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North Miami Beach Jewish Community Arming Themselves After Crime Surge

NBC Miami

People in one North Miami Beach community are so fed up with crime, they’re arming themselves.

“To us, our families are more important,” said community activist Yona Lunger. “A lot of them are getting concealed weapons permits… We don’t have a choice.”

Lunger’s community, near Golden Glades interchange, collects and distributes clothes for needy people. Most of the clothing is specifically for Orthodox Jewish women.

On Wednesday morning somebody went into the collection room, located inside a woman’s home, and stole bags filled with donated clothes.

“Close to 600 to 700 items are gone, I mean they cleaned us out,” said Lunger.

The area is seeing an uptick in crime, according to Lunger.

“I think we had a rash, more than a dozen break-ins in the past week … break- ins and strong armed robberies,” he said.

Police are well aware of the incidents and have increased their presence in the area. Several families are footing the bill for private security patrols.

Lunger said police have made several arrests in the connection to the break-ins. But the crime spree is the talk of the neighborhood.

Lunger is hoping the topic of conversation changes soon.

“We all got to get along, we all got to work with each other, this is a little bit out of hand,” Lunger said.

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35 Comments

  • Concerned Citizen

    You really need a primary weapon, say an HK 9mm, a backup weapon, SW .38, and an automatic shotgun for those hard to reach places. I recommend a Mossberg.

    Bring it on!

  • Andrea Schonberger

    You’re getting concealed weapons because of the theft of material items? Would Yona Lunger had actually pulled out her piece if she saw the theft in progress? Remember, packing heat makes anyone a mighty big person, one too big for their britches, and think of how your life could be ruined, plus how lame you’d look, if you shot and killed someone over second-hand clothing. It’s not worth it.

  • his last line is the key

    “We all got to get along, we all got to work with each other, this is a little bit out of hand,” Lunger said.

    in CH as well

  • declasse- intellectual

    It is proven that more guns equates to less crime in any given area. They should contact the local NRA offices for qualified instructors because gun training and safety is of the up most importance. In fact, legalized gun carrying should be present in New York given what has occurred in the last few months in Crown Heights and the rest of New York.

  • that-s what you get

    FOR LIVING IN SUCH A GHETTO NEIGHBORHOOD
    how do Jews live there? i went and i was soo grossed out..cars parked on the lawns,ghetto falling apart houses..cars w/ no wheels i was seriously cracking up..gross place.

  • guns arent the answer

    there are namany issues in North maimi beach

    there is drug use , adultery, thieves, and molesters ,

    before they worry about crime they need to follow the torah

  • Alex

    good for them not waiting for Guberment to protect them, exercising their 2ND amendment rights! Wish we can do that in NYC,not before hell freezes over!

  • Yossele

    Aderaba! Probably better off with a revolver. Smith & Wesson, Taurus and Ruger all have very fine revolvers chambered in .38 or .357 made especially for concealed carry.

  • WHO MADE MR LUNGER OUR SPOKESPERSON????

    Who made Yona Lunger the spokesperson for our community in North Miami Beach?? We are all sad that people stole clothes from the community gemach, however, let’s face it these are used clothes… Do you honestly think burglars can gain a lot of profit from these items, wouldn’t they sets their sights on more profitable items? This has to be the markings of either the goyim who helps bring the clothes or a very disturbed person who wanted all the clothes. Yiddin get the clothes for free so why would anyone want to steal something they can get for free?. Our neighborhood is no different than other neighborhoods in this country.. Yes, we have to always be vigilant, but, the same goes wherever we may be in the U.S or abroad.
    Mr Lunger would do an interview with anyone that would give him the time of day….If you want to do an interview in our community I invite you to come and speak to the Rebbeim. MR LUNGER IS NOT OUR COMMUNITY ACTIVIST AND DOES NOT
    REPRESENT OR IS A SPOKESPERSON FOR NORTH MIAMI BEACH

  • berel

    #4 yona lunger is a guy not a gal. It is no worse than living in crown heights, its the same people robbing in NY as they rob in Miami.

  • To #8 DO YOU NEED GLASSES???

    Maybe you should be invited for Shabbos in North Miami Beach you might like it!!! We have a large Frum community with many Shuls and hundreds of Yiddin. At 11:00 a.m. On Simchas Torah all the Shuls bring out their Sefrei Torahs and meet at a designated place and do Hakafos, the unity is awesome!!, I personally have not seen it anywhere in the world… There’s dozens of minayanim and constant learning in North Miami Beach
    My drive through the neighborhood takes me to homes that are either building a new home from scratch or extending their present home. Pray tell if these Yiddin feel that they live in a run down ghetto (like the picture you are painting) would they spend hundreds of thousands to beautify their homes??. Either you went to a wrong zip code or you are just mouthing untruths and bringing down all the families who invested alot of time and money to build a successful Jewish community

  • Bal Harbor/surfside needs our reporter

    As a former resident of Surfside/Bar Harbor… A Jewish dentist and His wife was held gunpoint outside his house and a man was shot while taking a stroll with is girlfriend… Yes, in one of Miami’s ritzy neighborhood!s!! Things that happen in other neighborhoods are not published but, in North Miami Beach if a kid is seen with riding one bike and another in tow, WE WRITE ABOUT IT. I AGREE WE SHOULD. I have seen articles written about things happening about a hold up at Krispy Cremes, whose location is 167th street, it would be comparable to where K Mart is located on US1 & Surfside… But does Surfside/Bal Harbor residents worry about the happenings inUS1… Here in NMB we hear about it. Maybe you should hire our reporter to your area so you could also get up to date happenings in your area, that way you don’t have to watch Miami Vice! BETTER SOLUTION… Pray for the redemption..

  • WHO MADE MR LUNGER OUR SPOKESPERSON? #2

    Just buy a Tazer or Pepper Spary No need for guns!!!
    MR LUNGER IS NOT OUR COMMUNITY ACTIVIST AND DOES NOT
    REPRESENT OR IS A SPOKESPERSON FOR NORTH MIAMI BEACH

  • chaim

    this is old news why did someone wake up now to write about this … people have been carrying guns down there for years and have been carrying them even on shabos also … also why are there those complaint about yona lunger ??? is it because he would like to do something to help ?? if there is anyone unhappy that he is doing something to bad on these people .. either shut up or put up and NO i am NO relative in any way to mr lunger

  • Big Al-s Gun and Pawn and Lou-s Police S

    Big Al’s Gun and Pawn is where I got my concealment permit years ago. The instructor was the owner “Al” an Italian American Lawyer. He is practical. His fee reasonable. The best prices on weapons are Lou’s Police Supply in Hialeah. Most police and security guards buy from his shop. I have never seen prices cheaper than Lou’s.

  • Not safe at all

    It’s not only robberies of material items, and not only the gemach. Its entire houses being cleaned out and people being mugged with guns aimed at them etc. in Broad daylight etc.

  • Sshhhh

    BMNMB is one of the nerdiest Shuls around and we’d like to keep it that way. Please don’t move down here.

  • moving

    we are planning to move to NMM
    I was told that there are crime area,like from 6th ave and down]
    is also dangerous from 170h to 176th?from 8th ave to 13th ave?

  • concerned

    10 “guns arent the answer wrote:

    there are namany issues in North maimi beach

    there is drug use , adultery, thieves, and molesters ,

    before they worry about crime they need to follow the torah”
    WHAT are you talking about?
    who is a molester?
    who is a thieve?
    adultery?

  • Sshhh

    There is a lot of crime and the weather is overated. Please don’t move here from new york.

  • To #24 planning to move

    I don’t know who gave you the designated streets that you consider not the safest in NMB… From your description of all the streets you wrote Yiddin occupy most of them. Our own Rabbi lives on 6th Ave. As mentioned in another reply Yiddin are investing money in upgrading their homes so, we believe in the strong sense of Yiddishkeit in this area…

    Until Moshiach cones, we have to contend with all the negatives whether in NMB or anywhere else, however you can be rest assured because of the sheer number of Jewish families that have made NMB their home, we watch out for one another apcontrary to what was said in the article.

    Approximately, when are you deciding to move to NMB I know of a house my friend has up for rent.

  • #20 Chaim you can sure help

    Isn’t it right that Lunger confers with the board which is holding meetings on this very subject before mouthing off to whoever will listen… Unfortunately, we had to read the LOSHON HARA that Lunger said about hundreds of families in that we do not get along !! Basically, he is causing machlocas within our community because he made himself self appointed Judge over NMB. Chaim maybe you can take out a Sefer and teach Lunger the importance of Ahavas Yisrael, I suggest you better hurry!,
    It should also be the consensus of this special committee to determine whether an article should be written and appoint a spokesperson to do it. Simply put, if he jumps the gun and makes these interviews without consulting the committee he has his chance of STARDOM quite apropos to the old adage “empty vessels make the most noise”! Have you ever wondered why his own Shul’s spokesperson never held an interview with him or prints anything he has to say… So he drags a Lubavitcher website to do his bidding..
    We have the right as a community that he keeps his mouth shut and let the committe handle our affairs

  • to 17

    unfortunately #8 is somewhat right..crime mostly happens in ghetto neighborhoods. i grew up in an extremely affluent area and there were almost NEVER any break ins. the only one or 2 i ever heard about were so rare that they made the news all over. if it’s happening all the time there and people need to carry weapons then it’s probably true. no one is saying they haven’t built a strong Jewish and happy community, but it’s still ghetto. face the facts.

  • meir z

    To #7, chaim wrote: Most lubavitcher’s in NMB carry even on shabbos!!!
    You had the chutzpa not to mention that there is an EIRUV!

  • Why the bashing?

    Why is everyone bashing Yona Lunger?
    He has a heart of gold, helps out the community and individuals in so many ways and sometimes very discreetly!
    Is this Ahavas Yisroel to treat him in such a fashion?

  • Dear People Reading This Blog.

    Hey everyone I think we need to calm down. I’m so sorry that some people got offended that somebody complained about the crime and said that something should be done, but I agree. I actually live here and I think it’s simply because The City of NMB recently laid off a few police officers, we should have woken up when the officers were petitioning to keep their jobs, but we didn’t. Eitherway, I’m sure everything will return to its natural order shortly, but there’s no reason we should just sit and wait.
    NMB is a fantastic neighborhood with ahavas yisroel I’ve never seen in any other community. everything along tenth ave is perfectly safe which is really the main street here. Im a young woman and feel perfectly safe going for a walk at night. the streets are never empty. And its not Lubovitch vs. anyone else, were all Jews, and should act as such.