Con Ed helps right-wing religious group

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Con Ed helps right-wing religious group

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JoshKarpf
rookie newb
Joined: Dec '10
Posts: 29

Last week, the ultra-Orthodox group Chabad, best known for asking strangers "Are you Jewish?", celebrated Hanukkah at its giant menorah in Brooklyn's Grand Army Plaza.

Chabad is less well known for opposing homosexuality, secular higher education, and women's rights including birth control; and for Israel-right-or-wrong politics that lead its members to vote for conservative, entitlements-opposed politicians even though their own large, poor families often need public benefits. Yet its intolerant "emissaries" proselytize in progressive Park Slope. Some Chabad members even believe that their last leader, the late Menachem Schneerson, never died, or that he did die but will return to life as a messiah.

This menorah's oil lanterns were lit by a cherry-picker, a service donated by Con Edison. One night last week, one day before the Connecticut massacre, an officiant promoted Schneerson's program for a moment of silence in public schools to "promote morality" and "reduce violence."

# Posted 5 mos ago
whynot_31
Former Lurker
Joined: Mar '06
Posts: 16,069

I see no reason to become excited over Con Ed donating the use of one its trucks to a group I am not a part of.

But thank you for the opportunity.

BTW, today, the elected leader of our city (Mayor Bloomberg) gave a proclamation to a Catholic organization, headed by the "ultra right wing" Cardinal Timothy Dolan: http://www.nynp.biz/index.php/breaking-news/13127-its-qcatholic-medical-mission-board-dayq-in-nyc.html

two yawns in one thread.

For better or worse, the change on Nostrand is going to make the change on Franklin look minor.

# Posted 5 mos ago
SlopeDuder
getting it
Joined: Jan '10
Posts: 160

These guys are annoying as f*ck stop asking me if i am jewish every 2 blocks. I am going to knock that thing over.

# Posted 5 mos ago
SlopeDuder
getting it
Joined: Jan '10
Posts: 160

Oh, I remember now I even humored one of them once, he tells me "Go to our website it explain everything!" So I went to the website and the entire thing is in Hebrew. (I do not speak or read Hebrew, I told him I was not Jewish.) So now I think they are just master trolls set out to agitate people.

# Posted 5 mos ago
booklaw
admin
Joined: Nov '07
Posts: 2,402

They're trolls, all right, but they're not out to annoy people... They're trolling for converts ... Jewish converts... to their cult.

# Posted 5 mos ago
whynot_31
Former Lurker
Joined: Mar '06
Posts: 16,069

If you have a few minutes, this related film has pretty excellent Jaws theme music...

http://youtu.be/5e4mXTmpzJs

Viewers should decide on the applicability of the contents.

For better or worse, the change on Nostrand is going to make the change on Franklin look minor.

# Posted 5 mos ago
Magicube
getting it
Joined: Mar '10
Posts: 61

Next time, do what I do: reply "No, are you?"

SlopeDuder said:
These guys are annoying as f*ck stop asking me if i am jewish every 2 blocks. I am going to knock that thing over.

# Posted 5 mos ago
ringrunner
above average
Joined: Mar '08
Posts: 704

They are really desperate to get Jewish men to use tefillin. Sometimes you can get them to pay you to do it.

http://whatyourdonotknowbecauseyouarenotme.blogspot.com/2010/01/mitzvah.html

Don't get me started

# Posted 5 mos ago
SlopeDuder
getting it
Joined: Jan '10
Posts: 160

Magicube said:
Next time, do what I do: reply "No, are you?"

I HAVE done that, they just say Yes! right away.
OK, one time I was on subway and one sat right next to me and he immediately started in as soon as I sat down. I tell him "none of your business" about 50 different ways, and he kept badgering me, finally he asked, "is your MOTHER jewish?" and I slipped up and say "no" so of course I was immediately dead to him and he pretend I don't exist for rest of ride.

One time I was walking to the playground with my son and I got asked along the way, then i get to the playground and there are 2 MORE INSIDE the playground asking everyone there. I say to them, YOU GUYS JUST ASKED ME NOT 2 MINUTES AGO!@! but then they just play stupid like they don't know what you are talking about and you are a complete idiot and go about their business.

# Posted 5 mos ago
Mamacita
Stuck in the middle with you
Joined: Dec '06
Posts: 9,485

Funny, you don't look Druish. #~~meatballs~~ #spaceballs

(\__/)
(=’.'=)
(”)_(”)

# Posted 5 mos ago
booklaw
admin
Joined: Nov '07
Posts: 2,402

Wasn't that line from Spaceballs (rather than Meatballs)?

# Posted 5 mos ago
Mamacita
Stuck in the middle with you
Joined: Dec '06
Posts: 9,485

HA! you're right. I had my balls mixed up

(\__/)
(=’.'=)
(”)_(”)

# Posted 5 mos ago
tateinbk
above average
Joined: Jun '11
Posts: 502

I'll take the "Are you Jewish?" people over the "Can I talk to you about Jesus?" ones. Worse is the ancient "The weak shall inherit the earth" subway preacher who toddles down the aisles handing out pamphlets and talking about how wealthy people are evil and poor people are god's chosen ones. But nothing is worse than a stray subway preacher who goes off, shouting on an early morning subway. At least with the "Are you Jewish" a simple NO ends the conversation. I say "no, happy holidays" they reply nicely in closing and that's that. No panties get in a twist. Jeebers.

Honestly, the invite to the Menorah thing sounded nice. People of all faiths were invited and they had latkes. Mmmmmm, latkes.

# Posted 5 mos ago
whynot_31
Former Lurker
Joined: Mar '06
Posts: 16,069

Mrs. Whynot makes really good latkes.

For better or worse, the change on Nostrand is going to make the change on Franklin look minor.

# Posted 5 mos ago
jarvis
getting it
Joined: Aug '05
Posts: 172

Once I actually said yes and they handed me a Menorah and some candles - when I continued to say that my Father was Jewish, but my mother's not... well, they straightup snatched everything right out of my hands and no longer spoke to me.

Ever since, when asked I either say: "Not according to you" or just tell them I think it's inappropriate for men to be approaching/hounding women walking alone on the street. This usually gets them to back off.

# Posted 5 mos ago
metalnyc
None Louder
Joined: Jul '07
Posts: 151

booklaw said:
They're trolls, all right, but they're not out to annoy people... They're trolling for converts ... Jewish converts... to their cult.

Not even close, bud. What they're actually doing is looking for secular Jews who don't practice often or if at all and will say a prayer with them. That's it, nothing more, nothing less. It's against Judaism to proselytize.

# Posted 4 mos ago
ringrunner
above average
Joined: Mar '08
Posts: 704

metalnyc said:
Not even close, bud. What they're actually doing is looking for secular Jews who don't practice often or if at all and will say a prayer with them. That's it, nothing more, nothing less. It's against Judaism to proselytize.

So they are looking to convert secular Jews to their cult?

Don't get me started

# Posted 4 mos ago
booklaw
admin
Joined: Nov '07
Posts: 2,402

Yes, I believe that is exactly right.

# Posted 4 mos ago
GoodProspect
getting it
Joined: Feb '09
Posts: 184

They believe that every time a Jew does a mitzvah (like men wrapping tefillin or women lighting Shabbat candles) that it gathers in the holy sparks that were dispersed by God when God's creation was created. It is through the gathering in of those holy sparks that the world will be ready for the messiah to come. They are rabid in their fervency because they believe that every time they can get you to put on tefillin, they are helping to bring the messiah. Doesn't matter that you may have no idea what you're doing - it is the act of putting them on that has the potential to bring the messiah.

They just don't get how annoying they are to the rest of us - who happen to be located close enough to Crown Heights that these well-intentioned but clueless people on a mission flood our neighborhoods.

Proud to be a naturalized citizen of the greatest city on earth.

# Posted 4 mos ago
whynot_31
Former Lurker
Joined: Mar '06
Posts: 16,069

^yup^

Over Thanksgiving, I did what seemed to be a "pretty officially sanctioned" walking tour of the Lubavitch community with my parents.

At $41, it wasn't cheap, but it sure was interesting:

http://www.zerve.com/JewishTours/PubWalk

For better or worse, the change on Nostrand is going to make the change on Franklin look minor.

# Posted 4 mos ago