By COLlive reporter
New York City Council Majority Leader Laurie Cumbo hosted a short tour of Crown Heights in collaboration with Speaker Corey Johnson and Council Member Chaim Deutsch, Chair of the Jewish Caucus.
The group met up on Tuesday, January 29, for a quick glimpse into Chabad Lubavitch Headquarters – 770 Eastern Parkway, where they observed the prayers and study in the main synagogue.
They then crossed the street to the Jewish Children’s Museum, enjoying a brief overview and tour through the exhibits led by Mrs. Devorah Halberstam, the Museum’s Director of External Affairs.
The group continued to have lunch and a discussion at the home of Chanina Sperlin, Executive Vice President for Governmental Affairs at the Crown Heights Jewish Community Council (CHJCC).
“The beauty of this gathering is that it reflects all of our hard work as elected officials, community leaders and not for profits who have worked tirelessly providing collaborative vital services for all community members,” Cumbo commented.
Participants included Council member Mathieu Eugene, Richard Green from Crown Heights Youth Collective, Eli Cohen of the CHJCC, Amy Ellenbogen of Neighbors in Action, Reverend Cecil Henry from the 77th Precinct Clergy Council, Pat Baker – new Chair of Community Board 9, Val Henry and Reverend Clarence Norman of the Crown Heights Local Development Corp, Democratic District Leaders Geoffrey Davis, and Shirley Patterson and Community Council Presidents, Karl Cohen from the 71st Precinct and James Cauldwell from the 77th Precinct.
In the discussion, both elected officials and community activists discussed the recent rise in crime and hate crimes which have been widespread prominently in Crown Heights.
The council, they reported, recently introduced a bill to create an office for the prevention of hate crimes which will coordinate responses and outreach amongst city agencies, specifically NYPD and the city’s Commission on Human Rights.
They said the office will work with nonprofit institutions and neighborhood leaders and make recommendations on existing safety plans and improvements. The office would also report on the identification of vulnerable areas and resources for victims.
The prevalence of hate crimes rose nationally 17% between 2016 and 2017, the third year in a row there has been such an increase.
“While the NYPD has a dedicated Hate Crimes Task Force, there is no formal relationship between their investigations and other city agencies, community groups, and advocacy organizations,” Cumbo said.
“Hate crimes are a reminder that our work battling anti-Semitism is never done and our thankfully our elected officials are taking this seriously and doing what they do best, creating legislation to address this issue head-on,” she added.
They also noted that the Council voted unanimously to recognize International Holocaust Remembrance Day in New York City, and to observe a citywide week of Holocaust Education.
“We know there’s a tremendous amount of work to do,” Speaker Johnson said. “That’s why it’s not just an office, but focusing on education and going out into schools to combat hate.”
Cumbo said it will “provide for the opportunity to educate NYC public school children of all denominations about the dangers of hate and prejudice and how not keeping hate crimes in check can lead to devastating consequences as well all know too well.”
The discussion also referred to the connection among local communities, housing, addressing poverty in both black and Jewish communities and support for Holocaust survivors.
Sperlin thanked all participants for their ongoing work and efforts. He called Johnson a true friend, to which Johnson responded, “We’re mishpacha.”
UPDATE: Speaker Corey Johnson told COLlive.com on Thursday concerning the recent anti-Semitic attacks in Crown Heights: “I was in Crown Heights Tuesday discussing the rise of crimes against the Jewish community. To see this happen the next day is heartbreaking. What I said to the Jewish Community gathered at 770 Eastern Parkway still stands – Hate does not belong in New York City.”
.A human being has the power to influence all the people around him, even the entire country where he lives, and even the whole world. He can have an influence on everything that maintains the world as a livable place (the opposite of “chaos and emptiness”), and the way to accomplish this is by teaching people to act with justice and fairness. In a general sense this means that people should fulfill the 7 commandments of the sons of Noah (with all their details and ramifications), and first and foremost to believe in G-d, Who is the Creator and ruler… Read more »
Yes it is time to call em in. After seeing the last two mugging and the footage from that push that could have broken the old man’s neck it is time to get them on the scene before someone…R”L. That was so aggressive a beat down on an old man it was Hitleresque.
1) Have the City Council appropriate funds for Shomrim and Shmira to expand and work 24/7. 2) Increase the size of the local precinct who walk the streets / drive in cars 3) increase funding for surveillance cameras 4) Educate voters on how the Jewish community can be the swing vote in democratic elections 5) EMBARASS MAYOR DIBLASIO, Councilwoman CUMBO, and BP ERIC ADAMS who are not funding enough increased police patrols and surveillance cameras in CH by asking DONALD TRUMP TO bring in the NATIONAL GUARD since this is a FEDERAL CIVIL RIGHTS ISSUE 6) Electronic newspapers should stop… Read more »
Thank you Speaker Corey Johnson, Majority Leader Laurie Cumbo and Council Members Eugene and Samuels for all you do for Crown Heights. We appreciate you and look forward to your continued interested and investment in our community
To get the black leadership to eat fruits in Chanina Sperlin’s fancy house is not going to prevent black thugs from attacing innocent Jews on the streets of Crown Hights. Many black elected officials had the opportunity to sit in round table discussions with Sperlin and Cohen, and time and time again absolutely no action is actually carried out to improve the safety conditions for the Jewish residents of Crown Hights. Jews in our district constitute over 10,000 eligible votes. That means we basically have the power to sway every single local election in our favor. There’s only one problem,… Read more »
Anyone who thinks that they can effectively “legislate” crime and hate out of society, are deluding themselves and merely prolonging the inevitable. This will only further fule the narrative that the Jews are weak and unable to stand up for themselves, and make them even more prone to attacks and the like. It’s amazing how true the adage; “There are none so blind, as those who will not see” (John Heywood) holds sway over here. Every one of the individuals who participated in this “photo opp” refuse to acknowledge the 900 pound “gorilla”, sitting in the center of the room,… Read more »
Jewish blood is not for sale . Where is the JDL? Dov where are you? Hikind bring in or form a JDL group to patrol Crown Heights . Jewish blood is not for sale
The Rebbe has a simple solution. All the local public schools should have a moment of silence.
Exactly what we need more photo ops
This is great. Now the askanim have even better pictures with the politicians. I feel safer already…
It’s obvious from the number of attendees that the community has no faith in politicians or real estate askanim.
Pictures, pictures. So many pictures. I’m sure the victims of anti semitic crimes in crown heights, feel so much better now.
Nice photo op. That’s about it.
Enough with these stupid pictures of a these politicians Smiling and tapping each other on the back while a yid is in big pain and who knows when his life will be back to normal
Let make it clear to the cops if they don’t protect us the innocent we will rotorcraft our selfs and when they wake up it will be to ate
So this group of misfits tours a museum and has a party in response to Jews being beaten in the streets? Cause that is exactly what this comes down to. The multitude of smiling faces is a clear indication of how significant the concern for current affairs in CH is by these clowns. Another photo-op, another party, another false promise, and more Jewish blood on the streets. But hey, hopefully a local caterer made a couple bucks on this one. As a community we need to realize that these are not our friends. They care more about recognition in the… Read more »
A photo op!!!
Now, please deliver!
Hate crimes, muggings and thefts have become too common.
What will the politicians do for US?
Too bad chaim doesn’t know INTERNAL CH politics too be misled.
we only care about the results. plans are meaningless.
Every time there’s an attack, the SAME elected officials come with the SAME message, of “support” “evils of anti semitism” and talk about “safety”,everyone smiles, feels good and goes home…….till the next attack. The reason why it never helps, is because they never address the REAL problem, which is,that the attacks are ALWAYS carried out by black men, who are motivated by the unchecked hatred of Jews that is rampant in the black community. Until these politicians and are community leaders publicly point that out and work to address that problem SPECIFICALLY, this is going to happen over and over… Read more »
Everyone is smiling again for pictures
Hurray we solved the hate !!! Cohen Halberstam , Sperlin , Slavic , all smiling ear to ear !!!
Wow! They have great photographers!
If it wasn’t so sad, it would be funny!
And a beautiful photo op
And guess what did anything change afterwards?
Who will be the ones still to suffer?
It’s time that we should all wake up and do something ourselves and not rely on these beautiful buffet gatherings. #mythoughts
Another photo op…