The Asbury Park Press has an article in this mornings paper, about last nights Lakewood Township Committee meeting. A prayer was said for the speedy recovery of Rabbi Mordechai Moskowitz who was beaten beyond recognition – and nearly to death with a baseball bat – by an African American male.
A variety of township and religious leaders arrived at the meeting Thursday night to offer prayers for the victim and urge the public to remain civil and tolerant amid rumors that the incident was a bias crime. “We don’t have any evidence to support that (it’s a bias crime),” Police Chief Robert Lawson said. “I just want to assure everyone that we’re doing all we can to try to apprehend this individual.”
Still, half of the 16-member Lakewood Community Response Team – formed of leaders from each religious and ethnic sect of the town to quell reactions to potentially explosive incidents such as this – showed up Thursday to speak. The team meets once a month.
James Waters, former head of the NAACP’s local chapter, criticized the team and the town and said. “I would’ve liked to see (the response team) give Jamarr Dickerson the same kind of consideration. When something bad happens to anybody we have to have the same vigilance, the same concerns and the same sympathy, because everybody’s equally important.”
Dickerson was 15 when he had a violent scuffle with an Orthodox man in May 2006. The man, Elchonon Zimmerman, 44, was found not guilty in August of assaulting the black teenager, but not before the situation had created a bitter divide between Orthodox and black residents in town.
Committeeman Charles Cunliffe, however, sees comments on Internet blogs and media sites as doing just that. He asked publications such as the Asbury Park Press not to allow people to post anonymous comments that might inflame the situation.
[Seen in above photo left to right: Committeeman Singer, Mayor Coles, Deputy Mayor Lichtenstein, Committeeman Cunliffe, Committeeman Miller]
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26 Responses
Not a hate crime ??? Geeez. Way to go Lakewood PD. I used to actually stand behind them.
Well Mr. Waters, maybe the same consideration would have been given to Dickerson if he story was credible. It wasn’t and the alleged assailant was cleared of any wrongdoing. However Rabbi Mordechai Moskowitz was beaten beyond recognition – and nearly to death with a baseball bat – by an African American male. Mr. Waters, too many of your compatriots amuse themselves by induging in violent crime. That is a statistical facxt.
I do not see the comparison.
One was a boy held down until the police came, were they arrested the jew.
the othe was a black person battering a jewish man to near death, and running away, lets get rid of people who compare the 2 things!!!
I am afraid that the lpd can only put togheter sketches of criminals but not catching them the last story in lkwd the criminal was catched by a old bridge nj detective not by the lpd
Bchasdei H’ this great Tzadik is alive (doctors said – one more blow and who knows?) – we should focus on being mispalel for him to have a refuah shlaimoh, amking a kiddush h’ here wouldnt hurt either
Did any other victim get beaten beyond recognition, and get serenaded with the word- Goy over and over, each time he struck?
How can anything compare?
I was at the meeting and heard Cunliffe mention not only that the Asbury Park Press should not allow people to post anonymously but the blog sites should not allow this either. To quote Cunliffe “If you want to get up there and spew hate then you better have the nerve to put up there your name, address and phone number so we can all know who you are and where you are so we all know the person who is responsible for that vicious hate”. YW allows this as well which allows people to at times spew forth venom towards different groups, whether towards a group in our community or towards other cultural groups. On the other hand Mayor Coles said that people should simply refrain from reading these posts.
What is Waters problem? The community did the same thig here as they did in the Dickerson case.
IN BOTH CASES THE COMUNITY STOOD BEHIND THE VICTIM!!!!
That the brutal assault on R’Moskowitz by an African American male is being compared by others to the Dickerson incident is unbelievable and frankly disturbing to me. The stark differences between the two scenarios are so significant and clear, I am outraged that any comparison is being drawn here.
You burbled a shameful response to a horrific crime, Mr. James Waters. And let me be clear in case you’re confused. The horrific crime I’m referring to is that which was perpetrated on an innocent man now in critical condition, a man who is virtually unrecognizable to family and friends because he was so severely beaten.
May R’ Moskowitz be blessed with a complete and speedy recovery BE”H.
OPEN LETTER TO MR. CUNLIFFE
Mr. Cunliffe – if you’re reading these “yeshiva” blogs it puts many questions (and perhaps even answers) about your position as committeeman.
#1 – you seem to have much time on your hands to read hundreds of posting from various yeshiva blogs. I find it hard to believe your doing this on your own time, but rather on taxpayer time
#2 – you seem to have an AGENDA, by monitoring what is said on these blogs. Do you monitor the Spanish, Mexican, Latino, African-American, and other blogs too? These people also live in YOUR town (some may even be here illegally – what have you done about that?).
#3 – are you afraid that we know the truth about your felling towards Jews (especially orthodox Jews) and are keeping an eye on these blogs to make sure your true colors don’t appear on the word-wide-web?
#4 – are you concerned that people may comment on nepotism and corruption you try to hide?
#5 – are you concerned that the RECALL CUNLIFFE campaign might reignite, pushing you and your family out of power?
#6 – are you fearing too many Jews are moving into YOUR neighborhood, and suspect you on calling in ‘your people’ to make their lives miserable by ‘fine tooth combing’ them for any possible violation you can pin on them.
Mr. Cunliffe & Co. – SHAPE UP OR SHIP OUT!
Am I missing something here? The secular press is reporting, based on witnesses of the incident, that as the man was beating Rabbi Moscowitz R”L he was screaming “jew, jew”. We are still in question as to this being a bias crime?
May R’ Moskowitz be zocheh to a complete and speedy recovery be”h
I don’t quite get this bias crime approach to crime. If someone beat someone enough to kill him, what difference does it make if he was biased or not? Will he get a stiffer sentence? We cannot take away peoples biases by threatening harsher punishment for bias crime. It will not stop anti Semitism or anti Black, Mexican, Chinese, Arab etc. People who hate will continue to hate. Let’s hope the police everywhere solve heinous crimes everywhere, and that that the criminal justice system really serves proper sentencing for All crimes, biased or not.
If I’m not mistaken, the liason to the Lakewood Police Department is one of “unzere”. This horific hate-crime aside, the attitudes of our local “friendly” police officers really need a big adjustment They need some basic retraining on their mission “to SERVE and PROTECT” not to “LORD OVER and EXACERBATE”!
And to our dear public servant Herr Cunlife: While the Orthodox Jewish Community are not a collection of social misfits with ample time on their hands to “demonstrate” “etc” like some of the other upstanding (in your noble eyes) minority communities in LW, when we get hit with severe social injustices, yes we do take the time to “articulate” our feelings. As a devoted public “servant” I’m sure you can appreciate that.
I just want everyone to know that Rabbi Moskowitz is still in a REALLY REALLY CRITCAL situation and everyone should continue davening for Mordechai Shmuel Ben Miriam!!!!! Thank you!
hey cunliffe – maybe these posts upset you so much is that the truth gets put to the public here. for instance when a certain police office in lakewood lied when she said she never called the dickerson punk sweety and the tapes in court proved her to be a liar – you read it here. hmm what was that cops name again…
As long as we keep voting the same hacks into office and put up with the police departments babble we will get the same treatment from our “leaders”. The name Michael Savage calls the American people, the American Sheeple, very much applies to us as well.
Frankly, I think it is unfair to single out Cunliffe for critisicm. There are 5 commitee members. Cunliffe is one fifth of the group. If things are not being run properly – and they clearly aren’t – then all five should be criticized.
And please don’t say Cunliffe is so powerful that he can stop the other four; because that is simply ridiculous, and if true then the other four should be replaced for not being able to band together and stop one person.
Everyone should be held accountable, including the Frum representatives!
In all fairness the comments that were in the Asbury Park Press were full of sinas yisrael. I would have applauded Cunlife’s comment
Letter I saw written to the media:
Good afternoon. I would like to politely take issue with the fact that most newspaper stories seem to feel the obligation to insert the Dickerson episode into any news article on the horrific beating of Rabbi Moskowitz.
1- First of all there is absolutely no equating the two. One is a scenario of a teenager who was trespassing on private property and was held (albeit, possibly a bit roughly) until the police arrived on the scene. On the other hand you have a totally innocent individual minding his own business who is beaten within an inch of his life. The Hatzalah (Orthodox Jewish Emergency First Aid Squad) paramedic who arrived on the scene was the Rabbi’s nephew and didn’t recognize his uncle because his face was so disfigured.
How does one incident stack up against another?! I don’t think that is called being unbiased, impartial and unprejudiced.
This is total bias and political correctness at work, to sort of justify in a sub consciences way the beating. They are both put on the same footing to sort of say to the masses, “oh we all have our problems.”
That is wrong, dead wrong. We are talking about a good, decent, dedicated, hardworking religious man who was almost murdered! Miraculously he survived. But can you imagine the pain and suffering that he and his family were put through and will continue to be put through along his arduous journey to a complete recovery (hopefully).
Fair and balanced means giving both sides of the story, of which here there is only one side, not bringing in details that have nothing to do with the circumstances at hand.
The media’s responsibility is to report the news not to try to justify it or make comparisons.
2- I think you have the media blowing racial tensions in the township way out of proportions. I live in this town for many years and have never witnessed any serious racial tension. Most people especially those in the Orthodox Jewish community are hard working, family oriented upstanding people who don’t have much free time to get into altercations in the first place.
Most of the Hispanics in town (who are mostly illegal aliens) have converged on Lakewood for the many financial opportunities available for them in orthodox Jewish businesses and homes. So any tension with them is counterproductive.
3- Honest question: If you were walking down a deserted street late at night and saw a group of orthodox Jewish teenagers walking in your direction would you be as frightened as if you saw a group of Hispanic or African American teens?! Let’s be intellectually honest for a minute, all political correctness aside!
How many Orthodox Jewish men are robbing banks, holding up convenience stores, raping women, pushing drugs or killing people for gang initiations?! Let’s check the police blotters.
How many Orthodox Jewish members belong to MS 13, the Bloods, Crips, etc.?
That’s not to say once in a while there is a rotten apple or two, but overall the prisons aren’t bursting from too many orthodox Jewish prisoners.
The media is using such terminology as “town on edge” or “leaders appeal for calm.” Who is on edge? Who isn’t calm? The orthodox community is going to riot? When was the last time that happened? When do you ever see Orthodox Jews rioting? Maybe if there is a huge sale at Macy’s but otherwise, never!
Who is “on edge?” We have real jobs and families to take care of. There is no time to be “on edge.” If I had some time to be “on edge” I would go take a long deserved vacation!
The environs of Orthodox Jewish life are safe, friendly, positive, supporting and productive. We strive to constantly perfect our characteristics and strengthen our relations with others. We have set very high standards for ourselves and our children and we staunchly endeavor to live up to them. Our charitable acts are legendary and the assistance and help we provide for others in all areas of community life is unbelievable.
I’m sorry I am going out on a limb but it’s not fair to throw out the baby with the bath water. We have to call a spade, a spade. We are honorable upstanding citizens and don’t deserve the negative thrashing that we always seem to experience in the mainstream media.
Thank you for your time.
Here’s a question…
In most cities the Mayor is in charge of the local police department. Is this the case in Lakewood?
If it is why are we not appealing to Mayor Lichtenstein to cleap up LPD?
Editors Note: Mayor Lichtenstein? You must mean MAYER Lichtenstein – the previous Mayor of Lakwood and the now “Deputy” Mayor? He is not the Mayor.
We keep forgetting that we are in golus and that it is a Halacha that Eisav sonei l’Yaakov. There really is nothing to expect as far as social (in)justice is concerned. Don’t forget that history repeats itself and in the past there were terrible pogroms and persecutions, and not so long ago was the holocaust. We Jews should not be so complacent here in America and expect equal treatment. We shouldn’t be thinking that we are going to be living here forever and therefore we should not be building huge mansions which make others mekaneh us etc. If you have “it” you don’t have to flaunt “it”, hamavin yovin. We should be grateful that things aren’t worse than they are and we would hope to be treated fairly and get justice. But, if it doesn’t happen, that’s just a reminder to us – that we are in golus.
I have the perfect solution for all of Lakewood’s woes. STOP ENDORSING ALL CANDIDATES !!! Let all the candidates know that they have to knock down crime, taxes, corruption, or they will not last even one election. By endorsing candidates, we are telling them, “help yeshiva with this and this, and we are behind you no matter how bad you mess up”. If the Vaad would follow this message, not only would we all be better off, the yeshiva as well would do much better. Think about it…..
A few points have to be made.
1 – We are on golus. Please act accordingly. We don’t own Lakewood and we should stop acting as if we did. I saw the anti-semitic comments in the Asbury Park press and unfortunately some are true.
2 – YW has a responsibility to remove all comments that cause a chillul hashem and aivah. Your irresponsible management of this site can cause incalculable damage.
3 – If you don’t like the politicians, (and I dont’), let’s vote out of them office but stop talking with a nasty tone that that’s unfit for b’nei torah.
Stam a deya is absolutely right. Lakewood is not the 750 family town it used to be. Let’s stop endorsing candidates and see what happens. Let people actualy take an active interest and decide for themselves who they think will do a good job. You will then have real candidates that will appeal to the PEOPLE and not to ‘special interest’ groups. (You don’t want me to list them, do you?)
ow I get Lpd does not consider beating of an old jewish rabbi a racial crime there used to it !!!!!
the kotzker rebbe was asked to daven for hashem to send moshiach. he responded “dont ask hashem he said, hashem WANTS to send moshiach , ask ourselves for moshiach” . its up to us !!!!! lets all try to make our own little world a better place for others to live in . ask your local rabbi how, i’m sure he’ll give some good advice. if you dont have one , that itself might be a good place to start!!!