To the YWN staff,
I would like to start off by expressing my appreciation to for your kosher coverage of daily news. It is to my astonishment though that such positive press is being given to Jewish “ParkBusters” and frum elected officials involved in illegally reopening public parks through New York City.
It would be one thing for an overly zealous individual to break the law and destroy public property in an act to champion the cause and plight of the Jewish Community. However, it is quite disturbing to see how our elected officials and representatives are joining him in his acts of vandalism. It is my belief that the purpose of having members of the Jewish Community in government is purely for them to be in a place of influence, thereby being capable of advocating for us in government. What is expected from those individuals is to act on our behalf through respectful dialogue and by means of legislation and good relations. In no way should we be seeing them resorting to destroying public property as a means of getting their point across. In my humble opinion this is a disgrace to the mission that they were entrusted with and a potential danger to the Jewish Community at large.
While I am quite sympathetic to the cause at hand (being that I also have little children who would most definitely benefit from being able to enjoy the parks), nevertheless I don’t believe that these efforts will achieve the desired effect. On the contrary, by deliberately disobeying government orders and through spiting the decisions of local government, all this amounts to is yet another headache and showdown with public officials.
As the “Am Hanivchar” it is incumbent on us to be a “Beacon of light upon the nations”, and to portray ourselves through respectful rhetoric and peaceful interactions. For our very own elected officials to go and make a display like this, it is disgrace to our way and what they were elected to do.
Thanks,
A Concerned Yid
NOTE: The views expressed here are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of YWN.
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31 Responses
Reminds me of those Jews during ww2 who insisted on following the Nazis orders because דינא דמלכותא דינא….
I agree 100%! I would add also that maybe these laws are for our own good, since there would be nothing near social distancing in a playground. Also, everyone is touching the same equipment. However, saying that is like talkinig to the wall, as I hear that in Boro Park, people are acting like Covid-19 doesn’t exist anymore.
100% agree with the sentiment here – also heard one of the politicians on 1010WINS yesterday – really bad. Question was posed “how do two wrongs make a right?” he had no answer. I am sure they have a cheshbon though and this is calculated. Maybe to bring attention to flatbush/BP? to divert from Williamsburg? If you think the politicians were wrong you should post that opinion for them to see.
100% correct! At least someone has some sense
Here we go again all the sensitive people jump out of the woodworks to complain about the people who actually took matters in their own hands.
Unfortunately This is the only way things get done.
When a yid was killed Friday night in Boro Park about 40 years ago, the Rabonim in BP asked everyone shabbos morning to go protest the 66 pct.
many people showed up, and some caused big disturbances to the police station. It was not left intact. GUESS What it helped.
Unfortunately that’s the ONLY language they understand
You should have listened to the interview with the “park buster” himself, Reb Heshy before taking the time to write this long misinformed letter of yours. He very clearly states that the governer himself has opened parks and the mayor has NO authority to close them. HE is the one disobeying government orders. Reb Heshy has the police behind him now.
And considering that 2 parks close by to the one he broke open ARE open, then it certainly was not at all justified to lock it.
While I sympathize with the concept of modifying laws, not breaking them, I fail to share your intensity of disdain for our politicians. The mayor y”sh has resorted to taking actions that are NOT indicated by the true public health situation, though he cites this as his defense. He is anything but transparent. He has spent his tenure in office throwing a few bones to the Jewish community, while he has behaved as a rabid anti-Semite at every opportunity. His hypocrisy extends well beyond the Jewish community, and he has made NYC into an utter disgrace. It is a valid position to show this hateful bully that we will no longer tolerate his shenanigans.
Mr. Mayor did not make a mistake in his two faced positions here, permitting Floyd protests and supporting them while shuttering shuls and schools. He did so on purpose, with full intention to lend his chizuk to rabid crime and destruction while quashing religious activity. If he erred, I might give him a pass. Perfection is not about to be the norm in government. But there was no error here at all. He willfully committed “malpractice”, abusing his power. He needs to be ousted from office, and he doesn’t deserve any form of support from any New Yorker, kal vachomer from anyone in the Jewish community.
Dear A Concerned Yid: Would you kindly cite, by chapter and section, which laws you claim were violated.
Concerned Yid
Thank you for your heartfelt letter. In general I would agree with you. We need to be a beacon in the darkness. Holding up the rules, even though you may disagree, is a corner stone of our chinuch. What does it teach our children if we tell them to follow the rules but disobey when we want. It’s quite a mixed message.
However….. This is a very difficult situation… The frum community is blatantly being signed out. To weld a park door shut for Jewish parks, but not for non Jewish parks is a serious issue.
Should we teach our children to accept rules and authority even if is used to abuse us?
Where do we draw the line? How to we draw the line?
The Mayor is completely blind to our situation. He’s been asked multiple times and straight out doesn’t see the issue or hypocrisy at all!!
We also need to teach our children to stand up for themselves. Maybe Daas Torah should have been consulted first. Maybe it was. I don’t know. But I do believe it’s not as simple and black and white as you make it seem.
One more point. I don’t think it’s fair to say he is destroying property. He is removing, with no damage to property a chain!!
Look at the difference to others who are removing or damaging property. They destroy gates, buildings, and burn.
If anything, this is how the AM Hanichar is so different!
Peaceful vs Violent. What a kiddush Hashem!
Another concerned (for other reasons) Yid
After YWN’s gaslighting and lying to their readership regarding this issue (as though their was some anti-Semitic conspiracy to only shut down “Jewish” parks), I am pleasantly surprised to see that at least they are willing to post a letter criticizing this disgraceful behavior.
THERE ARE NO LAWS IN NEW YORK CITY. THE MAYOR HIMSELF JOINS MASS RIOTERS AND WANTS TO DISBAND THE POLICE.IF IT’S OK FOR THOUSANDS OF ANARCHISTS TO PROTEST WITH THE MAYOR’S BLESSING, HE CAN’T COMPLAIN ABOUT A FEW CHILDREN IN PARKS.
I would agree with you if the politicians would be doing this to actually help people. but as the saying goes: when do you that a politician is lying ? when he opens his mouth’ their goal is to garner as much support as they can, so no musar will help !
What have you been drinking lately?
They are actually restoring law and order against a lawless mayor on NYC!
אמר רבי יוחנן ענוותנותו של רבי זכריה בן אבקולס החריבה את ביתנו ושרפה את היכלנו והגליתנו מארצנו
You obviously don’t have a clue of the real world.
Pity your kids. Unless you have another agenda and you are sorted but have no feelings about others.
Kol hakovod for those that transpire and advocate for others But not those that just sit comfortably and post criticism of hard working individuals.
The posts show them speaking to the park rangers that were over zealous And we’re acting illegally And as commented only picking on parks the Jews use.
So go make yourself and your wife a coffee then go do something aspiring for others and inspire yourself
Lakewood Bubby
It DOESN’T exist in BP anymore.B”H. How’s by you? I hear your Lakewood eineklach were out protesting last night.
I think our “concerned yid”‘s concern is understandable, but he apparently lacks the practical experience of dealing with the authorities, and he lacks “the 5th שלחן ערוך”…
I am a major “we’re in Golus bend over backwards not to fight ” type of person but I support the park busters
It is the only language the government understands and the only chance for getting second hand citizen rights.
The situation reminds me of the parks in Germany when Hitler first took over with the signs “Juden Verboton”
I saw the accusations and the denials on social media about the parks in the non-Jewish neighborhoods being open so I went to check it out myself in two different Brooklyn non-Jewish neighborhoods. One was mostly open. The other was completely open. Playground included.
Much as I am super law abiding citizen De Blasio and co only understand one language: Breaking the law. They themselves encourage breaking the law when it comes to protests or their pet causes.
I still think we should bend over backwards not to break the law or fight. But the physical and mental danger of kids being cooped up with nothing to for so many months leaves no other choice.
Unommim,
Wow. Mike drop!!
I fully agree with the writer of this Op-Ed. The mayor’s respect/disrespect for children is beyond excuse. However, it still is not the YIDDISHE WAY to break into parks.
was Rebbe Akivah killed AL CHILUL HASEM? the DINA DIMALCHUSA DINA of his day forbade public gatherings!
The parks and playgrounds should be open. WE paid for them and WE pay to maintain them. Don’t ever forget that. Why do you think we pay taxes? Does the government work for us or do we work for the government? If the governor said the parks and playgrounds should all be open and here in the City they are locked, then they should be reopened by any means necessary. Having said all that, this all could of and should of been done shtiller heiyt. Not in front of cameras and media which hate us like poison. You come by, cut the locks or chains quietly, and shoin, migayt veiter. No need to raitz un the Mayor. What are you trying to prove? Get a little publicity? Get more listeners to your radio show?
Now my complaint, which has fallen on deaf ears by every politician I’ve called including all those in these videos, WHY IS FLOYD BENNET FIELD CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC??? It’s a 1000 acre National Park, right here in Brooklyn off of Flatbush Avenue, and they claim they need to park some MTA busses there due to their lack of use. Excuse me? A couple of parked busses take up all 1000 acres? Absurd. Who gives the City/MTA the legal right to shut down a massive National Park?!
Another reason these acts of ‘heroism’ bothers me (especially the silly protests by the children for camps!), is that they might say “look, the country is falling apart and so many black lives are being taken (shtusim) and these Jews are raising havoc about camps and parks!”
The closure of the parks is illegal. the mayor does not have dictatorial powers. these public officials have the law on their side, and had every right to reverse the illegal closure.
There’s a time for advocacy, and there’s a time for action.
עת שלום ועת מלחמה,
Nah, that doesn’t mean to fight.
Defend your rights or risk it being taken away! You can’t wait & see. Then it’s too late.
We don’t need politicians who just smile & shake hands when everything is good. You need politicians that will stand up for your community even if causes negative publicity.
Being in galus doesn’t mean you’re not entitled to be a first class citizen!
He very clearly states that the governer himself has opened parks and the mayor has NO authority to close them. HE is the one disobeying government orders. Reb Heshy has the police behind him now.
After Eight, “Reb Heshy” has no idea what he’s talking about and neither do you. The governor has no authority to open anything, it is ENTIRELY up to the mayor.
And considering that 2 parks close by to the one he broke open ARE open,
The issue is not parks, it is playgrounds. ALL parks have always been open. No parks were ever closed. ALL playgrounds are closed, except the ones people have illegally broken into.
I support the breaking-in, in the spirit of ’76, but stop telling lies and pretending false things are true.
However….. This is a very difficult situation… The frum community is blatantly being signed out. To weld a park door shut for Jewish parks, but not for non Jewish parks is a serious issue.
That is not true. ALL parks are open. None has been closed, and no doors have been welded. ALL playgrounds are closed. One had its door temporarily welded, because people kept breaking in and the police were too busy to keep coming back and chasing them out. The same would happen anywhere in the city where such a thing was happening.
I don’t think it’s fair to say he is destroying property. He is removing, with no damage to property a chain!!
He is destroying the lock and damaging the chain.
The parks and playgrounds belong to the city, and the mayor has the authority to order them closed.
And there is no antisemitism; all parks are open, all playgrounds are closed. If you see a playground open you can report it to the city, and they will send police to close it. Though nowadays the police are kind of busy, and don’t appreciate being sent by the mayor to do these kind of errands.
That said, I support the “park-busters” because this is America, dammit, and this is entirely in the spirit of ’76 and the Boston Tea Party. I’m sure “Concerned Yid” would have been a dedicated Loyalist and condemned those Jews who took part in the revolution. He’d have supported R Isaac Touro and condemned R Gershom Seixas. And from the perspective of those times maybe he’d have been right. But ’76 happened and it is our heritage as Americans. Let’s live up to it.
To LAKEWOOD BUBBY: You need to accept the fact that Hatzolah of BP hasn’t transported a coronavirus patient in over a month (according to a recent editorial by Yochanan Donn). The Shuls and men’s Mikvaos have been opened for a while, mostly at full capacity. Incidentally, for those who may have imagined otherwise, a Mikva is not especially higher risk for this, I have been in more than one and have had a hard time seeing how it would spread (it is considered a fact that chlorinated water can’t spread the virus).
Remember that the great mayor DeBlasio himself believes that if you’re “frustrated”, you can break the law. He said so himself more than once to Hamodia reporter Reuvein Borchart. All the more so when it comes to “parkbusting”, which isn’t anything more than civil disobedience (breaking those old rusty chains don’t count, as they aren’t being used for anything else, considering the fact that NYC playgrounds are normally opened 24/7 in defiance of its own rules and neighbors complaining about the noise).
BTW LAKEWOOD BUBBY (if you’re actually from Lakewood), the playgrounds that Heshy Tischler busted open we’re about the size of your backyard, where your grandkids play. Those Williamsburg apartments, where the kids who desperately needed the playgrounds live, are about the size of your kitchen. BE REAL.