By COLlive reporter
The ‘Shabbos alarm’ which alerts residents of the Crown Heights neighborhood in Brooklyn that it’s candle lighting time each Friday evening, is back in service after being out of order for a month.
The alarm was out after many underground electrical cables failed due to snowstorms in New York City’s second-snowiest winter on record, and heavy use of salt to melt snow and ice on the roads.
This week, new electrical cables have been installed by Con Edison under Kingston Avenue and Montgomery Steet roadways.
The alarm is set by an astronomical timer which runs according the sun’s position through all seasons.
The first signal rings 15 minutes prior to candle lighting and the 2nd signal 2 minutes before candle lighting.
“Crown Heights community members should always remember to check calendars for actual times,” said Rabbi Sholom Ber Goldstein, one of the volunteers who coordinate the Shabbos alarm.
“The Shabbos alarm accuracy is reliant on sensitive highly calibrated digital timers that can malfunction at any time, unpredictable weather conditions such as thunderstorms with lightning can affect alarm operation.”
Thank you Mendel Goldstein for all you have done and continue to do for this community.
# 11’s suggestion – except that’s it’s probably impractical. An air raid siren that everyone in crown heights can hear is a common enough item. getting music to play loud enough for the entire neighborhood takes expensive speakers, sound system etc. But nice try.
nevermind music, can it be the sound of the ice cream truck?? i haven’t heard that thing in a while and starting to miss it
and instead of a air raid siren can it be music? like benny friedman bnei heichala songs?
Sholom Ber is more than a volunteer – he is technical support, timer calibrator, repair technician and morale booster !
Thanks for all you do ! CG
is the AISHES CHAYAL l!!
We owe thanks to Chana Gittel- a true aizer kinegdo for all of Mendel’s chesed work!!
May you both continue to have chassidishe nachas. What a beautiful warm open home – always!!!!
Calendars and newspapers have times that are 1 or 2 minutes earlyer or later
The timer was always set for 15 min prior to candle lighting 1st alarm ,
2nd alarm 2 minutes prior to candle lighting .
A gut Shabbos
It rang 18 minutes before and then 2 minutes before.
did i always have it wrong?? i thought it rang 20 minutes before, and 5 minutes before (or when it was time to light)?? did they change it or do they always ring it a little early as a “just in case”?
i thought it was shabbos on monday b/c i heard them testing the alarm 😛
All the brochos!
Thank you mendel Goldstein
Was it always 15 and 2mins?
Mendel Goldstein spare headed the alarm
From the begining , thanks to shalom bear for
Getting it working again
Mendel Goldstein is a ish ha chesed
He should have hatzalacha and Parnassa bharchava