Photos: Yossi Jerufi/COLlive
Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso paid a visit to Crown Heights on Monday, accompanied by Chief of Staff Asher Freeman and Jewish Liaison Jacob Eisdorfer. The group started their tour at the communication room, learning about the rich history of Lubavitch in the area and meeting with Rabbi Chaim Baruch Halberstam and Rabbi Mendel Eisenbach.
They then visited the JLI offices, where they had a discussion with a group of Crown Heights leaders and businessmen. Director of Operation Survival and JFA founder Rabbi Yaacov Behrman opened the discussion, focusing on recent street closures that conflicted with Jewish holidays and the installation of Citibike stands on Kingston Avenue. While Reynoso expressed support for biking initiatives, he acknowledged the importance of coordinating locations to better serve the community’s needs. Reynoso said he would work with city officials and representatives from Citibike to identify potential solutions to the current placement of stations. Director of the Friendship Circle Rabbi Berel Majesky also invited the Borough President and Chief of Staff to participate in an upcoming friendship circle bike ride.
Businessman Binyomin Levin took the opportunity to ask Reynoso about his recent comments at the Rebny Lunch regarding single-family homes in Brooklyn. The Borough President clarified that his goal is to allow homeowners to expand their properties to accommodate multiple families, thereby creating more housing options for families and the community.
Reynoso also mentioned the mental health crisis and the need for more services, which was echoed by Yossi Hershkop, who expressed difficulty in finding counselors who speak Hebrew. The Borough President was also commended for his even-handed approach to Yeshiva education.
The Borough President also spoke about the need for less landmarking in order to balance the preservation of architectural heritage with the practical considerations of urban planning and development.
Also participating in the meeting were Rabbis Lazer Avtzon, Dovid Katz, Mendel Rosenfeld, and Shlomie Hecht.
I was by is inauguration!! What a nice person and wonderful family he has!! Thank you for taking the time to care about our community 😇
What about the Albany Avenue bus route, was that discussed?
I mean respectfully asking, if the Boro President wants us to bike ride to school, having a not needed New nyc MTA bus route on Albany Avenue will be dangerous for the students bike riding to ULY and other schools along Albany Ave.
Speeding MTA buses.
Blocking the view.
These MTA nyc buses will be a hazard.
It was discussed
Why no mention of the hundreds of mentally unstable and homeless ppl being dumped in our neighborhood. With multiple huge developments being planned.
This is the real major issue facing the entire CH. The citibike / parking issue is irrelevant in comparison.
This was discussed as well.
Why wasn’t there a public condemnation of the oversaturation of homeless dumping ? Was it discussed in whispers ?
all our representatives care about is a few parking spaces??
What about?!?!?
Again and again were getting caught up in miniscule issues that dont pertain to our actual quality of life.
Are the 2 Kingston Avenue huge CitiBike stations being removed?
Are the 4 Eastern Parkway CitiBikes stations being moved and put on the island?
As a EP resident. The north side of these Eastern Parkway islands are half bike lanes and half for walking. So it is only common sense to have the citibikes parked On the island near the bike lanes.
Great, so now the satmars will come and buy houses in middle of residential blocks and put up a building in middle of nowhere filled with Goyim. These zoning laws never benefit the regular people. There is more to lose than to gain. They did this across from Frankel street shul. Two 2 family homes where turned into buildings. This just makes the housing crisis even BIGGER. Now developers will be after property making it unattainable for the regular family. This guy can dream on such a law will be passed. Brooklyn is getting worse and worse for the regular… Read more »
Was there any discussion of affordable housing for large families.
The Rebbe spoke many times about this issue and in all these years nothing has improved. You are complaining of Satmars building for “yuppues”. What about “geshe” that are building for “yuppies”? They wont
become richer by building for our own.
what about the unnecessary citi bikes ???
Why is it unnecessary ?
Because it is common sense that Citibike could of been placed on the Eastern Parkway pedestrian AND cyclist lane island. More than enough comfortable room. No no, it had to be put on the street. Endangering the lives of all citibike riders that now have to lift the heavy citibikes onto the island which has a bike lane. What will it take for the city to realize that this is a hazard and all 6 eastern parkway citibike docks should be moved onto the north island. We should not wait for someone to get injured. Citibike is meant to help… Read more »
Why are we never represented at these meetings?
It seems like that this aka “community” has few groups, what they call activists
Where are the women?? How embarrassing is this meeting!
We all have the freedom to contact the offices of the above mentioned elected officials and express our concerns! Perhaps what was discussed, didn’t cover everything
We do not need to depend on a delegation to do so! Stop out sourcing your advocacy!
I’ve noticed that many of the people who are involved in community activism, also head some non profits. This can create a conflict of interest in some cases. If their non profit accepts government funding directly or through grants they might be hesitant to bring up topics that are indeed a concern of many from the community but may not be aligned with goals or interests of these goverment officals elected or not. The same holds true if the persons salary is being paid through the community counsel or if there are bussinesses interests such as permits to build real… Read more »
Right on the money. Why do you think it’s always these same “activists” who get the meetings with the electeds. It’s to protect themselves 1st and get what’s good for them, not what’s good for CH residents.
…Mendel Rosenfeld! Go, Mendel!