New York City Human Rights Commissioner Carmelyn P. Malalis visited Crown Heights on Thursday to see the community first-hand and to present information about the protections afforded to religious and ethnic communities.
The tour began at the Shalom Center, where the Commissioner met both Holocaust survivors and many refugees from the former Soviet Union, many of whom had experienced persecution before coming to the United States.
Shalom Center’s Director Rabbi Shimon Herz sounded the shofar for the center’s members, as customary on the month of Elul.
Malalis visited the offices of the Crown Heights Jewish Community Council (CHJCC) where she learned of the work of the council, providing social services to the entire diverse Crown Heights community.
Rabbi Eli Cohen, Executive Director of the CHJCC, led the Commissioner on a walk up Kingston Avenue ending at the Lubavitch World Headquarters at 770 Eastern Parkway.
Throughout the tour, Malalis spoke about ways that she wanted to make the community aware of the protections that the Commission provides against religious or racial discrimination, especially in the areas of employment and housing.
This includes requiring employers to accommodate Shabbos observance where possible and landlords to make reasonable allowances for their tenants’ needs, like Shabbos, Mezuzahs and so on.
The Commissioner was accompanied on the tour by members of her staff who provided literature in English, Hebrew and Yiddish explaining the protections enforced by the Commission.
To assist that to happen
Was:
Courteous
Clear communication
Appreciative
Grateful
Respectful
Professional
Responded promptly to their requests
It helps them to help us
B”H all resolved amicably efficiently
There’s the comment that “reasonable allowances “ must be made. The question is: reasonable in whose opinion…. the landlord, the employer or you? Should be interesting.