Brooklyn, NY – A candlelight vigil was held Sunday night in Kensington, Brooklyn to honor the memory of eight-year-old Leiby Kletzky, who was found murdered in the neighborhood earlier this month.
Subscribe to our Daily Roundup Email
About 300 mourners gathered at the playground of P.S. 230 on McDonald Avenue at Albemarle Road in Kensington at 8:30 p.m.
Also participating were NYS Assemblyman Dov Hiknd, NYS Sen. Eric Adams, and NYC Councilman Brad Lander who led the vigil by explaining to the crowd the Hebrew meaning of Kadish.
Watch below video from the event. Credit SHiaHD, Hershey Rubinstein/Dee Voch
From the photo it is clear that most of the participants are not Chasidim. This should be a lesson to the young generation of Chasidim.
IT WAS INCREDIBLE! Yes, most of the participants who came, were not Chassidim. Most, possibly not even Jewish! And many of those were Muslims, who came with their kids! I have never seen anything like it! Dov Hikind was there – spoke so well, made a tremendous Kiddush Hashem!
I was there and there were very few chassidim. There were people there of every race color creed and religion – seeing was believing how everyone stood side by side in unity in memory of Leiby A”H. It would have been nice to see more of our own community there
common this is not a yidish thing, let the goyim do whatever will bring them comfort, we as “heimishe” yiden don’t need this to comfort us, what is the purpose of this anyway? let’s do tshivah & learn mishnayis for him, & pray for the family.
Since when is that a Jewish thing
Goyim do this on Xmas
You don’t see any Chasidim since a “Candlelight Vigil” is a Goyish Minhag!
Our Vigil is to go to Shul and learn a Perek Mishnayos for his Neshomo or Give Tzedoko.
what a beautiful thing to have been done by the people of the neighborhood.
I dont think that this was arranged by Jewish people. It should be a lesson for all jews and all people that the only thing that matters is kindness and humanity, not the differences between people, but the common thread between all humans – a beating heart.
What exactly are you implying????
Just because something is “beautiful” DOES NOT make it halochikly correct in the least, in fact quite usually it is just the opposite. I have no doubt this did nothing toward Aliyas Neshoma.
Most of the frum oilyim wasn’t back from the country yet.
Let’s not harp on silly comments. It is a very nice gesture that the participans made. They showed solidarity with us.
I agree that this is לזולתנו. It might be חוקת הגוי and if not then סתם שטות. But if it makes the גוי feel better, as in “if not for the grace of g-d, go I” and that brings him to light candles, then they should continue with what they are doing. But it doesn’t really change anything. They don’t need to worry that another איד will do a similar thing. It was a pure anomaly. For us there are better ways of dealing with this. תפילה, תשובה צדקה.
oh my! what a bunch of ‘nitpickers’ on this forum. It seems that someone is always looking for someone/something to bash – so no matter what is said it will always be knocked down by another, or another few. If anything, that is the biggest chilul Hashem! Don’t forget there r now plenty of secular followers on this site (esp since the Kletzky tragedy), & how about actively seeking out the GOOD & the probably pareve/positive intentions of what some comment here, instead of seeking out the negative and immediately bashing it? It’s the 3 weeks, if for no other reason, let’s approach Tisha B’av with good defenses to Hashem to finally end our mourning, not remind Him of the reason we have that day to begin with! If s/thing about the idea of a ‘candle light vigil’ doesn’t sit right with you, don’t go. But no need to bash those who did. As stated, most weren’t frum/yidden, & those that were likely didn’t violate much by standing alongside people paying respects and lighting a candle (not a foreign concept to our own religion when it comes to mourning…). Still, if you’re worried abt Leiby’s aliyas neshama, or the neshomas of those there, leave that to bein adam l’makom.
I agree it’s a not Jewish thing and candle vigils is not meant for Jews
However its nice to see how non Jews feel about what happened
Would they have done it in Iran, Egypt , or other Arab counters probably not
So from that prospective ITS NICE !!!!!!!
To all you brilliant people who claim “this is not a Jewish thing to do …. or “this is a goyish minhag…” You are all incorrect. A candlelight vigil is in fact a Jewish custom. It is called a yartzheit candle and we tend to do it once a year as a “vigil” to the deceased person. The only difference here (and many other stories in past years that moved a community) is that people were terribly moved by this tragic event and took a night that is not his yartzheit to light a candle in his memory and stand together in unity. There is nothing wrong with that and it is not specifically Goyish and has nothing to do with Christmas. For those who did not want to participate … that is fine. I would just say let alone those who did not want to be there, the same way we can applaud those who did. Stop taking a beautiful moment of unification to once again speak in such a divisive manner.
There was a story with the Brisker Rav, how one motzei Shabbos they were removing a stillborn baby’s body for burial from his home. One of the members of his household was crying, and he explained to the person that the Ramba”m says regarding a “nefel” that “one does not mourn over the nefel at all”.
The lesson is, that as frum Jews, our response to events, are limited to how the torah, as interpreted by our chachamim, instructs us to respond. Not by how the media, nor our neighbors, expect us to respond. Candelight vigils, in response to tragic loss, have no source in our mesorah, thus they don’t draw us.
where does it come in whether chassidim were there or not????
chassidim, litvish, sefardim…..all yidden had plenty of our own vigils/ chizuk speeches and memorials for Leiby Z”L.
this vigil was a BEAUTIFUl gesture by the non jewish community which we truly appreciate and feel extremely touched that they care so deeply about Leiby and klal yisrael’s loss and pain.
i was planning to go just to show them my appreciation but was unable to make it…there really is no need to bash chassidim or any yidden ever….come on….remember the levaya- AHAVAS YISRAEL!!!!!!!!! its what LEIBY died for!!! to bring achdus amongst us!!! we r in the 3 weeks because of SINAS CHINAM!!!!! ENOUGH!!!!!!!! just look for the good in your fellow jew.
since Leiby’s passing i have tried sooooo hard to make ammends with people….yet no matter how sincere i am….it seems not everyone in klal yisrael is feeling the same pain…..(i still cant sleep at night…leiby is on my mind 24/7)…..yet i have been met with such cold hearts!!! am k’shei oref- mamesh its unbelievable!!! i am so broken!!! that in the face of such tragedy- ppl still cannot even try 2 learn the definition of the words Ahavas Yisrael!
people will focus on what a terrible tragedy it is…..but the message….the message…..teshuva….ahavas yisrael….the opposite of sinas chinam- the reason we will be fasting in two weeks….why isnt anyone heeding the message???? 3 gedolim tzaddikim died….we didnt get the message….a poor sheifele was makriv for klal yisrael….yet life goes on…its not my problem ppl think….but it is!!!!!!!!!!!!Leiby Z”L died for klal yisrael!!!! if i write you an email, a text straight from my heart sincerely apologizing for things that you feeel i did to hurt you, ( although i was the one wronged…i said i will do this for Leiby Z”L, for HaShem, for Mashiach…) why can’t you acknowledge my email, text, olive branch???? i have a whole in my heart!! not because of your rejection but bec. what will be??? how can mashiach come when ppl are sooooo stubborn!!!! am kshei oref!!! how??? we say ani mamin for mashiach but if most ppl take the message for only one day and move on right after the levaya- we don’t want more messages from HaShem- CHAS VESHALOM!!!! brothers sisters- i am crying begging from my heart and soul please let us be more mevater,, more forgiving, more peaceful ….
If most of the first two dozen comments above don’t tell you how insular and prejudiced the frum oilam is to non-Jews, nothong will. Here we have caring, sensitive people of all colors and religions gathering together to tearfully mourn the murder of a little chassidic boy, and what is the response? Sarcasm, smugness, we don’t care, it’s a goyishe thing, etc. Of course the fact that few chassidim showed up was bad enough, as they once again showed by their actions that they’re not interested in amicable relations with their neighbors, but what’s worse is the attitude among commentors here that it’s somehow against Torah to do so. Are you saying Dov Hikind was vioalting halacha by being there? If I was one of the non-Jews who organized or who simply showed up at this beautiful event and then saw many of the comments here, I would throw up my hands and say, to hell with it, no matter what we do, no matter how we extend a hand of friendship, we get this kind of arrogant, hateful response.
It was a beautiful thing that was organized and kol hakovod to all attendees, jew and non-jew alike. It was supposed to be a gathering of unity among neighbors regardless of race or religion and that is something that could be an aliyah for Leiby a’h’s neshama, a spreading of achdus.
This was an impressive outpouring of grief and sharing in the pain of the Kletzky family and of all Jewish neighbors. Ladies and gentlemen, this was a beautiful gesture on part of our neighbors, Muslims, Christians, and from all backgrounds. Reform Jews, too, participated. This was their way of saying to us that they feel our pain. I honor their effort. I appreciate their emphaty. I thank them. May G-d bless them.
I think this was a beautiful display of unity by ALL people who were so deeply affected by the tragedy of little Leiby A”H. It brought the entire neighborhood together: Jews and non-Jews, Blacks, Whites, Asians, Christians, Muslims and Jews. For those who grumble that this is a “non-Jewish” custom, SO WHAT? It was NON-JEWS who organized it!
And with that in mind, there is a little girl, Mariah Smith, 5 years old, who is missing in Detroit.
this was a matter of neighborhood unity.
no need to dig any deeper.
The people who put this “vigil” together, Veronica Guzman, Maggie Tobin and Abu Khaliquzzaman had no other agenda then bringing the Kensington neighborhood together to mourn for Leiby A”H there was no politics or religion involved and as I understand it was done on Sunday night and not as originally planned on Saturday night so that the religious Jews of the community could participate as well. And quite a few Jewish residents were there. Thank You Veronica Thank You Maggie Thank You Abu for making it happen. Let’s keep this unity going in our community we all sure need it..
What a beautiful event, showed the real harmony of “all” neighbors, from “all” races and religions.
lol u guys are so funny. as soon as i saw the word ‘vigil’, i knew there was gonna b some entertaining comments. Yidden love ya all. Peace
Actually, it was Veronica Guzman, Jole Carliner and I that organized last night. Our intention was to have our community and extended community come together in silence and reflect on the life and death of Leiby Kletzky who died a few blocks away. It was a very beautiful evening and everyone’s heart was open. At the risk of sounding corny, it was an evening of shared spirituality which is different from religion-
Last night, a lovely hassidic woman and I were chatting. She asked me if the candles were somehow related to our celebration of Christmas. Funny that it had not even occurred to me as candles are used for so many celebrations in so many cultures; both religious and secular(think happy birthday)
. A big thanks to all of you that showed up.