By COLlive reporter
Photos: Baruch Ezagui/COLlive
New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer visited Crown Heights Tuesday evening, to meet with Jewish communal, organizational and business leaders from around the city.
The informal sit-down was hosted at the home of Chanina Sperlin, the Inter-Governmental Liaison to the Crown Heights Jewish Community Council.
In attendance were Jewish community leaders and activists from Crown Heights, Boro Park, Williamsburg, Staten Island, and others, who were given the opportunity to raise concerns to the Comptroller.
In his remarks, Comptroller Stringer related that Sperlin is a long-time friend, who is in touch with him any time issues arise in the neighborhood, and that Sperlin constantly works for the well-being of the community.
Rabbi Eli Cohen, Executive Director of the CHJCC, then offered participants the opportunity to ask questions of the Comptroller. Questions ranged from the Comptroller’s support of Israel, to a request for expanded public transportation options in Brooklyn.
Oholei Torah Dean Rabbi Hershel Lustig insisted that Mr. Stringer look into what he can do to assist the Yeshiva schools with the current crisis they are facing, with concerns of the Board of Education imposing new laws and standards on private schools.
“We deserve the right to educate our children the way we know is the correct way,” Rabbi Lustig said. “We need to be able to give our children the traditional Torah Chinuch and values of Judaism.”
Rabbi Lustig invited the Comptroller to visit the school at any time, as a follow up to the discussion.
Many of the participants agreed to follow up with the Comptroller, who promised to look into whatever he could do to alleviate their concerns.
