VIN News and COLlive
Coming under pressure from the Jewish community, Rabbi Marc Schneier canceled the event “The State of Black-Jewish Relations: Twenty Years After Crown Heights” that was to be held this coming Sunday at the The Hampton Synagogue.
“This afternoon, I received a letter from Rev. Al Sharpton informing me that, in deference to the request of the Rosenbaum family, he will not be participating in Sunday’s scheduled forum on Black-Jewish relations,” Schneier wrote in a statement.
“As this event would now cause more pain and division rather than healing and reconciliation, Rev. Sharpton has asked that it be rescheduled so as not to coincide with the anniversary of Crown Heights.”
“I regret that this very important discussion will not take place this weekend. Dialogue is especially necessary on matters of profound disagreement, and I will continue to dedicate my time, energy and resources to the strengthening of relations between the African-American and Jewish communities.”
No representative from the Jewish community in Crown Heights was invited to sit on the forum’s panel.
Community activist Isaac Abraham, a spokesman for the Rosenbaum family who had a son killed during the riots, was relived by the cancellation.
But he told VIN News: “Rather then using this opportunity to apologize to the Jewish Community on the statements he made, Sharpton chickens out, what a shame.”
To this day, Sharpton has not accepted responsibility for his role during the riots which include inflammatory statements like, “If the Jews want to get it on, tell them to pin their yarmulkes back and come over to my house.”
After Yankel Rosenbaum was stabbed to death in during the riots, Sharpton marched through Crown Heights and in front of 770 Eastern Parkway with about 400 protesters who chanted “Whose streets? Our streets!” and “No justice, no peace!”
NY Assemblyman Dov Hikind said: “People think that with the passage of time, the Rev. Al Sharpton has become kosher. This is not true; he is still the same person he was in 1991.
“Sharpton poured fuel on the fire during the Crown Heights riots. His participation to commemorate them is an insult. The passage of time will not change or diminish Al Sharpton’s statements and actions. Only an apology will serve to make some amends.”
WHAT IS WRONG WITH ALL YOU PEOPLE??? I WAS HERE DURING THE RIOTS AND B”H DON’T HAVE AMNESIA. THEREFORE I REMEMBER CLEARLY HOW SHARPTON YIMACH SHMO INCITED THE RIOTS AND ACTUALLY BUSSED IN BUS LOADS OF HOODLUMS TO RIOT THE STREETS OF CROWN HEIGHTS. HOW DARE SCHNEIR EVEN DREAM OF GIVING HIM A CHANCE TO EXONERATE HIMSELF. HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN PUT BEHIND BARS FOR THE HAVOC HE CAUSED HERE. NEVER MIND ALL THE OTHER ILLIGAL THINGS HE HAS DONE SINCE AND GETS AWAY WITH IT. DIALOGUE IS IMPORTANT WHEN YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE WHO SIMPLY HAVE DIFFERENCES OF… Read more »
he can’t apologize cause his mom told him when he was a little kid, “and when the cops get you, don’t you ever admit fault”
in fact too important for marc shnier to use for his own self interest. debate with sharpton, but keep that greedy opportunist Schnier OUT
Enough said… Contact MSNBC and voice your concerns. Tell them to get this lower than scum dregs off the air.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10285339/
Thank you Al Sharpton, for doing what you should have done 20 years ago. Stay away!
I’m certainly not going to defend Al Sharpton, but the Rosenbaum murder took place before his involvement.
He did the right thing by backing out (totally out of character) (maybe the organizers told him to back out or be removed). I don’t think the headline of “chickened out” is really the case.
We know what kind of pig he is and what kind of misa meshuna he deserves.
The only one who can forgive Sharpton, Yemach Shmo, is the one who was hurt by his anti semitic rantings. Yankel Rosenbaum, Hyd, is no longer with us. Hence, no forgiveness, ever.