The incident that set off the 1991 Crown Heights riots was easy to pinpoint: on Aug. 19, a car driven by a Hasidic Jew hit and killed a young black child. As a private ambulance took the driver away from the scene and emergency responders worked to free the victim and another child pinned under the car, the area’s black and Jewish residents–who had long been tense neighbors–erupted in anger.
As TIME later noted, the result was the worst episode of racial violence in New York City city since 1968, after the death of Martin Luther King.
But as with any cataclysmic event, the underlying causes of the riots were far more complicated than a single moment.
As TIME’s story on the riots explained, the side-by-side life of the two communities in Crown Heights was already tense—and the fighting did little to diffuse the situation:
Behind the violence lay decades of uneasy coexistence between local blacks and members of the Lubavitcher sect, who established their world headquarters there in 1940.
Lubavitcher Rabbi Yehuda Krinsky claims that “Crown Heights is a model community of integration where whites and blacks live in peace together.” But blacks describe a different atmosphere.
“The Hasidim set up an apartheid situation in Crown Heights,” says Dr. Vernal Cave, a black dermatologist who has lived in the area for 36 years. Cave claims that the Lubavitchers have long received preferential treatment from police and city authorities.
In particular, he says, the sect caused resentment in the past by pressuring Jewish shopkeepers in the neighborhood to close their doors on Saturday and by prevailing on police to block off the streets near their synagogues during the Sabbath. Said another local black man: “You’ve got to be blind, deaf and dumb not to know about the problems here with the Hasidim.”
One thing is clear: there is little common ground between the two groups. Nor have leaders from either side reached out to the other in an effort to defuse the situation. Instead, they have engaged in a bitter public debate in which heated rhetoric far outweighs the language of reason and compromise. While blacks like Cave speak of apartheid, Lubavitcher leaders evoke visions of pogroms and Kristallnacht.
Is it genuine or does it have motive behind it?
Good point, but u didn’t have to repeat it twice;-). Jk I’m assuming it was by accident… Which leads to comment 8,but I digress.
We are paying taxes but not using any public school around in our zip code , means we are paying for other kids free education from age 0 till 18 …. We are not using recreation center full time , only few hours a week . We are not double parking next to the schools or synagogues … Our few blocks Kingston ave is on pay meter for Shabbes , and during the week , and before Yom Tov we have tickets for double parking /meter parking on a busy shopping area too …. Most all crime are committed by… Read more »
You are correct….on both accounts. But sadly this kinda stuff happens very often. They paint the picture the way they want people to see it,rather then the true incident
The black community is 90% of CH, how can this be in “us” against them thing? So many media lies in this little price. Shop keeper to close on shabbos…what the heck are they talking about? this is frum community – all the Jews close their shops by choice. And the none Jewish shots, even on Kingston Ave could be open no one could care. I can’t believe this Doctor who’s been here for 36 years carry all this anger…but work off…dishonesty. Sadly, their leadership has not been able to educate and be honest with their community and to what… Read more »
in the first paragraph why don’t they write that it was an accident? P. S. I was hit by a car – yes an accident-driven by a black in C. H. And we Didn’t make any riots!
Let’s see: Rabbi Krinsky says”Crown Heights is a model community of integration where whites and blacks live in peace together.” On the other side the doctor guy says “The Hasidim set up an apartheid situation in Crown Heights,” and “You’ve got to be blind, deaf and dumb not to know about the problems here with the Hasidim.” Yet somehow Time concludes that “they have engaged in a bitter public debate in which heated rhetoric far outweighs the language of reason and compromise.” as if somehow both views are equally divisive etc. There’s your “unbiased” media at work.
The money and brains behind the civil rights movement of the 1960’s was all Jewish. Today, the person behind “Black Lives Matter” is a Liberal communist Jew named George Soros.
What do Jews get in return for standing up for Blacks?
You guessed it: more Anti-Semitism. We got Jesse Jackson, Louis Farrakhan, Al Sharpton, and a pogrom in our backyard. Blacks also happen to be one of the most outspoken Anti-Israel groups.
Yet the Leftist Jews will never learn until they themselves are eaten by th monster they created.
Parents double park at that public school any given time of the day the street can be lined up with ,try calling the police to come and do something they never show up. Many complaints have been made with no results, and if one of us is double parked in you can call and call the police do not care about the Jews in crown heights.
Shallow and not true about the antagonism between the blacks and the Lubavitchers – and especially not now since the riots.
You can see the cup half full or half empty. Silly article.
Let’s see: Rabbi Krinsky says”Crown Heights is a model community of integration where whites and blacks live in peace together.” On the other side the doctor guy says “The Hasidim set up an apartheid situation in Crown Heights,” and “You’ve got to be blind, deaf and dumb not to know about the problems here with the Hasidim.” Yet somehow Time concludes that “they have engaged in a bitter public debate in which heated rhetoric far outweighs the language of reason and compromise.” as if somehow both views are equally divisive etc. There’s your “unbiased” media at work.
“Hassidim receive preferential treatment from the authorities”. I’m not sure if I should laugh or cry at this statement. Police and meter maids in Crown Heights have historically been aggressive towards the Jewish community. The police truck outside 770 is for SHOW purposes only. Meanwhile, drive or walk by any Black church in and around Crown Heights on a Sunday, and you will see cars double parked for an entire block, scott free. The so-called “riots” were a POGROM. It was an attack on JEWS, with Blacks holding up signs that read “Hitler didn’t finish the job”. Al Sharpton should… Read more »
definitely dumb. Whatever you give them its never enough. No matter what you do you are always being racist, and setting up “apartheid situations” and treating them unfairly. Go figure