Good News From Crown Heights

A suspect has been apprehended in the attempted rape of a young African American girl in Crown Heights , Brooklyn. The story reprinted from the website Chabad.info is printed below in its entirety. The site is a fine site for information about the Jewish community in Crown Heights that is often lost in the superficial and sometimes biased coverage found elsewhere. Many people talk about integration, racial harmony and coexistence. It is studied and debated from afar. In Crown Heights , real people make it happen. It's a work in progress by people who live here and want it to work. With all of its big city stress, it's a fine place. I'm proud and glad to live here.
http://chabad.info/index.php?url=article_en&id=11532

http://chabad.info/

By Aliza Karp

* On Thursday evening May 2nd, a girl was walking from the subway station and forced at knifepoint to enter an apartment building. * Leonid Chaim Yavich frightened off the assailant and called 911. "At first I chased the criminal," said Yavich. "I realized I could not catch him, so I went back and waited with the girl. * Yavich was a member of a Crown Heights patrol group known as Shmira.

On Thursday evening May 2nd, a girl was walking from the subway station and forced at knifepoint to enter an apartment building where she was taken to the top of the stairwell. She screamed for help as the perpetrator began to prepare for a heinous crime. The building, in Crown Heights, is home to a mixture of predominately Black residents, and a few Chassidic Jews. The screams were heard by a Chassidic man living on the top floor.

Well aware that he would be intervening in a scenario outside of his own culture and therefore could be risking his own life, he took his phone in hand and ventured out to trace the screams. Announcing first "Are you in need of assistance?" Leonid Chaim Yavich frightened off the assailant and called 911. "At first I chased the criminal," said Yavich. "I realized I could not catch him, so I went back and waited with the girl. She was hysterical. The police came quickly. A detective called me the next day to confirm the details. He was very emotional when he told me that I literally saved the girl." Both the assailant and the victim were Black.

Until recently, when he had to step down for family reasons, Yavich was a member of a Crown Heights patrol group known as Shmira. Shmira has worked together with the police to keep the Crown Heights neighborhood safe for decades. Their goal is security. They assist all segments of the multi-cultured Crown Heights community. "Despite my desire to help a person in distress, if not for my years of training and experience with Shmira, I would have hesitated to act in such a precarious situation in the middle of the night," admits Yavich.

Jewish community leaders are wondering if the rescue of a black girl by a Shmira member will change the perspective of Brooklyn District Attorney Charles Hynes who has recently compared Shmira to Bloods and Crips - violent gangs that threatened area of Los Angeles in the 60's and 70's. "Here we have a clear case of a potential rapist operating at knife point and a Black victim who was saved because of Shmira.

We expect Mr. Hynes to give praise when praise is due and show support for Jews who protect the community. Shmira Patrol is an asset to Crown Heights' entire multi-ethnic composition," commented Rabbi Leibish Nash, senior Member of the Board of the Crown Heights Jewish Community Council.

"While others may sit in their mono-ethnic neighborhoods and talk of love and unity – we in Crown Heights live side by side with our neighbors in our culturally diverse atmosphere. Our day to day life has long been cited as a model to the world as to how different peoples can co-exist harmoniously.

Unfortunately we do have incidents - in a big city they can be expected - but we know from experience that even those rare and tragic incidents are manageable. Shmira has been an integral part of keeping the peace in their program of working together with the NYPD. This latest example this past Thursday that certainly saved one 17 year old Black girl from being violated at knifepoint will surprise no one who lives here."

The general media was quick to pick up on the story of alleged attack on a black male by Chassidic youth. It is yet to be seen if the media will consider it newsworthy to print about a Chassidic man saving the dignity and sanity and possibly the very life of a black girl.

A suspect has been apprehended and Javitz has received a Subpeona to appear in front of a Grand Jury on Thursday May 8th. It is hoped that once there are charges, that the general media will praise the Jewish man who risked his life to save a black girl with at least as much coverage as they condemned the Jewish youth who allegedly skirmished with a black youth.

In an Emergency always call Crown Heights Shmira at 718-221-0303 (Including Shabbos and Yom Tov, do not hesitate to call!).

Shmira is asking community residents to support Shmira and its dedicated work. Please send your tax deductable donation to:

Crown Heights Shmira
383 Kingston Ave.
Suite # 44
Brooklyn NY 11213

To Donate by credit card call the Shmira Hotline at 718-221-0303

If you would like to join Shmira to make Crown Heights a safer place call the Shmira Hotline at 718-221-0303