20 years after racially motivated rioting in Crown Heights took the life of Australian scholar Yankel Rosenbaum, a Westhampton Beach synagogue is holding a panel discussion on the current state of relations between blacks and Jews in Crown Heights.
The riots, which began in August 1991 and lasted for three days, began after seven year old Gavin Cato, the son of Guyanese immigrants, was accidentally struck and killed by a car in a motorcade of the Lubavitcher Rebbe.
An angry mob who felt that responding officers gave preferential treatment to the Jewish driver of the car decided to avenge Cato’s death by taking a Jewish life.
A group of approximately twenty young men surrounded the twenty nine year old Rosenbaum, stabbing him several times and beating him to death.
The event, which is scheduled to take place at 7:30 PM on Sunday at the Hampton Synagogue located at 154 Sunset Avenue in Westhampton Beach, will feature a group of panelists from both the black and Jewish communities.
The panelists will include Rabbi Marc Schneier, founding rabbi of the Synagogue and founder and president of the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding, Rabbi Robert Kaplan, Director of InterGroup/CAUSE-NY of the Jewish Community Relations Council, the Honorable Letitia James, City Council member for Brooklyn’s 35th district, which includes Crown Heights and Reverend Al Sharpton, of the National Action Network.
While the Rosenbaum family has come out strongly in favor of any efforts that will unite the population of Crown Heights, they are outraged at the inclusion of Reverend Sharpton in this event.
“This is an absolute disgrace,” said Norman Rosenbaum, brother of the slain scholar and spokesperson for the family in an exclusive interview this afternoon with VIN News. “It completely disregards the pivotal role that Al Sharpton played in inciting the riots which took my brother’s life.”
Sharpton was said to be an integral part of the Crown Heights riots, leading a rally in front of Lubavitch World Headquarters at 770 Eastern Parkway, chanting inflammatory slogans and making anti Semitic comments in his eulogy for Gavin Cato.
In addition to Rosenbaum’s death, one million dollars of property damage was incurred during the riots and 190 people, including 152 police officers, were injured.
“My criticism isn’t of the forum itself,” said Rosenbaum, “but of the inclusion of Al Sharpton. It ignores the crucial role that Sharpton played during the riots.”
NY Assemblyman Dov Hikind who was extremely involved during the Crown Heights riots expressed his outrage as well and questioned the wisdom of having Al Sharpton included on this panel of speakers.
“It is just a disgrace that Rabbi Schneier would invite this rabble rouser to participate in this event. People may close their eyes and pretend that because Al Sharpton is wearing expensive suits he is a different person but this a guy who poured fuel into the fire and has never been brought to task for his racist behavior and his contributions to this pogrom. He has never apologized, never said a word about the role he played in the Crown Heights riots. Was there no one else for Rabbi Schneier to invite to this panel?”
Inviting Sharpton to take part in the forum appears to be a calculated move on part of Rabbi Schneier but one that is likely to backfire, according to Williamsburg activist Isaac Abraham who has worked tirelessly to obtain justice for Yankel Rosenbaum.
“Rabbi Schneier is playing this forum with Al Sharpton on the panel for the cameras. There can be no resolutions or results with him on the panel.
Rabbi Schneier should reconsider and cancel Sharpton as there are many in the African American community and in its leadership who are fit take part in the panel.”
“Al Sharpton is now trying to change and claim that some of his statements were taken out of context,” said Abraham. “Sharpton can change his suit and he can change his tie but a zebra never changes its stripes. A racist remains a racist.”
Norman Rosenbaum is calling on Rabbi Schneier to not only rescind his invitation to Sharpton, but also to apologize to all victims of the riots for having extended the offer at all.
Sharpton has insisted that many of the comments he has made over the years were misinterpreted, but Abraham finds his efforts to be half hearted at best.
i was there when that be’hema walked up the steps to 770 to “serve papers” the door was locked….
what is wrong with this rabbi?
Sharpton can’t do the job because he is biased and as someone else said, he is DIVISIVE. He has no qualifications that would render him useful here, unless this rabbi is looking to do whats not going to do the job. How can this be taken seriously.
there should be an outcry by all of us against this!!! sharpton was instrumental in organizing ppl who didnt even live in CH to come and riot there – i remember the anti semetic shouts and terror that was spread BY AL SHARPTON…..invite an anti semite to a synogugoe function … horrible?
inviting arafat to the white house
why dont u all invite glen beck to speak. u seem to love him. he will say what ever u pay him to say.
It’s like inviting Osama Bin Ladin to a anti-terrorist convention. brilliant.
Am I the only one that finds it odd that a discussion about the state of Black-Jewish relations will take place in the Hamptons?
as former mayor stinkins said in a radio interview,…no matter what good he ever did in his life, his obit will be about how he let the animals loose for three days in crown heights.
http://www.thehamptonsynagogue.org
find their number and call them and email them, I couldn’t find their number or email.
Wouldn’t that be more balanced to have at least a token representative of the victims.
Oh right… Letita James!
There’s gonna be a lot of Media in CH starting today don’t be shy if you think you have some good talking points go ahead the media doesn’t always have to hear our official people
what the heck?
“Rabbi” March Schneir claims to be a Rabbi? He is a disgrace not only to the Jewish people but to humanity as well.
Inviting the….instigater himself to talk about the riots…! Very Cute and funny!
Why was no one from the Jewish community of crown heights invited to be on this panel. Not very legitimate attempt to really discuss the issues.
It is like inviting Hitler Yimach Shmo to talk about the Holocaust
he needs to be brought up on charges for incitement and if someone was smart they’d sue him and his compadres!
I’m a little confused as to why there are no representatives from the CH area.
Oilom Hofuch…. you can go crazy with what is going on.
We are shocked by things that are happening in long Island but what about here in CH we are constantly apologizing for things we don’t need to apologizing I mean is everything about money politics and kavod if it is so then whom are we to complain about what happens in Long Island
BS:D Are these people clowns or what.Besides the race baiting Sharpton how does one have a meaningful discussion about Crown Heights without even one member of the community invited to speak
Is known as one of the most opportunistic egoistical rabbis on the planet. At least sharpton believes in some cause. This man believes in nothing.
List the names of those participating on the panel of this event and begin a campaign to boycott all involved unless an apology is made and sharpton tossed in shame.
I guess for a few dollars or more press they would invite hitter yms to the panel too.
Boycots help. Negative publicity helps.
It Was Al Sharpton To Actually Walked up the Steps. Trying to gain entry to 770 To Serve the Rebbe With Court Docs ect;;;;;;;;;;