Rockland County, NY – Protestors March Against Jewish Boys’ Elementary School in Residential Ramapo Neighborhood

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    (Photo: Sandy Eller)Rockland County, NY – Nearly 100 protesters gathered in Rockland County tonight to protest the presence of a newly opened yeshiva in a predominantly black neighborhood located approximately one mile south of New Square.

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    The peaceful protest was jointly organized by the groups Neighbors of Hillcrest, Save our Schools Coalition and Wakeup Rockland, with demonstrators marching the approximately half mile route from the starting point at the Hillcrest Shopping Center, to the location of the yeshiva, at 8 – 10 Eckerson Lane.

    According to Michael Moore, one of the event organizers, the building in question had been built as a one family dwelling approximately ten years ago, but construction was halted when inspectors discovered that the owner was attempting to convert the structure to a multiple family home. The building sat unoccupied for years until work resumed this past winter.

    Video below: Protesters marching down Eckerson Road to site of school on Eckerson Lane.
    Credit: Sandy Eller

    “We found out at a zoning board meeting in March that it will be used as a temporary school and they submitted plans to build a permanent school at the end of the property which would hold 250 students,” Moore told VIN News.

    Moore questioned the logic of locating a yeshiva on Eckerson Lane.

    “This is one of the busiest and most dangerous corners in Hillcrest,” observed Moore. “If you look at schools in other places you will see that they generate a whole lot of traffic: bus traffic, car traffic, people traffic. The neighborhood won’t be the same.”

    According to Hillcrest resident and event co-organizer Noel McFarlane, an adjacent home at 12 Eckerson Lane was recently sold, and while the identity of the owner is still unknown, neighbors suspect that it will ultimately be incorporated into the yeshiva property. McFarlane also speculated that longer term plans for the school could potentially include an even larger enrollment than the currently stated number of 250.

    “The question here is that although the area is zoned R15, residential, the idea is to have schools in the community so that children could walk to school,” said McFarlane. “The paradox is that no children in this community will ever go to this school. They will have to bus in 250 students daily on these small residential streets in our community. That’s not kosher.”

    Several of the protestors addressed the group as they assembled across the street from the yeshiva, which opened today.

    “We are the new bloc and we will overcome,” said one speaker.

    The Reverend Weldon McWilliams IV, who staged a protest in Rockland Kosher Supermarket last month as previously reported on VIN News, proclaimed the importance of respect and peaceful coexistence for local residents and urged the protestors to attend the upcoming Town of Ramapo zoning board meeting which will take place on August 6th.

    Below video: Activists Michael Miller and Reverend Weldon McWilliams IV speaking to protestors across the street from the school on Eckerson Lane.
    Credit: Sandy Eller

    An ad in a local newspaper about the new school


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    41 Comments
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    Balaboos
    Balaboos
    10 years ago

    What a chilul hash-m…if it was the reverse, you can be assured that the entire square community would have been out en-mass blocking it…

    10 years ago

    Bunch of anti Semites.

    Almost as bad as Sha from Monsey and his good buddy Shreadready.

    SherryTheNoahide
    SherryTheNoahide
    10 years ago

    What’s up with the lady’s protest sign that says “Keep the Character of the Neighborhood” [intact]?! As if a Jewish school being there, will somehow diminish the place?!

    I can understand the frustration w\the idea of 250+ kids being bussed into a neighborhood that usually doesn’t deal w\that kind of traffic & isn’t really set UP to deal with it. THAT complaint, I get!

    But when people make it personal, and act like the “character” of the neighborhood is somehow going to be diminished, because decent Jewish families will be sending their kids to school there…. I can’t help but feel like the complaints are taking a very uncomfortable turn.

    **And I might add, it’s a white lady holding the sign – not trying to paint her as some anti-semitic, but I just don’t “get” the message of her sign & what she’s trying to convey about the Jewish community. Something about it just bothers me.**

    10 years ago

    I have to tell you…that Black preacher in the video is making some strong points….I could use a guy like that preaching in my shul

    Deveee
    Deveee
    10 years ago

    Same old anti-semites. Same faces.

    cbdds
    cbdds
    10 years ago

    If it is legal then the neighbors are just anti Jew. The number of buses is likely 5 or 6. The parents are not likely going to drive their kids.

    10 years ago

    So what exactly does this mean “no invasion”. Do the residents in Boro Park stage demonstrations because there are 4 public schools with thousands of children bussed in daily from other neighborhoods?? The same holds true in Flatbush and other neighborhoods.

    Are we expected to put up daily with the stone throwing, rough play and out of character behavior on a daily basis? What exactly do those residents want? There is nothing wrong, they should say clearly “read my lips” we don’t want those jews in this part of town. period.

    avigreen
    avigreen
    10 years ago

    A typical VIN misleading headline and false reporting!

    #1 This has NOTHING to so with New Square! Its T’zanz Kelausenburg school.
    Its between Monsey and New Square.
    #2 The owner is VERY well known… HE lost it to the bank… The guy lives in the yellow house next to it, he built himself a palace that he couldn’t afford to pay for it…
    #3 Moore questioned the logic of locating a yeshiva on Eckerson Lane”, The logic is simple it was s cheap deal and the bank wanted to get rid of it…
    #4 “This is one of the busiest and most dangerous corners in Hillcrest,” Oh yes..? How so by the 5 cars passing on that st a day… this is sick – anyone who knows the area, knows thats its a quiet street!

    As a side not they are plotzing away that the Jewish community expanding… but listen to this ‘colored’ guy speaking his race-full and hate-full speech “co-exits with this one ‘segment of a community’… Oh BTW as u say we are afraid of your unity, idiot there is no unity YOUR community… they only community where they are killing each other is in spring valley by you guys…

    avigreen
    avigreen
    10 years ago

    The problem isn’t that its a school, its a school that “we can’t use…”

    5TResident
    Noble Member
    5TResident
    10 years ago

    I like how that woman’s poster warns against “neighborhood busting”. It’s a long established fact that real estate in Jewish neighborhoods is more valuable on the open market than in non-Jewish neighborhoods, and especially more than black neighborhoods. This yeshiva, by itself, will probably increase home values in the area by 15%. They should want the yeshiva there.

    greuv
    greuv
    10 years ago

    The neighborhood is zoned for schools, by NYS law.

    Beebee
    Beebee
    10 years ago

    Wow: It honestly looks like a bunch of anti-semites protesting against having any Jewish people in “their” neighborhood.

    What was the issue with having a Kosher supermarket? Because you surely can’t make the excuse that ‘all’ people can’t use it.

    Sounds more like bigotry than ‘unification’ to me.

    10 years ago

    Jews, wake up. We are facing here (and throughout ObamaNation) the naked face of Black Power storm troopers, greatly emboldened by the race hustling Sharptonite gangsters in the White (Black) House and Injustice Department. Under the criminal Soetoro AKA Obama, these race hustlers are getting bolder and bolder. Its clear American Jews are living on borrowed time.

    10 years ago

    Same old anti semitic trash. They hate Jews period. Its ok to bus in outsiders to Boro park and flatbush like poster number 7 mentioned but not ok to bus in jewish children in rockland. These crybaby protesters are of the same stripes as Al crybaby Sharpthon and his ilk. They protested the jews in crown heights,williamsburg and the rest of the Jewish neighborhoods. When mossiach comes our revenge will be sweet as we say in shabbos davening before mussaf. Heads will roll of all the big and little hitlers of history. In the meantime let’s keep building yeshivas and fortifying ourselves and our children with authentic Torah ideals as the rest of society falls apart.

    Miriam377
    Miriam377
    10 years ago

    They are right. Build it in a more jewish neighborhood. That is not a good area for a school. On sundays and legal holidays it won’t be quiet. While the neighbors deserve their quiet times.

    Babishka
    Member
    Babishka
    10 years ago

    I wish Yidden to come and live and establish communities and schools and businesses in Detroit. Property is hatzi v’chinom, entire neighborhoods are up for grabs. There is already a frum community that can help out. Also: lots of high tech jobs in the auto industry.

    Aryeh
    Aryeh
    10 years ago

    Let’s be honest: if we had a say in our neighborhoods, would we block public schools that we cannot attend?

    bubii
    bubii
    10 years ago

    Tragically we are our own worst enemy.

    lbpss
    lbpss
    10 years ago

    and the public schools on viola are not in a residential neighborhood? how about they give us or at least sell to us the legal buildings that they don’t use anyway and then we won’t have an issue.

    sheepheadsbayyid
    sheepheadsbayyid
    10 years ago

    these comments are classic. We all know how inclusive to othes chassideim are. I am sure if it would be reverse, a public school or even a private no Jewish (or even a secular or MO school) school would open in KJ, New Square, Willie monsey and so on, you guy would have no issues. No complaints .

    Please we all know how they would react (bike sharing would be one example) now the showe is on the other foot, and you do not like it.

    what goes around comes around or poetic justice.

    10 years ago

    Legally we are correct why not move a school to cheap property and we are entitled. But Yidden fargest nisht we are in golus. Stop antagonizing the goyim.

    10 years ago

    “The question here is that although the area is zoned R15, residential, the idea is to have schools in the community so that children could walk to school,” said McFarlane. “The paradox is that no children in this community will ever go to this school. They will have to bus in 250 students daily on these small residential streets in our community. That’s not kosher.”

    But it’s okay for them to bus in thier kids to the public schools in the jewish neighborhoods?
    I don’t get it.

    10 years ago

    This was built illegally and you all seem to forget that. I don’t want 10 school busses in an illegally built school next to me either. Any time a house goes up for sale in my neighborhood in Ramapo, we are worried that an illegal yeshiva will be built. They don’t apply for permits and just start building! How is it that everyone must follow building codes except this group?

    seicheldig
    seicheldig
    10 years ago

    I don’t care what you guys say what a chutzpah by the chasiddim to go in a black neighborhood & force themselves on their neighborhood not to say they are anti semites & aren’t they all but to this does not help. Real התגרות באומת

    monseyer1
    monseyer1
    10 years ago

    My son goes in that yeshiva. I must say, we all got letters instructing parents who come by, to never honk or park on the streets. The boys were equivalently warned about noise, garbage, etc.

    I’m not taking sides, but the yeshiva is there perfectly legal (cannot hear the usual excuses about illegal yeshivos) and are here to stay, and be good neighbors.

    monseyer1
    monseyer1
    10 years ago

    It used to be that our yeshivos were illegal which was a problem, now its yeshivos in general. (schools are in residential areas all over) so its not the legality, or our children’s safty they worry about. Its to keep the chasidim out. Have the courage and say it load the way it is!

    Rabbi_CS
    Rabbi_CS
    10 years ago

    PEOPLE!!

    Yes, this was an Anti-Semetic march.

    BUT THE SCHOOL WAS BUILT ILLEGALLY!!!

    How about we follow the laws of the land, and THEN cry Antisemitism if we are thwarted.

    As long as we BREAK the LAW we have ABSOLUTELY NO MORAL RIGHT TO COMPLAIN!!

    For heavens sake, they were issued TWO stop-work orders, they NEVER applied for a variance, and they did NOT have the Mentchlechkeit to wait for a variance, they just opened.

    10 years ago

    Ladies and gentlemen,
    We live in America. There are laws and regulation in the country we live in and we should respect every aspect of it. The same town, who gave permeation to the establishment of a Yeshiva, gave permission to protest against it. I don’t really care the intentions of the protestors because we are unfortunately in gallos. However, the protesting of Jews against the land of Israel is our business. So, fellow writers please don’t waste your effort trying to understand a bunch of people whose job is to hate the Jews. We still have work that needs to be dealt with within our own nest.