![[Photo Credit: Shimon Gifter for VIN news]](http://www.vinnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/ha17.jpg "ha17")
Brooklyn, NY – An emergency meeting was held this morning between the leaders of the Jewish and Haitian communities to address the emerging needs of the local Haitian community. The meeting took place at the business office of George Weinberger, chairman of board of trustees of Agudath Israel of America, in Flatbush Brooklyn. Organizing the meeting were community leaders from COJO of Flatbush, Agudath Israel of America and Assemblyman Dov Hikind.
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Participants included Congresswoman Yvette Clark, Councilman Mathieu Eugene and Councilman Jumaane Williams, who represent the largest Haitian community outside of Florida and Haiti in Brooklyn New York. Also represented was the office of State Senator John Sampson, Senator Kevin Parker and representatives from Councilman Brad Lander’s office. Other participating Jewish organizations included the Crown Heights Jewish Community Council represented by Rabbi Chanina Sperlin and the Jewish Community Council of Boro-Park represented by Rabbi Yechiel Kaufman and leaders from Agudath Israel of America including members of the board of Trustees Shloime Werdiger, Elly Kleinman and Chaskel Bennett.
![[Photo Credit: Shimon Gifter for VIN news]](http://www.vinnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/ha20.jpg "ha20")
“We are not international organizations, with means to do things on an international level”, said Leon Goldenberg board member of COJO of Flatbush and Agudath Israel Trustee, “we are local organizations deeply involved in the social service needs of the local Jewish community, who care about our Haitian neighbors too. Upon hearing of the devastation in Haiti, our network of organizations began encouraging their constituents to donate to the reputable international relief organizations.”
“This meeting is also about a neighbor-to-neighbor effort, trying to find out what we can do to help alleviate the local anxiety”, Said Rabbi Shmuel Lefkowitz Agudath Israel of America’s Vice President of community services. “By Wednesday afternoon we had already alerted thousands of our members with the relevant donation information. Today, we are taking this to a new level”.
As word of the meeting got out, members of the Jewish leadership came forward and upon request, donated 10 computers to help the local Haitian community leaders and their constituents find love ones on the governors announced website https://haiti.nyalert.gov/ and for other needs.
Hamodia – the largest Orthodox Jewish daily and weekly newspaper in the US, Pledged to run free solicitation ads encouraging their readers to donate to reputable international organizations. “We are covering the story extensively and now we will also get our readers involved by helping” said Yonosson Moller, business manager of Hamodia Newspaper. “Having a call-for-action in the name of Jewish leaders gathering today will have a great impact on our readers”.
“Today we gather as a cross section of our community to show by action that we share in the pain of our Haitian friends and are ready willing and able to respond”, Said Assemblyman Dov Hikind one of the organizers.
“We all see the swift and expert work of Israeli Doctors and rescue teams on the ground almost immediately following the 7.0 earthquake,” said Congresswoman Yvette Clark. “The Jewish response to the pain of others is legendary and today’s gathering is a continuation of the special heart the Jewish community always shows in times of crisis.”
“We deeply appreciate the friendship and care of the Jewish community represented here today. We are urging the community at large to donate to the recognized international relief organizations who are on the ground in Haiti”, Said Councilman Mathieu Eugene and echoed by newly elected Councilman Jumaane Williams
(Photo Below) Last week NYS Senator Eric Adams with Senate Majority Conference Leader John Sampson got together leaders of NYC’s Williamsburgs Hasidic and Korean communities to rally support dedicated to relieving the suffering in Haiti following the tragic earthquake.
Video below Credit ShiaHD
beautiful
Wow – what a Kiddush Hashem!!!! I was so touched by this. Assemblyman Hikind, Agudah, Hamodia, you are all awesome! VIN – thanks for publishing this!
Although they may have had this meeting without any ulterior motives, you never know – in the future when we are in great need, hopefully others will remember the good that leaders of the frum community have done and will help us in our time of need. Like a story I read in a Holocaust book, how before the Holocaust someone would always greet a Gentile in their community, despite their differences. And when the Holocause occured, it was that Gentile who was touched by that Jewish person’s kind gestrures, that ended up being the one to save this Jewish person’s life.
So important to get along with all out neighbors, despite our differences! And help if at all possible.
I want to particularly thank Assemblyman Hikind who has done so much for our community, really goes above and beyond his call of duty to help us all. Thank you somuch! Tizku L’Mitzvos! We are blessed to have him among us.
Although the OU is not mentioned in this article – they had set up a fund for Haiti and deserves thanks and recognition as well!
A true Kiddush Hashem
Very nice! rachmonom benai rachmonom
I think it’s more than admirable & commendable that the Jewish community is at the forefront of helping in this horrific tragedy. After all, aren’t we supposed to show compassion to non-Jews & help them too?
However, I question the over-exuberance of all these sincere communal leaders. Where are they in helping local Jewish families whose lives have taken tragic turns? Because B”H 50,000 aren’t dead, hundreds of thousands more aren’t homeless, does that mean we shouldn’t be mobilizing all our resources to help almonehs, yesomim, the critically ill, the unemployed, those who can’t afford their bills & tuition, the hungry, & the disenfranchised amongst us?
Why do we always rush & do exactly what we’re supposed to do (like after the Tsunami) but we forget about the individual tragedies happening every day, one at a time, in our own backyard? Don’t ignore the small cases in favor of the big ones.
Before you attack me for my post, think about it & re-read it.
Kol hakovd !what a kidish hashem !
shmor le ve’eshmor luch
This a Kiddush Hashem! People helping people. I am sure Hashem is smiling on his children.
Hamodia does it again! I know the people behind the Hamodia Newspaper personally and I can tell you that they are 100% devoted to the Jewish communities’ needs, issues, emergencies, and everything else both locally and internationally! They are our true voice! If you haven’t yet subscribed to their daily and weekly paper, now is the time. Show your support!
There is an article in on page 7 of today’s New York Daily News that shows, 2 members of the Israel Defense Forces and one member of Hatzalah of Israel, carrying a government worker, Haitian, Frantz Gilles from a collapsed building four days after the earthquake/ And the article accompanying says, “A crowd gathered around a team of Israeli rescuers cheered when they pulled Gilles to the surface.”
What a great Kiddush Hashem!
Thank you to Todd Maisel,of the New York Daily News for taking the photograph for the newspaper showing Israelis heroic act! And thank you to those Dailly New staffers who were involved with writing the article mentioning Israel’s heroic act – Erica Pearson, and Todd Maisel who are in Port-au-Prince reporting and Barry Paddock and Samuel Goldsmith also Daily News staffers involved with the story.
Israel has been there for many of the worlds natural disasters, including the Tsunami in Indonesia, which has a large Moslem population.
Israel is a special country and it’s about time people who don’t realize this, take notice! Because one day, Israel can end up saving their life – or the lives of people closest to them!
very nice, but i question if this has more preference than many yeshivas in OUROWN COMMUNITY can barely stay open
“As word of the meeting got out, members of the Jewish leadership came forward and upon request, donated 10 computers to help the local Haitian community leaders and their constituents find love ones on the governors announced website https://haiti.nyalert.gov / and for other needs.”
I absolutely endorse what they are doing (though I cannot help but note that the Agudath Israel is now facilitating the use of the evil Internet).
duz the hamodia ever give 10,000$ free ad space 2 a yeshiva or a mosad?
I am proud that we are doing this. Having worked with Hatians before and considering some of them to be my friends, I can tell you they appreciate what we are doing. A true Kiddish Hashem.
People seem to think that the definition of “kiddush Hashem” means good “P.R.” – (public relations).
Kiddush Hashem simply means doing the right thing. When others see the right thing being done – that is a kiddush Hashem (whether other Jews see it and certainly when non-Jews see it).
Now here is my point. Even if the “P.R.” aspect of it is not that great it is still a kiddush Hashem. For example if lets say some non-Jews walk by a shul on Succos, and see Jews waving lulavim and esrogim, and they say to each other “those weird Jews waving those branches around – they are weird”. – That is still a kiddush Hashem, because the right thing is being done. Even if they think we’re weird.
Now in regard to this story, just because there’s a whole fancy press release about the Jewish community supporting Haiti, the kiddush Hashem is in the act of supporting Haiti and not in the act of making a press release.
yes it is a chiddush hashem however i can’t help but point out that there are billions of goyim to support this and other worthy causes. while there are only a few million jews ken yerbu to support our needs.there is only so much yiddishe tzedaka $ available and by giving it to others,it automatically doesn’t go to extremely needy yidden.
We are ALL Haitians now…Our children, our partners, our parents…Let’s help our families NOW! Contribute what you can, funds, time, skills, stuff, food, water…what ever you can…and yes, do not neglect our own Jewish communities, turn your attention and skills home as soon as you can.
#4 - #16 your points are well taken but if you will look carefully, included above, I see are some of our most dedicated and effective community organizations with some of their most tireless askonim always out working on our behalf. I would have a harder time accepting the premise of this assistance if it had come from those not active in klal work but if you look at the roster assembled above, it appears that some of our most benevolent and generous askonim are part of this group as well. Sure we are lucky and spoiled frankly to have dozens of community organizations doing great work work for our community but this gathering and effort seems not change that at all. The work always continues but today was a day to show the Hatian community that the Jewish community feelds their pain. I think we have lots to be proud of and I applaud this effort. By the gratitude of the officials it is obvious that the goal was achieved.
Where are the thousands of Jews, Haiti helped escape during the holocaust. Maybe we should now be adopting Haitian babies because it’ll be a grand kiddush Hashem.
This is ridiculous. This tragedy happened last week which is EONS ago in a disaster recovery. The OU together with Americn Joint Jewish Distribution immediately leveraged its worldwide network to help the Haitian people. No need for extensive photo ops with politicians and community organizers et al like Agudah and these Chasidishe Orgs today. If they wanted to help Haiti they would have joined the OU effort lishma not create a media PR event for what will amount to a drop in the proverbial bucket. Why are we so ready to kvell over ourselves and embarrass ourselves with these media designed pr events. Get Real!! Rabosai, stop patting yourselves on the back for your staged kiddush Hashem, show some Achdus and Follow the lead and Join the ou effort.
I am impressed that even the commenters who question whether this was the best course of action by the Agudah still say that it was a kiddush Hashem.
How come the story about the OU trying to get Jews to help out Haiti generated many angry comments about how the OU was going against halacha, but when the Agudah does the same thing as the OU there is only respect? Either it is against halacha or it is not. Why aren’t the people who bashed the OU bashing Agudah?
For the record: Wapedia – a branch of Wikipedia – has an exhaustive list of individuals and countries who saved Jews during the Holocaust and there is no mention of any Haitians, though there is mention of those from the Dominican Republic, the other half of the island, who saved numerous Jews.
In the summer of 1991, Jews were under attack in the Crown Heights progrom. Police were ordered to allow the Haitian antisemites to kill, maim and burn down Jewish homes. The State government as well refused to send in national guards.
Jewish property was destroyed, now 19 years later in Parshas Veayra- the parsha of the makkos-Haiti was struck by the G-d of Israel.
The riots ended in 1991 after 4 days when Hashem caused a revolution in Haiti, all the haitians in Brooklyn forgot about the Jews and marched over the Brooklyn Bridge to protest for the safety of their family in Haiti.
No Jewish group spoke for the jews in Crown Heights, lets sit and watch how Hashem revenges our enemies. In Egypt Jews waited 209 years for revenge of the makkos and we only had to wait 19 years. Perhaps its because yankel rosenbaums killer got only 19 years jail.
#40 there is No question that the riots of late summer 1991 were horrible acts of violence committed by people of color against an innocent Jewish and white community. I also must add that then Mayor Dinkins did nothing for three days and that former Governor Coumo also did not do his part by not bringing in armed National Guardsmen. That said where you and I may not agree is that the Haitians were but a small part of the people who were rioting…many other groups of people of color were in that savage mix of hate against not just Jews alone but anyone white.
As one who has had and continues to have contact with people of a Haitian background…some on whom are great and some of whom are not… I ask is it wrong for us to turn our backs on their plight in their hour of need? I too found the pictures of the Israeli rescuers in Haiti to be fine examples to the world that we are a people who inspite of all the beatings that the world imposes on us will be there when others need help. I just hope that in NYC the people of color remember who helped them and that the rest of the world watches also and takes note!