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Mayor on Hand for the Menorah Lighting at the JCM

Wednesday evening the mayor of New York City, Michael Bloomberg, choose to hold the annual Chanukah party in the Jewish Childrens Museum in Crown Heights. Every year, the mayor chooses a different neighborhood to hold this party and this year, a group of Rabbis, politicians, activists and others were on hand to listen to Bloomberg’s speech about the light of the holiday. Also in attendance was Mr. Marty Markowitz the Brooklyn Borough President. Rabbi Yerachmiel Benjaminson, the director of the Jewish Childrens Museum, granted Mr. Bloomberg a small model of the huge dreidel displayed in front of the museum.

More pictures in the Extended Article!

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22 Comments

  • cc

    HI

    im sure th Rebbe would be really proud of the israeli flag!

    this was not a chabad event, this was an event hosted by the mayor

  • SZL

    despite the fact that you say the mayor hosted the event, (which in fact is wrong, thh crown heights community did) the Jewish Children’s Museum is represented by Tzivos Hashem which was instituted by the Rebbe. Additionaly, this event was coordinated and attended by Anash from Crown Heights. True, there were some highly regarded goverment and municipal officials…but they would have been just as pleased without the israeli flag.i heard the event was a success and a kiddush lubavitch but let us not be affeted by our surroundings. We have to continualy ask ourselves “ is this something our rebbe would be proud of?”
    I highly doubt that an israeli flag would be present by such an event had it been before gimmel tamuz.

  • Eliezer

    Hey Ben,

    I see You’re making some political connections. Although i see Shmais’s Camera man is too, and he even has a tie!

    (Hey Yosef, nice seeing you in town!)

  • gush katif forever without the damm flag

    the israeli flag represents evrything that is wrong with the place. i was one of 20 chabadnikim who went to gush katif before the girush and saw first hand what the flag is all about. when i had five solders draging me out of gush katif they all had israeli flags on there caps and lapels. as if to say even though we are draging you out of your house now but come nicely b/c its all good for the flag, itsall good for the state and the by amona as well. so if anybody thinks the israeli flag represents anything good go tell that to my friends who have bin living in trailers for the past year and a half.
    and i can tell u this now i will not be steping in that place any time soon.

    AND RIGHT NOW I AM ASHAMED TO BE A CHABADNIK AFTER WHAT JUST HAPPEND

  • CH resident

    you ask if the Rebbe would be proud ? I am disturbed that the menorah is not how the Rebbe said it shoud be the Rambam Lubavitch menorah In my opinion that was a big mistake

  • Who Said?

    SZL:

    What you have stated is infact incorrect. Not only did the Mayors Office organize, arrange and execute the party they were the ones to invite everyone and approve each person that would have been invited.

    They brought the flags, Chairs, Stage, Podium and even the band. So no, it’s not the museum who put the flag there it’s the Mayors Office.

    CH Resident:

    Selective listening? “the Rambam Lubavitch menorah” was meant for the Bais Hamikdash, not mine or your house, and besides “the Rambam Lubavitch menorah” had seven branches, not nine.

  • get a life!!!!!

    omg!!!! what is wong with an israely flag!!!!!!! you want them to put a menorah with oliv oil???1!!! what do u think they give out on mizoyim?!!!

  • Shliach

    I’m far from a zionist but someone pleae tell me where the Rebbe said anything about Isreali flags…
    Second, shluchim in Isreal frequently use Israeli flags

  • friend

    yosef has all the connections

    he does not need to make any

    thanks yosef for all your hard work for the CHJCC

  • to ch resident

    to ch resident
    the rebbi says in a sicha that the round menorah was made by the romans to demoralise the jew. and the rebbi says we should not use a round one b/c it reminds us of golus. so befor you start saying about slective listening go study.

  • SZL

    Attn: “Who Said?”

    The Mayor’s Office did NOT organize the event. Rather, the Mayor’s office perhaps requested the JCM to host the mayor’s annual Chanukah Party. That was the extent of the Mayor’s input to help coordinate the event. Now, to be honest I do not know who brought the flag but if somebody brings somehing offensive to my house regardless of their position of power etc. I would kindly ask them to put it away. The Israeli flag (much like hatikvah) is a symbol which was offensive to the Rebbe and to the name of Lubavitch for which we all stand and represent. Tzivos Hashem was initiated by the Rebbe. The JCM is one of many projects that Tzivos Hashem offers. I think we should all be sensitive to what the Rebbe would have liked or disliked. It is only a matter of time until we slip and neglect in other areas as well. My point is, even if the Mayor’s office “hosted the event” as you say, it was in a Lubavitch Moisad initiated by the Rebbe, and attended by anash of Crown Heights. I think the Mayor would have been sensitive and respectful to our wishes.

  • to shliach and get a life

    what is wrong with the israeli flag is this, the israeli guv. uses the flag as a excuse to do anything bad they want, and back it up by saying it is good for the flag.
    and also the flag represents the guv. which is worshiped by the people as opposed to got and the wave the flag while singing hatikva which the rebbi said even the tune is tami. and as a person who was in gush katf i saw how te guv uses the flag.
    and furthermore no shliach in israel uses the israli flag, it goes against evrithing chabad stands for, namely religin.
    and i can promise you this there is nothing good abou the flag at all.
    never was, never will be
    it does not represent yidishkite, or god the whole thing is how “kochi v’etzem yody ossa li es hachil hazhe”

  • ISchier

    It’s OK – at the end of the party, a representative from Neturei Karta came by and used the menorah to burn the blue and white flag. That makes everything kosher :) :) :) !

  • ALongTimeChosid

    I just want to make two obervations: As so many times before (even pre-gimmel Tammuz) everyone is a mavin and everyone thinks they know best. Let’s clarify some points: FACT: even as the Rebbe advocated for the Rambam’s menorah, he also stressed to Tzach in E“Y that they needn’t go changing all their menorahs at that point. FACT: The Rebbe’s emphasis was also more againt the round menorahs because of their symbolism, as opposed to davka using the Rambam style. The one used at this party was not round. FACT: The Israeli flag featured in a lot of events of the past where Chabad would showcase. The Rebbe was not beshita against the flag, as it was never preceived as anything of significance one way or the other. That you choose to politicise its symbolism because it is part of Israeli uniform, is not something that should reflect badly on Lubavitch. FACT: The Mayor’s office were involved in the strtegic planning of the event, as they would be, and it was at their behest that the flag was brought in. FACT: All the flag does say is, ”the mayor of NY, the most famous City in the world, supports Israel. Having just returned from Israel, last night, I can tell you, that’s a good message to get out there right now!

  • 770 SUPPORTER

    Overall, the event was great. The Mayor got a chance to bring his annual Chanukah celebration to Brooklyn. it has been held for the past 2 years in the upper east side and before that it was in the surrogate building by City Hall.

    Yes, his annual celebration, it was his event. His office did the planning and invitations.

    The event had great participation with Richard Joel, President of Yeshiva University. He made the brochos, lit the Shamas and sang Moaz Tzur.

    One 5th grader from each borough lit a candle with the Mayor and the 6th candle was lit with a crown heights 5th grader.

  • Conections

    Whats Yosef Kramer doing there? how did he get in? anyone has his number or email i need some conections?