By COLlive reporter
The Land Use Committee meeting of Community Board 9 in Crown Heights came to an abrupt halt last night, with no business conducted. A video obtained by COLlive.com shows a long-time Community Board member, Rabbi Yaacov Behrman, a Chasidic Jew, attempting to speak before being harassed by Alicia Boyd, a local community member.
Boyd shouted over Behrman’s comments, whistled in his face, and prevented him from addressing the government body. Boyd questioned his right to be on the committee, shouting, “You do not represent the black community. We need to have black representation on this committee.”
Behrman, a lifelong resident of Crown Heights, community leader, and one of the Community Board 9’s most senior members, has chaired multiple committees and served on the board since 2015, with years of experience on the Land Use Committee.
Speaking to COLlive, Behrman expressed his frustration:
“This was beyond disrespectful. Her whistling in my face and questioning my right to be on the committee is antisemitic. She is clearly unhappy about the presence of Jews on the community board,” Behrman said.
This isn’t the first antisemitic controversy involving Boyd. In 2019, an email she sent criticizing district developments included a blue Star of David next to the names of real estate corporations allegedly owned by Jews. The email was widely condemned as antisemitic.
Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso said: “Brooklyn’s community boards should be safe spaces for open and productive dialogue, but the behavior we saw last night at Community Board 9’s meeting flies in the face of that. I’m deeply disappointed in the bullying and harassment of community board members that took place. Rabbi Behrman is a longstanding member of the community whose voice deserves to be heard, as does the voice of every community board member and neighbor no matter their identity or background.”
VIDEO
Any sanctions against her?
Honestly he handled himself like a champ. Cool calm collected and nice little zinger
Good job
And she should be disqualified from serving on the board.
Clearly she is not well in her mind, sad and I have had utmost respect for that community, not so much anymore, if they want to end racism maybe don’t be racist or anti semitic to others.
Please stop excusing & downplaying antisemitism by blaming mental health issues. There’s no reason at all to assume she’s “not well”, rather than she’s just a straight-up antisemite.
Antisemitism is unfortunately all too common in that community.
Since as far back as i can remember ,many of them but not all have been antisemitic and racist to us jews!
why wasnt she removed?
why didn’t anyone stand up for you?
I read that the above person is friends with Ms. Boyd
Ingrid Lewis Martin is most definitely not a personal friend of Ms Boyd. Ingrid Lewis Martin is Mayor Eric Adam’s assistant and rumored to be the one who ran his Brooklyn BP office, back in the day, and probably still does today. Ms Martin is therefore more of an executive to an elected official. Ingrid Martin showed up with Mayor Eric Adams for the pro-Israel rally on Eastern Pkwy after Oct 7, and I recall her speaking. ( I do not know Ingrid Martin personally) Ms Boyd wanted to shut down the CB 9 Land Use/ULURP Committee Meeting because there… Read more »
Why wasn’t she escorted out by the police?
We must have more Lubavitchers at these meetings!! How can we be notified of meetings so we can show up and support
Including our black Chabad community members!
and why noone around her saying anything??? defending him??? almost equally concerning…
that is very wrong
Can she be voted off the committee
She can easily be removed by the Brooklyn BP, someone should bring this to his attention, he just got involved on the President street naming, maybe he can get involved on removing this anti semite & replacing her with a Lubavitcher
The majority of the people on board and the large community she represents side with her views,In fact she represents their views!
Ms. Boyd is not an official Board Member but has been attending these meetings for years. She has always been on the controversial side of things and gives ANYONE a hassle who challenges her. but unless she breaks the law, she is allowed to attend and given her time to voice her opinions. Board members do not necessarily side with her and are often annoyed, but they give her the opportunity to speak and then move on. Most if not all other Members are courteous and get along quite well with any Jewish community members who attend. It works best… Read more »
Interesting to see some people still make excuses for jew haters.
And why is no one there saying anything?? She needs to be disqualified!
Kudos to Rabbi Behrman for standing up to this anti-Semite, but genuinely asking, all the homeless shelters, bike lanes, additional city buses, citi bikes all got approved anyways from this community board, is there a benefit for Jews to be on the board? Was any homeless shelters stopped because of opposition of board members?
The community boards have very little power. And the homeless shelters are not from CB9 anyways, they are in a dif district.
All the homeless shelters & supportive housing are on the north side of Clarkson which is CB 9. Although community boards are advisory only, there was a lot of pushback to Opposing Vital Brooklyn, and a lot of silence on Vital Brooklyn, which speaks volumes as to who certain community members are really working for
Yaacov Yudewitz
The woman in the back was clapping for her! Just disgusting!
Mrs. Ingrid Martin should not be mixed with this issue, she is a very respectable lady involved in very good initiatives.
However, the case should be clarified, and reprimand should be addressed asap by the whole Board #9.
Bessuros tovos,
What does that yellow poster say?
A large african american majority in the community agree with her so she won’t be fired but prove me wrong.
Why didn’t you speak up?
Possibly the most sick part of this video is the lack of reaction, and even worse, the clapping woman in the background. Sick.
Can anyone identify the clapper?
That is the most unprofessional, dysfunctional board I have ever seen.
Disgusting. I would like to be able to attend some of these meetings myself.
What the ..?
I live out of town and I come into Crown Heights many times.I have noticed over the last 20 years, the hatred of blacks towards whites in Crown Heights has increased. This has not always been because of anti-semitism. It started off as pure hatred towards any white. It’s really weird, but every time I go into Crown Heights, if I ask a black person directions, I can be assured that I will get lost. It’s almost like they’re trained to deceive you. I thought it was in my mind, but it happens every time. They just have an excuse… Read more »
It probably just is the same reason you got lost, which is that you are bad with directions. I recommend Google maps or waze. This doesn’t mean that there aren’t training sessions going on, on how to get Jews lost who ask for directions
As a matter of fact, I am heading to one now if anyone would like to join.
Yaacov Yudewitz
This is wrong , but She is frustrated with all the Jews in CH not coming out against the new massive homeless / migrant / mentally challenged massive developments.
This is totally unacceptable, and must be refered to HIgher ups!!! This type of behaviour cannot be excused.. If shes mentally ill, then get her off the council!!!
We cannot tolerate such open hatred, and must tear it out at its root.. call Eichensteins office in flatbush… He gets things done!!!
Shocking that no one else intervened. It appeared some people were even clapping for her.
thank u for going to these meetings and standing up for our community! others should learn from you! may hashem bless you!
Antisemitism at it’s finest and she should be thrown out of that room.
He should report her to the police for hate-crime harassment.
She was racist, rude and unprofessional. Imagine if someone told a black person that they do not represent the white community.
How can this be !?!?
Mental illness is a real thing.
years if not decades. it is wide spread, almost the norm it seems.
Meanwhile we have many Black Jews…
We are not a race or skin color DNA test.
Insane new world.
Many Blacks embarrassed by this incident.
He handled it very well.
תודה רבה שלום
This demonstrates the importance of showing up to these meetings. As CH constituents we have every right to be there too. The officials who represent us on the city, state level almost always send a representative from their office and some are known to come personally. It’s a good way to engage with them. She wasn’t even being logical as most the of community board members are indeed people of color.
This is against everything that Civil Rights in America represents …. She should be ashamed , but more importantly the others in the room should be shamefully reprimanded for allowing this and even promoting this kind of approach . When a minority is singled out , not because of virtue of being different by choice, but rather by his identity , it is promoting racism + hate , and not helping in hindering it . Quite easy to see that in this case . Her actions are extremely anti semitic , and xenophobic to an extent which should not exist… Read more »