Site of the proposed Sheepshead Bay mosque
After Brooklyn Tea Party activists failed to get a response from Assemblyman Steven Cymbrowitz regarding the Sheepshead Bay mosque – primarily because it’s not in his district – the group fired off another open letter. This time their target is Assemblywoman Helene Weinstein, who represents the blocks around the proposed mosque site.
Much of the letter’s contents remain the same, though its tone is notably more aggressive. The author, Brooklyn Tea Party President John K. Press, points out the assemblywoman’s absence at the June 12 rally, and tries to head off a presumed response to “deny jurisdiction.”
There are a few new tactics recommended in this latest letter, too. The Tea Party is urging Assemblywoman Weinstein to publicize the “need to know about the foreign funding” so they can assure compliance with the Foreign Agents Registration Act, a 1938 statute that requires persons acting as agents of foreign principals to disclose the relationship. They’re also asking the local pol to put pressure on Community Board 15 (which has no say unless there is a request for variance or special permit), and to seek government relief by pursuing eminent domain on the property.
View the Brooklyn Tea Party’s open letter to Assemblywoman Helene Weinstein
Site of the proposed Sheepshead Bay mosque
Brooklyn Tea Party activists issued an open letter to Assemblyman Steven Cymbrowitz, calling on the Sheepshead Bay politician to create obstacles for the proposed 2812 Voorhies Avenue mosque.
John K. Press, president of the Brooklyn Tea Party, writes:
The Board and Standards and Appeals Chair, Meenakshi Srinivasan, has promised to render, “decisions that respect the character and context of neighborhoods.” A large proportion of the residents on Voorhies are Jewish. Having an organization that preaches hate against Jews move into the neighborhood would greatly disrupt the neighborhood character and quality of life for the current residents.
I implore you to step into this process in any way you can to slow down the permit granting process. This will allow you time to vet the buyer. And, if the concerns about the MAS prove baseless, we recognize that they should be welcomed as good neighbors.
The letter depicted Cymbrowitz’s recent opposition to a proposed 9-story garage and office building near the Sheepshead Bay Road subway station as setting a precedent for his involvement in developments that challenge the community’s character.
But the focus of the letter’s opposition to the Sheepshead Bay mosque revolves around its connection to the Muslim American Society, not development issues, and includes links to the http://www.adl.org/main_Anti_Israel/Muslim_American_Society.htm about anti-semitic themes in MAS.
A staffer from Cymbrowitz’s office said they are mulling over an official response, but nothing has been decided yet. Cymbrowitz’s district ends at Voorhies Avenue and East 23rd Street; the proposed mosque will be in Assemblywoman Helene Weinstein’s district.
“[The Assemblyman is] dedicated to his community, as opposed to what’s happening other places, in terms of focusing his efforts,” the staffer told Sheepshead Bites.
View the full open letter from the BK Tea Party to Cymbrowitz.
Courtesy of UF Digital Collections via Flickr
While opponents of the Voorhies Avenue mosque some fear a quiet conspiracy among Muslims to convert Jews and turn American society into an Islamic Sharia state, there’s a pair of Brighton Beach pastors they may be more concerned about.*
The Hope of Israel Congregation and a separate Baptist church are targeting the area’s 160,000-or-so Russian Jews for conversion to Christianity.
“We saw a great need to plant the church here,” Michael King, pastor of the Baptist congregation, told Brooklyn Eagle. “In all reality, the church should have been established 20 years prior.”
The paper notes that the two churches have handed out 8,000 Russian and Hebrew-language bibles and 20,000 Russian-language tracts as part of their effort to bring Jews to Jesus.
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With the fiscal crisis so deep it’s only eclipsed by the leadership crisis, massive budget cuts are coming down the pipeline. No one, no group, no organization or service will be spared.
Except, that is, for the Orthodox Jewish communities.
State Senator Carl Kruger is calling an $18 million subsidy to a handful of rabbinical schools in the city and suburbs a “must have.” Of course, while it’s more than $18 million in funds that will have to come from libraries and classrooms and housing programs, it’s a “must have” for this unscrupulous greed-ball because the Orthodox are the crux of his political base.
The NY Post writes:
An $18 million tuition subsidy devised by Gov. Paterson as a political gift to the city’s Orthodox Jewish community has emerged as an 11th-hour sticking point in budget talks, The Post has learned.
The unprecedented expansion of the state’s Tuition Assistance Program – derisively dubbed “Rabbi TAP” by frustrated budget negotiators — guarantees grants of up to $5,000 a year to at least 3,660 students at a few dozen rabbinical schools in the city and suburbs.
Paterson slipped the program into his 2010-11 spending plan while he was planning to run for election and desperately courting political support from the Orthodox. The controversy comes at a time when he’s demanding massive cuts to public colleges and universities.
The Assembly is seeking to kill the program, sources said. That has sparked a clash with Senate Finance Chairman Carl Kruger (D-Brooklyn), who calls the subsidy a “must have.”
“Obviously, it’s totally inappropriate to advance a significant new program, when we’re cutting SUNY, when we’re cutting CUNY, when we’re cutting community colleges,” said Assembly Higher Education Chairwoman Deborah Glick (D-Manhattan).
This is a rotten shame; a disgusting play that put the interests of a few donors before the interests of the city and state. Contact State Senator Carl Kruger by e-mail, and tell him you won’t stand to have your needs sacrificed to serve his fundraising friends.
Approximately 5,000 people crowded Nostrand Avenue between Gravesend Neck Road and Avenue V on Sunday, coming together to celebrate Israeli history and culture.
For more than 10 years now, the Kings Bay YM-YWHA has been organizing the event to “present the history, diversity and culture of Israel, and not politics,” said Leonard Petlakh, executive director of the Kings Bay Y.
Around two dozen tables kept the crowd busy with arts and crafts, Israeli jewelry and art, products and information. Inflatable amusements buffered both ends of the event, with a stage in the middle playing Israeli and other tunes for the audience. Borough President Marty Markowitz came, along with other local politicians. The event was not just for Jewish residents – almost every race, religion and ethnicity could be counted among the attendees.
“I think that the community had an incredible time with so many various activities for the children, and such great music performances,” Petlakh said. “Next year, we hope to invite some celebrities or musical performers from Israel.”
View the photo gallery
Last year's Kibbutz petting zoo - Courtesy of Kings Bay Y
And on the seventh day, the G-man ended his work which he had made; and he rested. Because the day after that, it was time to par-tay. Challaaah!
That’s how we did it back in Hebrew school. Judaica O.G., yo.
Anyway, enough of that silliness. The Kings Bay YM-YWHA is throwing their annual Israel Celebration this Sunday, June 13, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The group is inviting everyone from the community to eat, dance, rejoice and boogie down for free.
They’re featuring Israeli music and dance, children’s rides, arts and crafts tables, an “Israeli marketplace,” a kibbutz petting zoo, and more.
The celebration is going on in front of their building at 3495 Nostrand Avenue, and the entire Avenue will be closed between Avenue U and Avenue V. Elected officials and community leaders are scheduled to attend the event.
And then after the party, we shall look back at all that we’ve done, and we shall see that it was good. Real good.
View the Kings Bay Y’s flier.
Students from PS 195 wrote letters to Anne Frank, promising never to forget the Holocaust
More than 300 people – mainly schoolchildren – came to Manhattan Beach this past Sunday to remember the Holocaust on Yom Hashoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, at a ceremony honoring the winners of a Holocaust Essay, Poetry, Performance and Art Contest.
The contest, now in its ninth year, is organized by Assemblyman Steven Cymbrowitz and includes more than 600 schoolchildren from 15 public and private schools. Joined by Holocaust survivors, speakers from the Jewish community, and elected officials, students spent the ceremony learning about the deep suffering of one of history’s darkest chapters, and the importance of educating future generations about tolerance.
“This part of history is something that people are still amazed occurred,” Cymbrowitz told Sheepshead Bites. “It’s important that we continue to never forget the horrors that people survived.”
Continue reading about the event and view a photo gallery of artwork and performances
Here is the text from the flyer:
A musical salute to Molly Picon: Star and legend of the Yiddish theater.
Sunday, April 11, 2010 from 2-4 p.m.
Downstairs in the social hall
Be entertained by the life story of the First Lady of the Yiddish stage. Dr. Diane Cypkin, who holds a lengthy list of credentials in Yiddish and English musical productions will be accompanied on the piano by Lena Panfilova.
The program will include many songs written and sung by Molly Picon. The concert, a collection of beautiful and memorable music, is a tribute to a legend.
Donation: $10 per person in advance, $15 per person at the door
Make checks payable to: Sisterhood Temple Beth El of Manhattan Beach and send the reservation with listed name(s) in the enclosed self addressed envelope.
Sisterhood of Temple Beth El of Manhattan Beach
111 West End Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11235-4898
Tel: 718.891.3500 – Fax: 718.891.6659
A Catholic neighbor sent over the following letter that he received from State Senator Carl Kruger. The neighbor wrote:
kruger sent me a letter for Easter, praising Jesus
I found it an odd use of government money
We couldn’t agree more. And the letter didn’t exactly lay it on easy, either. Here’s an excerpt:
The sacred holiday of Easter commemorates the resurrection of Jesus Christ … The life and teachings of Jesus continue to speak to every generation, providing hope for the future and the promise of new life. He taught the importance of helping others and serving our communities. His selfless devotion and mercy provide a remarkable example for all of us. His lesson is timeless and reminds us that even in the face of struggle, hope endures.
So, it begs the question: why is a Jewish politician, in a largely Jewish district, funded primarily by Jewish interests, using taxpayer money to talk up the J-man?
View the full letter after the jump
Jewish Center Nachlath Zion in Sheepshead Bay (courtesy of the Shul)
Justice has finally been served to a man who broke into an Orthodox Shul in Sheepshead Bay and a Park Slope church in 2007.
Latif Rahim, 51, was convicted last Tuesday of burglarizing the two houses of worship and now faces up to 14 years for the crime.
Prosecutors say Rahim is responsible for the break-in at the Jewish Center Nachlath Zion at 2201 East 23rd Street in June 2007, and a month later burglarized the Park Slope United Methodist Church. Both institutions were damaged in the process.
Rahim’s DNA was used to match him to blood left at the synagogue and an apple juice bottle he sipped on as he robbed the place.
The defendant is already serving two to four years for the July 2007 burglary of the Church of Gethsemane in Park Slope. At the time, Rahim was on bail awaiting sentencing for raping his son’s girlfriend.
[via NY Post]
