Midwood, NY – A beloved Brooklyn wine store clerk was gunned down Thursday night when he tried to protect his girlfriend, who was being robbed of her jewelry at gunpoint, police and witnesses said.
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Yoseph Robinson, 34, took slugs in the chest and arm and died behind the counter of MB Vineyards, a kosher liquor store in Midwood, (as was first reported here on Vos Iz Neias).
“The girl came running out screaming, and I saw him on the floor. She said, ‘They shot Yoseph!’ said a witness who identified himself as Daniel. “She was with him as he was dying. … He told her, ‘Tell my daughter I love her.'”
A holdup man entered the Nostrand Ave. store about 9:30 p.m. and went after the young woman – identified by friends as Lahava – but were confronted by Robinson, police said.
Friends said Lahava, who was helping Robinson write a book, told them she was joking around and laughing with him when the thug demanded her bling.
Robinson yelled, “Leave her alone” and approached the man. A struggle broke out, and he was shot, said Daniel, recounting Lahava’s harrowing tale.
“Yoseph saved me,” a badly shaken and weeping Lahava told friends outside the store.
The owner of an adjoining shop said, “I heard screaming, yelling and then the shots.”
Robinson was working late because the store remains open till 11 p.m. on Thursdays, the day before the Sabbath. It usually closes at 9:30 p.m., friends said.
Samuel Kauffman, 43, wasn’t suprised at Robinson’s heroics.
“He would always tell people to be morally strong. He was a role model to all the kids in the neighborhood. He was very spirtual. He inspired all of us.”
The bandit fled the shop on foot, and it was unclear if he made off with the jewelry, police said.
More than 50 people from the surrounding Jewish community quickly gathered at the store to mourn Robinson, a popular figure in the neighborhood who had come to the U.S. from Jamaica and recently converted to Judaism.
Robinson, who took lyrics from the Torah and turned them into reggae songs, came to Brooklyn a few years ago after a drug problem short-circuited his music career in Los Angeles.
Robinson wore traditional Orthodox garb in the store and enjoyed telling customers about his “spiritual transformation from drug user and party guy to religious Jew and the book he was writing about the experience,” a friend said.
“He was a kind and generous man who talked to all of us. He gave us so much. You had to stop at the store just to hear his stories. He was truly an amazing man,” said Tzvi Freund, 25.
Interviews at the scene by Shimon Gifter
Bother In-law Of Yosef Robinson Speaks Off Camera at the scene.
The public should be aware how special this person was and how difficult his choices in life were. He knew how different he was from the rest of the community and I’m sure felt in many ways alone. Yet, his sincerety and wholesome belief in faith was admired by all and well known by all who knew him. He was no phoney he led his life with sincerity,honesty and integrity that we all envy. He will be missed. Proof of which will be seen at todays funeral which I’m sure will be attended by many admirers.
Let’s not forget one thing “crime is down”
Mr. Mayor its time to give up the slogen “crime is down” and stop using the numbers to show how its down. Stop hiring those traffic agent and stop pressuring regular officers to write tickets.
Let’s take back our streets from the crimminals. Mr. Mayor we need more patrolling officers on the street then ticket writers.
Crime is down… Thanks mayor yotzberg for keeping us safe. Also thanks for canceling a police recruit class -k-
It’s Elul, a few weeks before Rosh Hashono and Yom Kippur. Time for introspection. Yeish kono olomoh b’sho’oh achas. We, the holy FFBs of Boro Park and Flatbush can spend a lifetime doing what we think is avodas Hashem. But it’s often without life. And I’m talking to myself here too. Here comes a young man who suddenly sees the Emes behind the veil of Olam Hazeh and with great difficulty becomes a ger tzedek; and a beloved one at that. For just a little while. And now he’s a mekadesh shem Shomayim in public. And all us FFBs have to do to get there is just daven with kavonoh, learn with ardor for Torah, and think about what avdus Hashem means and do it. Ksiva V’chasima Tova.
Levaya Info?
I guess as long the bike lanes r in placen tickes written every second, bloomy is a happy man,,
BSD
It is with the greatest sadness that I join the rest of the jewish people in mourning
the loss of Yosef ben Avraham H”YD. For me as it should be for any Jew, should ask ourselves that a persons that by choice acepted our holy Torah in a time where we prepare ourselves for tshuva and fell to murder, it is a signal…what is the signal?
maybe in his words we can find awnsers:”I feel that changes are necessary to allow a Yid such as myself, who happens to be dark-skinned, to feel secure and equally represented under the banner of Klal Yisrael. This kind of change can only come about when a community joins the effort.
“My message to geirim is that if one is seeking spirituality, Judaism, practiced correctly, is the ideal vehicle for achieving that aim. I personally find it meaningful and fulfilling but, once you come aboard, keep in mind that while the Torah is flawless, people are not.”
“After realizing that my decision was a serious, lifelong commitment, however, I did garner the respect of those closest to me”
Dear Yosef I feel close to you and respect you! may your petira bring a sence of change and not just some interesting news that we will soon forget!
when is the funeral and at what time?
i was just informed the funeral will be on sunday
He died a tzaddik gumer and will go satright to gan eden. Gun control only puts guns in the hands of the criminals. And we need a death penalty which the liberal judge declared unconstitutional in NYS. That Judge will face the victims one day.
Boruch Dayan Emes. I did not know Yosef, A”H, but it sounds like if he did not turn to Hashem and convert, he could have ended up being like the person who took his life. We need to make goyim aware of Hashem and His commandments and encourage programs that can help them get off drugs.
can someone please post details on levaya and if someone with knowledge could post information on any fund raising activities either for the levaya or the daughters of this great tzadik.
I was told by Shomrei Hadas that the levaya of “Ger Tzedek Yoseph Ben Avraham Robinson HY”D. will be on Monday night at 7 pm not Sunday call them for information 718-436-8700
I can’t stop thinking how the store was open late, and thus he was there when the murderer came, so that his fellow yidden could buy wine for Shabbos. Especially with Shabbos coming in just a few hours. I know that all that Hashem does is for good even when we can’t understand it. But I’m fighting the sense that it is so heartbreakingly ironic that Yoseph ben Avraham who, by his own account, had a dangerous life before he was megayer, ended up suffering this violent death while living as a frum yid, in a frum neighborhood, helping frume yidden buy wine for Shabbos. I don’t know what it means. May Hashem have mercy on us.
I am happy to see the unity bet. Misaskim and c.s.e.
He has more of a zchus, we can see clearly the efforts Chesed Shel Emes go to. This is a very special thing. We have also seen here how Yiddishkeit saved him from a life of drugs etc. and how grateful his family were, a very special person obviously.
I hope we don”t miss the point, I read posting no.7, that is a point to look at!
To posting no.13, what a shame to say something like that! I will tell you in responsa to your blind comment that a Jew is supposed to be smart, if he in his stupidity decides to get in to drugs,,,is not a reason that someone who wants to be a jew be stoped because of it! we need some fresh blood sadly to say…in this case tragedy stroke. I rather think of the inspiration that he gave to those that hate judaism…we need more gerim please!