By COLlive reporter
The Chosen will be frozen.
Jewish residents of Brooklyn’s Crown Heights neighborhood can forget about shopping for the Shabbos on Friday afternoon, as the main thorough-way is being labeled “Frozen Zone.”
The New York Police Department is using that term to describe the planned closure of Kingston Avenue that will allow the motorcade of President Barack Obama to pass smoothly.
Obama’s helicopter is scheduled to land in Prospect Park a little after 2:30 pm and will continue by car some 20 blocks from there to the Pathways in Technology Early College High School on Albany Avenue.
The motorcade is estimated to cross Kingston between 3:00 PM and 3:30 PM. During that time only pedestrians will be allowed to stand on the sidewalk, but won’t be able to cross the street – from Empire Boulevard to Eastern Parkway.
With no cars allowed on that section of Kingston from midnight October 25, many stores already notified that they plan to close shop early, although Friday typically attracts a large Jewish clientele.
“We’re all very excited about the visit and will expect a quick trip down the route before the event,” Assistant Chief Owen J. Monaghan, commanding officer of NYPD Brooklyn South, said in an interview with COLlive.com.
“We will try to minimize the inconvenience and do everything we can so people can cross,” he said. “I would suggest that any shopping, errands and trips should be done as early as possible and that people walk rather than taking vehicles.”
Chief Monaghan said he was aware of the trouble locals will be experiencing. “I can’t speak for the White House, but I can say that of those factors were discussed. This route was selected because of logistical and security reasons. When the motorcade will be in route, it’s going to be frozen.”
Some residents are planning to use the opportunity to urge the president to pardon or get involved in what many see as the injustice done to Sholom Mordechai Rubashkin, the imprisoned former manager of a kosher meat plant in Iowa.
In the past, the White House declined to comment on a petition calling for an investigation into allegations of prosecutorial and judicial misconduct in the Rubashkin case.
One resident even designed poster for the public to print out themselves (download 11 x 8.5, 11 x 17 or 24 x 36).
“I don’t have info on that,” Chief Monaghan commented about the planned protest, “but certainly people will be allowed to do it, according to constitutional rights.”
It wasn’t clear how the visit will affect the schedule of the subway line 3 and 4 which have a stop on Kingston Avenue and Eastern Parkway. A source in Community Board 9 said it will certainly be closed during the visit.
The visit will also create a challenge for the 850 Jewish students that will be spending the weekend at the annual Chabad on Campus Shabbaton in Crown Heights.
But Rabbi Moshe Chaim Dubrowski, one of the organizers, told the Jewish Week, it’s all good.
“Aside from minor detours in shuttling participants to and from programs on Friday, we expect the president’s visit to only enhance the excitement surrounding the Shabbaton for the participants from around the country,” he said.
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Keep thinking that.
just for that Obama should pardon SM! Im proud of KAN TZIVA!
i think people should lobby in DC.
Please come pick them up.
Sholom is sitting for YEARS already, we can stand for a HALF HOUR OR SO.
Please come pick them up at locations above. Be early, because Obama’s motorcade might pass earlier than we think!
Actually, the last words of the bracha as brought in Shulchan Aruch are “shenosan mikvodo levosor vodom.” I’m not really sure, though, whether you say that on seeing a president, or only a king.
to close the streets for him
we are the chosen people
not vise versa, this is real galus
woow! this makes perfect sense! could you imagine the sit of the president welcoming our rebbe moshiach? momish seconds before moshiach! lets do our last mitzvos in guluse!
thank you for taking initiative by designing and printing such clear beautiful signs. I hope Obama sees it and does something about it.
my feelings about the president coming up kingston seemed to be shared by many, after all, they are closing off the street, he can go up albany and not disrupt as much traffic…it’s hashgacha protis they chose kingston, this is our chance, lets do it!
Please pick up from above locations, take a few to share with others. Please, please, pay attention to any sign of the motorcade (might come a lot earlier) and head out to the street.
Also be sure to catch the motorcade on the way back!
NOW IS A CHANCE TO DO SOMETHING. PLEASE DON’T EXPECT OTHERS TO DO IT.
Please come now and pick up signs!
These are great signs, they just have to be displayed.
Boruch she’nosan mi’kvodo li’briyosav
Caring individuals have prepared excellent big signs of all sizes. Come NOW to the following places to pick up: – The Sushi Spot – 770 downstairs (near big pushka) – Kahn’s inside – Kol Tuv outside – B.R. on Crown St (in lobby) – Empire Kosher —– Instructions: Starting from early afternoon (don’t wait till 2:30 or 3, it may be too late), pay attention to any sign of the motorcade and head out to that street and display your signs. Please pick up a few so that you can hand to your family, friends and to other people on… Read more »
Please spread the word!
– In 770 (near big Pushka)
– In Kahns
– Outside Kol Tuv
– B.R. Crown St.
Everyone talks about “we should”. Now is your chance! Please come to the above locations and take a sign for you and a few more to give out to others.
Starting from early afternoon, pay attention to where to any sign of the motercade and come out and hold up the signs!!
Lets stand together for Rubashkin
the timing & the route was selected for maximum inconvenience! You don’t think Obama & his minions don’t know about Erev Shabbos & Shabbos? He doesn’t give a darn about religion or anything except himself & his Socialist Agenda!
Why not create parallel parking on President as far as possible. Even one side would make many more parking spaces available.
(There is paralled parking already on President btwn. Rochester and Utica Avenues on both sides.)
If there are enough people, maybe we can also have people stand at all the entrances of the park this way if he takes another route we wont miss him.
are bicyclists considered pedestrians and how can we get over kingston avenue after 2pm?
We must take this oppertunity to show hashem thats we care abiut our fellow jew
Actually, he could use troy which is the same distance. And won’t disrupt the hundreds of Jewish people who are preparing for Shabbos, and aren’t invited/interested in his royal visit
While things you hear in the mikvah are probably more reliable than what you read in the New York Times, it’s still not 100% reliable.
Utica is out of the way. He’s going to Albany Avenue. Why would he be afraid of Utica? They probably love him more over there than on Kingston. But to me it seems only right that he should use President Street.
Anyone know if alternate side parking is in effect?
BS”D I heard in the Mikvah he was afraid to go down Utica
I think u might be onto something.
I wonder why they decided that kingston ave. is more secure than, say, utica…..
I understand the police dept may not have a choice over what the president decides.
But wherever the frum ppl’s cars get towed – will they allow them to stay parked there until after shabbos without being ticketed? or is that part of the big plan to get more $ of the the yidden?
Is there anyway we can reach out to other communities to join us. Anyone that knows people in Boro Park, Flatbush, Williamsburg, Queens etc If you know know someone in the other communities please get the word out we need to make a statement.
Please print allot and distribute them to people on kingston ave.
why dont you say something. friday afternoon ch is rushing with shabbos preparations. ! subway suspension & roadblocks
THERE SHOULD NOT BE ANY CHILUL SHABBOS BECAUSE OF THIS
there should be we have the chance get tons of those signs thanks for making it!!
Thank you for posting – I will be printing a few of those signs. With hashems help lets make it happen!