settlements slated for evacuation in an effort to prevent violence during Israel’s upcoming withdrawal from the area, according to officials and media reports.

The weapons collection came as thousands of soldiers participated in their final dress rehearsal for the withdrawal at a dusty farming community in southern Israel.

Beginning next Wednesday, Israel plans on withdrawing from all 21 Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip and four small enclaves in the West Bank. About 9,000 settlers will be uprooted from their homes.

New York seeks to stop Sunday worship in schools

As most of you probably know that the Rebbe started an outreach program to the NYC public schools. On Sundays groups of “Rabbi’s” would go to these public schools after school hours and have different activities and Frum Jewish studies, it is completely voluntary.

Now the churches decided to take a swing with it just like us, and now New York State is evicting them, and in the process they are saying “hay they are doing it why cant we?”

NEW YORK — Dozens of volunteers show up at 7 a.m. on Sundays at Christ Tabernacle to haul screens, banners and musical instruments to a school two miles away.

The evangelical, charismatic church on bustling Myrtle Avenue near several strip malls, brick row houses and cemeteries is growing so fast that there is no place to put its 2,500 members.

The resulting spillover into a local school mirrors what booming churches in New York’s five boroughs do every Sunday morning. But a hearing slated for tomorrow could change that.

Federal District Court Judge Loretta A. Preska will hear arguments in Bronx Household of Faith v. Board of Education of the City of New York, which could lead to the eviction of all churches from New York schools.

UPDATE: CH Resident to be deported

Israel’s attorney general has ordered an Israeli-American deported to the United States due to fears by security forces that he could carry out acts meant to derail Israel’s planned evacuation of 25 Jewish settlements, the Haaretz daily reported Wednesday.

The American, Saadia Hirschkop, 18 from Crown Heights, N.Y., agreed to be deported for 40 days instead of serving jail time for the period, the daily said.

NYPD: “Lonewolf Terrorists” A Concern

Slumping in his prison clothes and pallid from a year behind bars, Shahawar Matin Siraj didn’t look like much of a threat as he silently endured a routine hearing in federal court this month.

But the 23-year-old Pakistani immigrant stands accused of a scheme to attack a busy New York subway station with bombs hidden in backpacks.

Solidarity stance

Crown Hts. unites to cool racial tension

It’s been a hot summer in Crown Heights.

After years of relative quiet, a recent string of alleged bias incidents and an uptick in robberies have sparked concern among both black and Jewish community leaders in the historically emotion-charged neighborhood.

“My concern right now is that there is a powder keg out there,” said Robert Matthews, chairman of Community Board 8, which covers the neighborhood. “We need to get to the source of it and eradicate it.”

Leaders from the two groups have held a series of meetings lately to discuss ways to dissolve the feared increase in racial tensions.

They also joined forces to march through the neighborhood last week to send a message of solidarity.

‘BURGLAR’ BEATEN AFTER CHILLING ENCOUNTER

Residents of a Crown Heights building beat up a serial burglar after he broke into an apartment, then held him for the cops, police said yesterday.

Dale Shields — whose long criminal record includes at least seven prior arrests and several convictions for burglary-related offenses — was roughed up by the residents of 881 Eastern Parkway. He was treated at Kings County Hospital for bruises and a minor head wound.

Shields, 39, is charged with burglary, attempted assault, menacing, trespass, possession of burglars’ tools, criminal mischief and harassment, a law-enforcement source said.