By COLlive reporters
Chassidic Jews and African Americans united Friday afternoon as they lined the street of Brooklyn’s Crown Heights neighborhood to greet President Barack Obama.
Police helicopters were swarming the sky and the streets –Empire Boulevard, Kingston Avenue and Eastern Parkway– were blocked off with barricades in what the NYPD is calling a “frozen zone.”
Stores along the route closed early and thousands took to the streets in anticipation for what is the second presidential drive-through in the neighborhood (the first was President Bill Clinton on Eastern Parkway).
Cheers were heard as the motorcade drove up Kingston Avenue. Although the the black Cadillac sped by, there was no doubt that the signs calling for reversing the injustice done to a former kosher meatplant manager has caught Obama’s attention.
The initiative, which began as a suggestion by commentators on COLlive, has grown into a community-wide effort with young and old holding signs calling on the President to either pardon Sholom Mordechai Rubashkin or investigate the case.
“We want justice,” high school girls chanted in support of Rubashkin, a father of ten who was harshly sentenced for 27 years for bank fraud.
The talk of the crowd was a tweet attributed to the White House Twitter handle: “The president is humbled by his warm greeting in Crown Heights. The “Long Live the King” signs were touching!”
Its origin was Chabad comedian Mendy Pellin, formerly of Crown Heights, who joked about the signage often seen in the neighborhood in reference to “Messiah the king.”
King or not, Obama came to deliver a political speech from the Pathways in Technology Early College High School (P-TECH) on Albany Avenue tying education with economic growth (see related article).
yetta and chassidah
I wish i could of be there
That should be organized right away
K.I.S.S.-Keep It Simple Stupid
Signs should have read:
FREE
SHALOM RUBASHKIN
NOW!!!!
I agree, he hates isreal & hates jews, who really cares that he came, if he came 2 willi they wouldnt care @ all.
Nice tweet
SO WHAT!!!!!!!
On the way to P-TECH, a large number of Hasidic Jews held signs and chanted at Obama calling on him to review Rubashkin case
I’ve been told by many non-Lubavitchers that they are not even AWARE of the Rubashkin case!
It is time to put this matter on a higher profile and have it on the front pages of the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Los Angeles Times etc-throughout the entire country, as well as on ALL T.V. news stations throughout the country!
Daily unified protests at the White House
Nationwide letter writing campaigns nation wide to all Congressmen
Not enough action has really been taken to make this something of true interest and concerrn
lets put 1 day for all to go in front of justice department or the white house and go on strike for rubashkin we want justice now. this is America, not Iran, or Iraq or even SYRIA OR AFRICA where is justice???
jewish community has to arrange to put a bus from here to washington DC and bring Media then we will see that as jews we are all 1 family. whole nation will hear our voice. lets do it.
would anyone be convinced he didnt see them? stop being so pessimistic-
im sure he saw!!
I see a Great shliach of the Rebbe. He really has changed Tiannemen square.
there were snipers in the back of one of the cars did anybody see it?
Where’s the video?
YOSSEL GRONER!
lookin good! 🙂
RIKI RIMLER!!!!!!!!!!! I <3 U!!
I think this may have been the first time an event of this nature was held to bring the Rubashkin case to the attention of the higher ups.
Perhaps it can be done again?
It was mentioned on other news sites that WH Pool Reporter Zeke Miller reported on the Rubashkin angle!
He didnt even see the signs the motorcades zoomed by so fast that he didnt get a chance to see them
Go Mendel!!!!
did see the signs
did he comeback yet
thath was gret
Go shloi my your the best!
Great to see you…always the life of the party!!! We moss you here !!!!
Feh! Past Nisht
chaya, your are doing great keep it up !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
WAY TO GO DEVORAH HALBERSTAM!!!!!
As much as we hope that the few signs and maybe a few chants in his directions, in reality i think president Obama barely looked outside and i doubt he saw any of the signs (long live the king as well), and even if he did see this display of protest chances are he didn’t even understand what is the issue at hand
I hate to be the party popper here but as much as we want to believe that the Jewish voice is heard here…. it wasn’t
GO TONIA!!
Go mushkie lipszyc!
there was no doubt that the signs calling for reversing the injustice done to a former kosher meatplant manager has caught Obama’s attention. doubtful, he was probably on hi scell phone or on his laptop trying to sign up for abamacare
Go Mashee Sara Chaya and all my brhs friends!!!
the only people that were there was BRhS!!!
they are absulotaly amazing!!!!
there was better pictures
DEVORAH HALBERSTAM DID IT AGAIN! What an incredible person, Who really does a lot for the community. albeit behind closed doors! Good job Devorah
go brhs
is he driving back thru ch?
You are a funny man!
Such a well deserved honor. You have done so much for us. P.S. You look amazing.
im sure he loved the moshiach is on the way sign. hes heard it before
that joke is so old
if this happend next week, having the streets closed and all
IMHO, that was the funniest (and almost true!!) comment that I’ve EVER seen on this website. Finally met someone with good taste on this website. OK, back to shabbos preparations.
President Obama because ‘Torah’ mandates this and many believe he is doing good things.
However, he is a soured president.
When he was electioneering in Iowa (Postville?) right before or after the Agriprocessors raid he said: “Employers should treat their employees better.”
Attorney Nathan Lewin publicly expressed his pain that a Harvard graduate would declare guilt before a trial.
Anything for votes.
where did u c that?
A Torah scholar or an amazing shliach come to CH…this should be considered more important?
Congresswoman Yvette Clarke
Congressman Jerry Nadler
Congressman Hakeem Jeffries
(The last picture).
FROMT ROW.
where are white students
the 3v muskaters
“White House: The president is humbled by his warm greeting in Crown Heights. The “Long Live the King” signs were touching!”