Crown Heights, We Still Can Do Better

Public letter to Crown Heights residents:

I would like to begin by thanking everyone and saying that over the last 2 weeks, at least in my opinion, our Crown Heights community has been doing very good at social distancing, self-isolating and staying in quarantine, compared to the rest of New York City we have been doing much better than almost every other neighborhood.

With this being said, just because we are doing good, does not mean we can’t do even better. Unfortunately, a few Crown Heights residents have passed away this week due to Covid-19/Coronavirus. There are dozens of Crown Heights residents admitted to the hospital this week. Many in extremely critical condition in the ICU on ventilators and hundreds are at home feeling very sick in bed and not doing so well.

We all understand the danger of the virus and how and when in close proximity to anyone it can be spread even outside. We also understand the extreme danger it is to people that have it especially anyone over the age of 60, Or anyone any age that has an existing health condition.

Yes although most of Crown Heights is staying home, but there are still a lot of people that are not staying home. Let’s put this into 3 categories:

1. People that have some something urgent they need to take care of.
2. People that do Not have something urgent they need to take care of.
3. Stuff that seem Urgent but really can be taken care of from at Home without going outside.

For the people that do have something urgent they have to take care of, by all means, go outside take care of whatever you have to do but please be extra careful at social distancing from anyone outside, even close friends or relatives.

For the people that do not have something urgent they need to take care of, it’s just something convenient that they would like to take care of, or like to purchase, or like to pickup, it is very self-understood please stay inside, for your health as well as for the health of everyone else that you may interact with.

For the people that do not have something urgent they need to take care of, this as well applies for all kids 18 or under, unless there is something of extreme urgency, anyone under 18 years old should not really be outside. Adults, if they have Covid-19, will usually know that they have it by not feeling good. Children, in most cases, will not feel sick at all, they can have Covid-19 feel great and spread it to all their friends, which their friends will bring it home and spread it even more.

For this reason, most stores do not even allow anyone 16 or younger to enter their store now.

Yes, we can not lock our children at home for over a month. Medical professionals in Crown Heights recommended you can take your children every day outside for a few minutes, get some fresh air, maybe walk around the block, obviously while fully keeping social distancing from anyone that is not in your household, but that’s about it.

There is NO excuse why children should be going up and down Kingston Avenue all day, playing with their friends, being seen around town and going to friend’s homes. This itself is the single most dangerous thing that spreads Covid-19 because they don’t and can’t even know that they have it.

This week, our community did very well by limiting interactions by children (that are not in the same household), and our community deserves a very big thank you. The parents deserve a thank you, and the kids deserve a thank you, but we can still do much better. There were still kids on Kingston all week (many possibly going to friends or relative’s homes to play). Let us try doing better this coming week at keeping all the children at home and to interact only with people in their own household. This includes not sending kids on errands as we have done during normal days.

For the errands needed, there are delivery options, curbside pickup. If you are working, try to do it home. It would say that ‘staying at home’ also means no visitors, no cleaning help or babysitters.

As recommended by all doctors, try to relax, and everything will all be ok with Hashem’s help. Don’t overstress about this situation. Spend quality time with family. Say Tehillim.

Thank You Crown Heights for Together being amazing to each other from a distance these past 2 weeks. Thank you to the doctors and Hatzolah members. Thank you to all the different Chessed organizations beautifully helping everyone with everything they need. Thank you to all the schools and teachers are keep educating our children – virtually. Thank you for celebrating from a safe distance all the beautiful weddings driving around Crown Heights and being Misameyach the newlyweds.

Let us try together to flatten the curve and minimize new infection cases of Covid-19 as much as possible in Crown Heights. Wishing a Refuah Shleimah with a full and speedy recovery to everyone that needs to recover.

May this Achdus, Unity, Ahavas Yisroel and Love for one another throughout Klal Yisroel, by not interacting directly in person with each other, but still with everyone together helping each other in every possible way we can help, be the final Mitzvah which will bring the coming of Moshiach Today.

Good Shabbos!
Moshiach Now!
A Proud Crown Heightser!