By COLlive reporter
Photos: Shimi Kutner/COLlive
Federal, State and City officials joined Crown Heights residents and community leaders in the Sukkah of Chanina and Orly Sperlin in celebration of Sukkos.
Later, some of the guests joined the dancing at Simchas Beis Hashoeiva on Kingston Avenue and greeted residents from the stage.
The guest list of elected officials included NY State Comptroller Tom Dinapoli, State Assemblyman Walter Mosley, Public Advocate Letitia James, NYC Comptroller Scott Stringer, Council Member Mathieu Eugene and Congresswoman Yvette Clarke.
Representatives of the Mayor, State Senator Hamilton and State Assembly Member Richardson were also present.
Speakers included event host Rabbi Chanina Sperlin, Chairman of the CHJCC Zaki Tamir, NYPD Chief of Community Affairs Joanne Jaffe, NYPD Community Liaison and Director of External Affairs at the Jewish Children’s Museum Devorah Halberstam, Head of Port Authority Police accompanied by Chaplain Rabbi Mendy Carlebach, Rabbi Levi Matusof from the European Union in Brussels, and Rabbi Eli Cohen.
In their comments, the elected officials mentioned the way in which Crown Heights represents harmony between all the nations and the special feeling of joy and optimism that one gets from participating in the holiday of Sukkos.
After the gathering in the Sukkah, Chief Jaffe and Public Advocate James went on to visit the dancing on Kingston Avenue where Rabbi Yisrael Shemtov thanked the Chief and all community affairs officers, as well as the 71st Precinct and its commander Inspector Norman Grandstaff for the wonderful way in which they protected the participants in all the Yom Tov festivities.
Her guests were walking and got attacked. Seems like they were not walking alone, or there were at least 2 attacks? Anyway, yes we must be grateful for the street closures, but with all the cops stopping, how come they never see the attacks happen? Why do they downplay the attacks (eg kid who used good self defense training to protect his head when he was attacked by a game, and cops tried to say it want an assault because he wasn’t badly hurt?!?) Yes we give thanks when good is done for us, but we can and must still… Read more »
Our thoughts and prayers go out to you and your guest.
HOWEVER, how can we be so ungrateful???
There are HUNDREDS of Police Officers in Crown Heights 24/7.
Streets around 770 closed off to accommodate OUR community…..
Incidents like this happen (and every one of these attacks is an attack on all of us).
We must have “Siyato D’shmayo” and walk in pairs!!
And to the Public Officials we say thank you very much for your services.
We also thank Reb Chanina for his constent advocacy for CH.
בשורות טובות וחג שמח
What do we get out of this? Any more protection? My guest were walking home and got attacked
By asking LESS questions & DOING more good.!!!!.!!!!
First evening: Enter, my Roman Catholic friend(s)…. Second evening: Enter, my Protestant friend(s)…. Third evening: Enter, my Moslem friend(s)…. Fourth evening: Enter my Hindu friend(s)… Fifth evening: Enter my Buddhist friend(s)…. Sixth evening: Enter my secular friend(s)…. Seventh evening: Enter my Progressive Jewish friends…. Each evening: Enter and share my meal. May the day soon come when we all live together in a world free from suffering and pain, free from being judgmental, free from religious extremist, a world in which acceptance, justice and compassion reign, a world in which all people openly love each other and realize that what… Read more »
Looks like a jolly good old time was had by all! A kiddush Lubavitch.
a kiddush H’ and a Kiddush Lubavitch.To # 1: H” created each of us with his mission and you are in his VIP list for sure.
How does one signed up to be on the VIP list