The importance of Crown Heights was on full display again this year with the annual gathering of celebrities at the succah of Chanina and Orly Sperlin on Tuesday. New York State’s three highest elected Statewide officials were in attendance, led by Governor Kathy Hochul and husband Bill Hochul, and including Comptroller Tom Dinapoli and Attorney General Tish James.
The Governor was introduced by Rabbi Chanina Sperlin, who spoke of her long-standing connection to Crown Heights and who recalled numerous experiences over the years that have continually brought her back to the community. The Governor spoke warmly of the important message of the Succah which highlights the hopes of all people to live in peace with one another.
The Speaker of New York City Council was next to speak, and she spoke of Crown Heights as an example of a community that has come together in friendship as a model for others to emulate. She praised the work of the Crown Heights Jewish Community Council in assisting residents of all racial and ethnic backgrounds and of the hundreds of food packages distributed by the Council every week.
Other officials who addressed the crowd were: Brooklyn Boro President Anthonio Reynoso; newly appointed Consul General of Israel, Tsach Saar; Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzales, who was introduced by CHJCC Chairman Zaki Tamir; NY State Assembly Members Brian Cunningham, Rodneyse Bichotte, and David Weprin; City Council Members Rita Joseph, Chi Osse, Darlene Mealy, and Kalman Yeger; Public Advocate Jumaane Williams; NYC NYPD Chief of Department, Jeffrey Maddrey, and Brooklyn Chiefs Henderson and McKevoy, joined by Inspector Omar Birchwood (77 Precinct) Inspector Joseph Hayward (71 Precinct) and Inspector Tommy Smith.
Other guests in attendance included Yossi and Mica Soffer of COLLive, Ingrid Lewis Martin, Joel Lefkowitz, Menashe Shapiro, and Mo Davis (Mayor’s Office), Jacob Eisdorfer (Brooklyn BP), Josh Kramer (AJC), Chaplain Rabbi Yaakov Goldstein (ret), Michael Cohen (Simon Wiesenthal Center), Pesach Osina (NYCC Speaker), Jake Adler and Eva Weiner (Governor), Rebecca Saidlower and Daniel Rosenthal (UJA), Mark Appel (The Bridge), David Klestchik and Alex Gurevich (Brooklyn DA), Inspector Richard Taylor and Lieutenant Ira Jablonsky (NYPD), Gil Cygler, Pinny Hikind (NYC Comptroller), Akel Williams, Sarana Purcell and Kenesha Traynham-Cooper (District Leaders), Raoul Rothblatt (NYS Asssembly), Tanesha Thompson (NYCCouncil), Jonathan Zalinsky (ADL), Yaacov Flichkin (Alliance for local Cooperation), David and Gabriella Daxsen (Ecuadorian Businessman), and Rabbi Eli Slavin (Office of Congress member Yvette D. Clarke).
And yet there’s hundreds of apartments with of homeless and mentally unstable ppl being dumped in crown heights. And nothing is being done about it by our representatives.
I am so sure that’s what they were discussing there in the sukkah.
Why? You’re not?
Polticis is a social pressure. Thats why this party is important. Stop with your nonsense.
…The Makifim D’bina positively affected the minds and hearts of ALL those present.
When the friediker Rebbe announced that “America is NISHT andersh” he wasn’t referring to the Stalinist practice of weaponizing law enforcement against political opponents….
May God bless the organizers of this beautiful event and he bless COLLIVE with much success for a sweet 5784!
L’Chaim!
LetterofOppositionVitalBrooklynGovHochul.pdf (nyc.gov) – Why not hand deliver the CB 9 Letter to the Governor? When is AG James going to have a Town Hall and tell us whether she will sign off on 681 Clarkson and the homeless shelters ?
http://www.saynotoless.com