Manhattan, NY – Police in New York City have arrested some rabbis on Wednesday evening after they blocked a road near the United Nations.
Subscribe to our Daily Roundup Email
The 100 plus rabbis came from the New York and New Jersey area, the group affiliated with New York Board of Rabbis demonstrate outside the United Nations headquarters.
The rabbis blocked the motorcade of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who was en route to address the United Nations General Assembly Debate.
Rabbi Yerachmiel Shapiro of Congregation Beth Shalom in Red Bank was one of the rabbis arrested, he said “A bunch of rabbis showed up and were able to block First Avenue at 41st street. . .the majority of us didn’t move from the street when we heard his motorcade was coming,” Shapiro said Wednesday night. “We stayed there, they (city police) arrested us and put us in a wagon, we didn’t resist.”
“There were a ton of New York City police. There were all kinds of demonstrations going on, there was a much larger demonstration of Iranians against Ahmadinejad,” he said.
The rabbis had expected to spend 12 to 24 hours in custody at central booking at the police station when they were arrested, he said.
“The police were overwhelmed in central booking. . .they checked (our records) and understood none of us had (criminal) records, and let us out with a ticket for disorderly conduct,” Shapiro said. “We definitely did not expect to get out that early, they went easy on us.”
Upon their release, the rabbis went back to the Unitied Nations and joined the Iranian rally protesting Ahmadinejad, to the surprise of some of the participants of that demonstration, Shapiro said.
“They couldn’t believe a bunch of Jews were protesting against him. . .we had an issue we were united on,” he said. “Not many of them were pro-Israelis, the fact that we came together on a similar issue was powerful to see.”
“The message I’m hoping it sends is shame on the Unitied Nations for welcoming proven murders and terrorists, like Ahmadinejad and Gadhafi, who spoke and were given a platform,” Shapiro said. “I hope the world will see the irony of rabbis being arrested, while dictators are applauded.”
Wow! So they finally have something in common with the NK and rioters in Meah Shearim.
So now NYC is like yerushalayim…..please tell me how a bunch of rabbonim sitting down in the middle of First Avenue and 41st Stree blocking traffic during the rush hour helps stop the Iranian nuclear program..
Wat a chilul hashem for rabbis to behave in such a mannor
Where are all you with chill hasem ?
Why can’t these so called rabbis protest peacefuly like the chassidim a day before?
I was there and I saw that Rabbi Avi Weiss was one of the arrested
Tel this people to go find a job and stop doing crazy things!
what a chillul Hashem….what is exactly the point of sitting there…this better not chas v’sholom lead to riots….now what’s going to happen….im really mamish wondering….these ”rabbis” are mamish babies….us yidden are on the lowest madreiga….why do these rabbi’s have to do this…..they are better off at home….
This is not a chilul hashem at all. Civil Disobedience is a very civilized thing to do. The NK might peacefully demonstrate, but the reason why they are demonstrating is a humongous chilul hashem. These rabbis are demonstrating for a very very worthy cause. Its like saying blocking the brooklyn bridge in 1943 and getting arrested is a chilul hashem – cmon!
its sad that these Rabbi’s wouldn’t even attend one gush Katif protest, where there presence might have changed the out come, while against Ahmedinajad they go out of their way and get arested in new york which I hardly doubt would make a difference.
they did it mainly for PR and fundraising and why in the world are they wearing taleisim??? instead of blocking a road in new york – start making your aliya plans.
what about blocking the road for gilad shalit?
Thank you Rabbi Avi Wiess for trying to help out the Jews
This does nothing but make drivers upset and provide photo ops for “rabbi’s” . Civil Disobedience is when you protest your own government not some visitor. Please let’s not drink the cool aid and think this is something righteous.
What Rabbis They are not Rabbis, for the Goyem they can be called Rabbis they are a bunch of Loosers its a chilel to call Rabbis
Let them enjoy central booking for few days then they will not do it again
These posts are really embarrassing. I do not know Rabbi Avi Weiss, but how can any normal frum person not support an act of civil disobedience against a potential hitler of our times. Rabbi Weiss – if you are reading this, please know that 90% of frum people 100% support what you did today.
As a frum jew I am embarrassed by the disgusting comments made by some very narrow minded individuals. Civil disobedience cannot under any circumstance be compared to frum hoodlums locking horns, physically, with police, like in Yerushalayim. THAT is a Chilul Hashem. What is wrong with standing up to the current Hitler? Where are your guts? You don’t have to agree phylosophically or religiously with these people, whether they are rabbis or not, but they are to be commended for standing up for a worthy cause.
While I don’t know how much good they did, the story itself has some positives and there was no chillul H” here. Nobody threw rocks, committed assault, shouted racial slurs at black officers, committed arson or threw diapers full of fecal matter at police.
This was a perfectly legitimate act of civil disobedience, even if I don’t understand their goal in stopping traffic.
The positive thing is the under-reported story that Iranians were protesting. In the end, a peaceful protest with Iranians and Jews on the streets of NY is a nice surprise. While many may not be “pro” Israel, at least we know that it is the politics and policies of the state they disagree with, not necessarily antisemitism.
Peaceful protests against those who would look to destroy Liberty, Freedom and Democracy are always positive… so long as they remain peaceful.
Many of you are as unfamiliar with civil disobedience as you are the people behind the protest. You are talking about 11 people who actually engaged in civil disobedience (the others got out of the street when the police asked). Of those 11 many rabbis were Orthodox and they have certainly been involved in communal issues (unlike some of you who are attacking them, I’m sure). It was all worked out beforehand with the police to make sure they made their statement, there was no chance of violence and there was minimum disruption to others. If only the charedi protest were organized like that.
While everyone else sits on their bottoms and do nothing thank you Rabbi Weiss for having the courage to stand up for the Jewish people! They also ridiculed Moshe Rabbeinu when he stop up for the Jews.
All this rabbis and their similars didn’t give a hood when yidden were gassed and burned in auschwitz and treblinka what a waste of human society let them sit in jail
I looked at the footage of Ahmadinejad at U.N. I first was wondering, what color tie would look best on this guy’s shirt. After careful thought, I decided that a noose would look best.
Wow what a Chilul Hasham, when the Charydim do it in Israel the world at least dose not see this, but in Manhattan what a Chilul Hasham.
dose so called rabbis give legitimacy for ALL the resent demonstrations in Israel by the Eida Hachridis.
I personal think that the Eida Hachridis should give them a call and thank them for there good job they have done.
All of you people who have a problem with these protests, I’d love to hear what you are doing to stand up for Jews all over the world against this Hitler (y”sh) wannabe. While the rest of the Jewish community sits around and turns a blind eye, at least these people are doing something.
Avi Weiss will do anything to get his picture in the newspaper or on television. He probably has it in his contract . Time could be better spent doing something else
and more productive.
Bottom line, 1 day before, thousands of chasidim went to demonstrate against Israeli PM in front of the UN, and there was not one incident with the police, no traffic disobedience and no civil disobedience, and of course no arrests.
Why can’t the modern and reform learn from the chasidim some manners and derech eretz, and stop with the chilul Hashems.
would this happen in Mea shearim, all critics would be here with loud speakers to condemn the “chilul” and “they should go find a job” and “they should be thrown to prison and throw away the key”…
all of sudden when it’s in the malchus shel chesed USA it’s ok?
Hurray for no violence, rock throwing, spitting, garbage burning or bringing kavod shamayim down to the ground. Standing up for injustise is an honor.
This is no different than protesting for the Soviet Refusniks in the 70’s. It worked then, it will work now.
B”H, we have rabbis who fight for emes! Heroes!
I assume all you that are accusing these people of Chilul Hashem are joking! they were peaceful and protesting something that affects all of us! not just satmar and neturei karta and haters of Israel. This was no! chilul Hashem. this is how we protested for soviet jewry years ago, and eventually it was effective!
This was a simple act of civil disobedience. There was no violence at all. Thank you for standing up to this monster!
Oh, and Ross – way to go! We miss you since you moved to Red Bank.
good for them. shame in ther face. this is the true chillel hashem!
The people who made this protest made it in earnest, they were not violent they were willing to deal with the consequences of their actions and not blame any body else like grown men should. They did it for a worthy cause, protesting against a monster who wants to kill Jews no matter how long or short their payos may or how long their skirts are. They stood up for all of us and as such they deserve our respect. Yashchar!
For the people who call this Chilul Hashem think about the civil disobedience in the South during civil rights movement. This is not a Chilul Hashem. The Haredim beating up Israeli Police, throwing stones at people and burning property is Chilul Hashem .
These Rabbis are taking an extra step to get attention from the word and media to show that we are not going to stand by quiet with signs when Hitler’s philosophy is being adapted by a regional power–IRAN. During WWII most orthodox and secular Jewish communities failed to mobalize and make a political impact to save the Jews of Europe. Today these Rabbis are applying lessons learned.
Stop comparing them to the Satmar protest. Satmar protest was a ridiculous protest from an embarrassed community that continues to defend an abusive mother because they won’t accept that such a thing can happen in their “perfect” community so they try to blame other for the failures of their community leaders to deal with child abuse, and other problems that affects every group.
Not New York Finests’ finest hour, arressting a group of harmless Rabbis, give me a break!
it is kind of funny that the very same people promoting this kind of civil disobedience and getting arrested to prove a point are the very same rabbis leaders and advocates of a group promoting ethics and ethical standars in the jewish community. obviously, they dont practice what they preach
these is exactly the way a civil disobedience demonstration is supposed be.
There at two thing how one demonstrates and what they are demonstrating against.
This protest passes both. The satmer protest does not pass both.
Every one of the rabbis who was actually arrested was Orthodox. The reform and conservative ones all left the street so they didn’t get arrested.