Brooklyn, NY – More than 3000 Charedi Jews gathered yesterday at the Brooklyn Marriott to decry the real estate development in Toledo, Spain that threatens some very old jewish cemetery.
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The rally was to call upon the Spanish government to stop the desecration of ancient Jewish cemeteries in Toledo, where bones of those buried before Jews were expelled from the country in the 15th century are being dug up to clear land for real estate development.
“We are against all the excavations that are occurring in Spain because we think that no one ought to violate the iultinate place of rest of a person,” Samuel Stern, one of the rabbis of the Hasidic community in New York and a member of the group called Asra Kadisha, or International Society for the Preservation of Sacred Jewish Spaces, told Spanish newswire EFE today.
Video below from rally as Rabbi Shya Yaakov Stauber of Kiryas Joel at podium cries out loud in prayers
Stern, along with other members of the association, asked in New York for the suspenstion of the excavations that are takin place in ancient Jewish necropolises in Toledo, where are reposing the remains of Jews that lived in the Iberian Peninsula efore the expulsion of the community in 1492.
The mission to save the Toledo Jewish cemetery started in October, when Asra Kadisha learned of a school expansion on the cemetery grounds. Among the RISHONIM buried in Toledo are the ROS, RMAH and the Rabieni Yonah. The precise plots where they are buried is unknown, since all gravestones were removed centuries ago.
After diplomatic efforts, the authorities halted the excavation for a while, and a delegation comprised by Asra Kadisha Askunim and Rabbi David Niederman met the officials in Spain to personally intervene for the preservation of the cemetery. Despite promises to stop the destruction, it later resumed. This is already at-least the third place in Spain where they are excavating cemeteries of the pre-expulsion era, ignoring the pleas of the Askunin not to desecrate these holy places. If these incidents will pass by unchallenged and without our outcry, this will serve as a sign for the authorities that the Jewish cemeteries can be easily excavated.
The conference was called by Some 20 leading Rabbis and Rosh Yeshiva – including Satmar Rebbe of Williamsburgh and his Beth Din, Skulener Rebbe, Lakewood Rosh Yeshiva Harav Kotler, Bobuver (52) Rav, and Karlsburger Rav – to show the Spanish Government that Jews around the world are aware of their behavior towards our holy sites, and to demand the immediate return of the exhumed bodies for respectful re-interment according to the Halachah.
Among the speakers were: Harav Kalmonowitz, Rosh Yeshiva of Mir; Harav Tirnauer, Dayan and Rosh Yeshiva of Satmar Montreall, Canada; Harav Weinberger, Dayan Skulen, who spoke on behalf and relayed the words of his father in-law, the Skulener Rebbe; the Spinker Rebbe; Haarav Mordche Beck, Rosh Yeshiva Tiferes Moshe in Monsey, Harav Soloveitchik, Rosh HaKolel Beth Yakov, Flatbush.
Some notable Askunim also addressed the crowd, including Mr. Richard Altabe, principal Yeshiva Maged David, Flatbush, who gave an emotional testimonial of the destruction of a cemetery that he saw, and the work of Asra Kadisha that he is involved with; Dr. Bernard Fryshman, Conference of Academicians for the Preservation of Jewish Cemeteries; Rabbi Stern, of Asra Kadisha NY, and Rabbi Niederman, President UJO, who both visited Spain in the beginning of last winter to plea for the preservation of the Toledo cemetery.
According to a reporter on the scene More than 1000 Satmar’s where outside trying to get in, but there was no room and The NYPD and security had to intervene.
You can view photos of the rally that was photographed by a local reporter here
Rabbi Moshe David Neiderman of UJO at the podium, below video
Sorry
Brooklyn Marriott does not hold more then 1800 seats.
I was there !!! and i can say it was more then 3000 people !!!
Can’t we try to deal with them at a polite way?!
They was 5 rabbanim backing out from calling the protest sinse it was against reb aliyaem schlezinger from london
why in the marriott ?
I was there, all I cam tell you, it was a real kiddush Hashem, the mass attendance and the decent behavior of the attendees.
By the way, there were much more than 3,000 in there, let alone the thousands of stranded people outside.
Why is this so important?
The niftarim are in shamayim let shamayim take care of them, why couldn’t this be a rally of achdus, or an anti sinas chinam protest?
Why is Satmar is always busy with the dead? Why dont they do something for the living? How about rally for the safety of Gilat Shalit or other MIA’s? Why not rally for tax credits for private education?
Its about the satmer politic
Grow up everyone who cares how many people were there????
In dvar yom byomo it says ther was over 4000 people
There is something wrong with you people. 5 thousand Chassidim for the dead but you couldnt get 5 Satmer together to protest the disengagement. (and they dug up bodies there also – if that all you care about)
I’m sure that the heilige tzadikkim will intervene on behalf of those that intervene on their behalf.
You will never regret going to such an event.
I’m sure that the heilige tzadikkim will intervene on behalf of those that intervene on their behalf.
You will never regret going to such an event.
I was sitting there, I didn’t count how many people were there, but I was like set and squeezed in place. the hall was so jammed I was like built in my seat for the rest of the event, but I enjoyed every minute of this great mitzva, and to be part if thousands and thousands of people attending this great mamad.
Wow, so many people would shlepp out to protect the kvorim of the rishonim, only Satmer has the power and ability to do that
I’m all for the gathering and it brings a certain sense of achdus, v’hameivin yavin.
What baffles me however, is why did they have to do it in the Marriot? So many people going hungry and penniless, couldn’t they find a less extravagant venue?
ridiculas!! dont understand the why the rally was held. if anything they should be demonstarting in spain. why was the rav shouting crying? strange!
I was there & it wasn’t a satmer thing happens to be the satmers r always the once to show up @these places the hall was packed I have no clue how much ppl can attend in the marriot but what I know is that it was more then 3000 ppl there and a pack stage of rabunim and rosh yeshives a reall kiddish hashem I can’t imagine what ppl have against this here but the askunim didn’t have to barrow ppl from anywhere it was more then anough
I am not satmer
But here is what bothers me, According to the hotels web site the max capacity in this room is 2000 people
When you give numbers 3000-5000 10,000 people please explain this
How can you push is 10,000 or 5000 people in a max capacity room of 2000 people ?
I was there and in-between the speeches when it became a little boring I counted the rows of chairs and after making my calculations my estimate is that there was Approx. 2,000 chairs prepared for this event, Actually when you walk in the room there is a sign posted on the wall stating that the “Maximum allowed under the law is 2,000 people” so there couldn’t have prepared more chairs by law.
I was there on a date a saw the entire crowd Trying to coming and the Police where arranging with some young Man Abe some called him Shulen that the rabunim should get access into the Hotel, I heard the Hotel manager told This Abe Shulem chusid that you only booked for 2,200 and now you forced in 3,700 you will have to pay 6:00 a head so we need 9,000 he was asking to cut a deal, And The police where telling this Shulem Guy that you got 25 busses full and they must go back and the Streets where Packed with thousands of Chasidem, it was something new to me so I waited out there and walked over to this Young man and asked what is this all about he said we are sending a message to the Gov. There that we are all united to save this Grave Yards and if you will do any damage we will all that’s gathered here go to picked at your Embassy, I ask him for a Bruch he said if this is the Right it should happen ASAP Mazel I am A Chusen Thanks to Abe Shulems Brucha
This event was a Kiddush Hashem. The behaviour of the crowd was impeccable. Hopefully the result will be as hoped. (To many of the previous posts, please check your spelling before sending comment. It grates on my nerves.)
There are like 10 rabonim on th kol korah every one of them has atleast 200 followers that makes it 2000 ppl poshutah cheshbon no big deal
I was A Total Kiddish Hashem and a good Hachunah To Kabules Hatorah
Reply to 44 1st of all Mazel Tov May you build a Biyis Namon Be yisroel this Abe Shulem guy is the right hand to Rabbi Niederman Of UJO and is all ways Ready to help I heard that the hotel did have a charge for the men power they had to bring to handle the over crowding, And One of the Askunim told that there was a meeting with the Hotel assist. GM and they are asking for 4000 extra so any one can still help the funding. The Bottom line It was a Gevaldiga Kidish Hashem
It’s nice to be concerned about digging up Jewish graves, but were were all there Jews when they were digging up graves in Gush Katif who were still worm, when their children and families are still alive to witness this horror.