Queens, NY – A week after swastikas were spray painted on the Jackson Heights and East Elmhurst libraries and Congregation Tifereth Israel, one Jewish school decided to protest the vandalism.
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Over 100 students from Rambam Mesivta in Nassau County stood outside the Jackson Heights library with posters and signs, screaming chants of “books not bias” and “an attack on a wall is an attack on us all.”
“It gave me such a bad feeling in my heart,” said 17-year-old senior Daniel Sobin. “It really makes you want to vomit.”
Another student, Michael Rosenfeld, 16, said he was “appalled.”
Students left the library, where they proceeded to march in silence to the home of 88-year-old convicted Nazi collaborator Yakiv Palij on 89th Street.
Councilman Danny Dromm (D-Jackson Heights) spoke out against Palij outside his home.
“It’s really important to shed light on this situation that we have a Nazi living in the neighborhood,” he said. “He needs to leave. He should get out and go somewhere else.”
Rosenfeld, whose family survived the Holocaust, was angered to find out that a Nazi collaborator was living in the New York area.
“Everyone knows he’s a Nazi and no one’s doing anything about it,” he said.
Interesting. Since when do yeshiva bochrim protest anything? I don’t recall anything about volozhin which would indicate that yedhiva boys get involved as activists.
If this is true, it’s beyond inexcusable
Wow! Good for these kids sticking up for their faith & for their heritage! I am proud of these kids standing up for what’s right! This is excellent news! And one day… when they have kids of their own… they will hopefully teach their own children to think this same way & to be NOT afraid to do what’s right!
And hopefully… we can break the cycle of hatred & animosity amongst brethren (that is- the human race), and bring the Messiah even sooner! I know it’s a goal of me & my husband’s, and it’s part of why we are so against racism in our own home. People have got to start doing the right thing!
Good for these kids! I am SO proud!
G-d bless you all!
Rabbi zev friedman of rambam yeshiva over the years HAS TAKEN HIS STUDENTS TO PROTESTS against nazis living in our midst, and in support of jewish causes.
# 1 , you are way off. in volozhin and the other great yeshivas of europe jews wouldn’t dare protest because of fear for their own lives. here in USA – we live in a democracy-so far- and we have political and economic strength.it’s absurd to ask if it was done in volohzin.How narrow can you be ? get out of brooklyn for a day and see reality.
rabbi friedman and his yeshiva are to be commended for their kiddush hashem.
# 1 ,you probably would have condemned the maccabes also .!
I am SO proud of these yeshiva students who were taught about anti- semitism and protested against it in Jackson Heights.Yasher koach to their school principal who brought these young men out of the classroom to publically condemn the anti semites who paint these vicious symbols on shuls and libraries.Their yeshiva must be commended for protesting in front of the Nazi murderers home. It is about time ALL yeshivas teach about the Holocaust and the destruction of one third of world Jewry just a few decades ago. Undzere kinder muzn gut farshatyn vus undzer Yidish folk iz a durkhgegangn.Zoln mir keinmolnisht fargesn di zeks milyon kedoshim.
It is obscene that some of the above posters think that the young of our faith have no position making a public statement regarding crimes against humanity and the Jewish people. This is America. We do not live in the Soviet Union. Give the children a chance and let them make a comment in the press. I am always astounded by the religious ‘right’ of our faith and the extent that they may in some cases go to stifle human expression. This is not a good thing and this is not Torah.
Guys, what’s so surprising about #1 “shtill”, if you would read what he writes on other posts you wouldn’t be surprised at all!