By Ben Kochman, The Brooklyn Paper
One of Brooklyn Heights’s most-influential Jewish leaders fought back against an anti-Israel rally last Friday by doing what influential rabbis do in such situations: he bought cosmetics.
Rabbi Aaron Raskin of Congregation B’nai Avraham picked up some Ahava products at Ricky’s cosmetics shop on Montague Street just a few days after the store was picketed by protesters claiming that selling the West-Bank-made lotions supported Israel’s “illegal” occupation of the West Bank.
Raskin said he did his shopping simply to “make a stand” against the protesters.
He also e-mailed his 2,000-person congregation urging members to support Ricky’s and Israel by buying Ahava goods, which are made in an Israeli settlement in the West Bank.
“It is inescapable to see [the protest] as anything other than an expression of anti-Semitism,” Raskin said in the e-mail.
On Tuesday, he made his purchases and even blessed the staff of the hipster cosmetic store on the way out.
“Anyone who buys Israeli products, including Ricky’s, will receive many blessings,” he said.
We need to make sure we are not supporting michallelei Shabbos companies no matter what. These aveirahs are holding back the geulah and Yidden should boycott them much less goyim. How can you expect Moshiach if we set no example?
1) When a firm is being boycotted because of anti-Semitism we need to support it no matter what.
2) Ahava products are indeed made in EY. Maybe the phony schlock peddled by the Israelis in the malls as Dead Sea cosmetics are made elsewhere.
I was at the factory store years ago with some visitors from chul and I was shocked to see the store hours included Shabbos. Also the people were not dressed tznius and what is WORST is they had religious pictures, placemats, mugs etc with pictures of yoshke and tzelems! I hope Rabbi Raskin has checked to make sure he is supporting Jews and NOT ISRAELIS parading as Jews because I have some very serious questions about Ahava.
Mazal tov to Rabbi Raskin and Cong B’nei Avraham on the massive growth in the congregation. This year 2000, next year 10,000!!!!!!
did you read the first comment? the person was in the factory!!!!!!!!!!!
That’s not the point. If the products are Israeli enough that people want to boy cot them then they are Israeli enough that you should buy them to make a stand against anti-israel bias.
I think we should all go and take (or make) a stand and buy from this place and any place that gets picketed to show them it’s not worth it.
I looked up the address it’s
Ricky’s NYC
107 Montague Street
718-522-5011
http://www.rickys-nyc.com
…and from what I hear the Ahava products are great!
Not those what know english right are the ones what are changing the world. It is those like me and Rabbi Raskin who are making a stand on the world stage to speak out on the issues of the day, who are making a difference in the world.
So take your qoutation marks around the words “make a stand” and send them to the Dead Sea.
Shliach, ur point is good but ur missing out on something…. ahava products are made in china or somewere like that, u could ask any israeli in the malls or at ur shabbos meals…
are made in the Dead Sea area, I was at the factory. The products are the best! This is just anti-semitism, plain and simple.