Caribbean Parade on Eastern Parkway

[Yankel Nosson]

I crossed Eastern Parkway in the midst of the Caribbean parade -- do I have to bentch gomel?

[n'eNow770]

Three of them were stabbed at the "parade", and according to rumor, they will soonly be pronounced dead.

[shoyn]

YN you can remove the paint now

[Gevurah]

To spend $2 at Kehos :cool:

[Yankel Nosson]

Did they hold this "celebration" on Eastern Parkway before Gimmel Tammuz?

[Yankel Nosson]

My boss is out of the office today, so I'll tell over my maiseh.

Contrary to Gevurah's sevora, I wasn't going to the Kehot sale. I had the day off and my son wanted to go to Crown Heights so that I would buy him a parshas Devorim coloring book from a certain series that he likes. My wife didn't want to go but my son really did, so he and I went alone. Believe me, if I'd have known it was the day of that parade...:(

The NYPD had the area closed off to cars so thoroughly that my son and I wound up circling Crown Heights. I kept thinking "okay, a couple of blocks and then the streets will be open, I can park there." I was wrong. There were police barricades at every cross street. After a few fruitless circles through the heart of darkness Brooklyn, we got detoured all the way around to Prospect Park. I tried going around the park and all the streets were blocked until Atlantic Avenue. I got onto Atlantic Avenue and it was miserable--no turns, traffic creeping along, my son was getting hungry, no bathroom but great need for one...you can imagine. Fortunately my son fell asleep, so he didn't have to suffer his hunger at this point. But what would be?

We inched along on Atlantic Ave, and when we passed Kingston there was no relief in sight. We were approaching Albany when I started feeling like I was wasting time, so I started to recite the little bit of Tanya that I know b'al peh. Just at the moment I started saying Tanya I saw that the cops at the corner of Albany were opening up the barricade to let a car through. I thought to myself, maybe I should go over and tell them I need to go to the synagogue, but why would they make an exception for me? Then I saw that they were letting another car go through without questioning the driver. This was my chance! I quickly turned all the way from the left lane on Atlantic Ave onto Albany, where three of the NYPD's finest "ladies auxiliary" were standing at the barricade.

A short, angry lady cop came over and banged on the car window, waving her finger at me, telling me that a right turn from the left lane was a moving violation, etc., etc. I put what I hoped was a look of shame on my face. But since this was an eis ratzon, she just stormed off in a huff, and the other cop let me through. :silly: Somehow we managed to find a parking spot and I was able to step out of the car for the first time in five hours! I woke my son up to walk over to 770. "Baruch Hashem..." I thought "finally, we made it." But it was premature...

We walked over to Kingston and then down to Eastern Parkway. When we got there there was a big, VERY LOUD float rolling down the street, along with what can only be described as a RIVER of Carribean Americans. Those who have seen it, know (r"l). I didn't think there was any way we could possibly go across among the motorized floats and mass of people. But did we come all this way just to look longingly at the "promised land" from "m'ever laYarden"?

After the float passed by, I saw that there weren't any other floats in sight, only masses and masses of people flowing down Eastern Parkway. I picked up my son in my arms (who had his fingers in his ears from the noise) and started reciting "Tanya, b'sof perek gimmel..." and waded into the loosely packed crowd (mamash an ibbur of Nachson ben Aminadav!). I managed to cut across the parkway while walking with the flow of the crowd, and baruch Hashem, we managed to get to the opposite corner of Kingston and Eastern Parkway unscathed! (Although one guy in the crowd had looked at us and said "you got the wrong parade, man, you got the wrong parade!")

We went in to 770, giving generous tzedakah to the Russian ladies. We washed up, etc., and I bought my son a snack from the vending machine. Then we proceeded upstairs where I davened a most heartfelt Mincha. While my son ran up and down the bima and over to kiss the paroches, I learned the portion of Tanya for Kaf Elul, and then we were off to Judaica World to satisfy my son's taivos before getting a slice of pizza.

And after all that, can you imagine his response: as we headed home, my son tells me that this was "probably the best day I ever had." ??! Yagaati uMatzasi -- Taamin!

[Gevurah]

Yes. Even b4 3T. Not to be critical but it shows how being an insider on CT does not make one a card carrying member. It is a given to be out of town that day if you are bothered by the entertainment. I do recall once having to help a close friend then move out of CH that day as the lease was up etc...maybe it was 5750 or 1? Oy.

[Groisah Tzaddik]

Wow YN that sounds like one of the old stories of the chassidim travelling throughthe forests and woods with robbers and bears and whatnot to see their Rebbe.

And I cant believe you walked through the "Amazon river" with your son!!! Wasnt he sacared? I was scared just reading it!! (JK :glasses:)

[Yankel Nosson]

I won't comment on "robbers and bears" but there sure was a lot of "whatnot" ;) :(

And somehow my son wasn't scared. I guess he's still temimisdik and doesn't know what lurks in the hearts of men. Probably it was his emunah peshuta that carried the day.

Gevurah--why the hazhara? Thinkest thou I am of the sug halazeh who "carry cards" printed on the internet? I'm not found in the Anash listing, neither online nor hardcopy. V'da"l.

[Gevurah]

just a point....academic...I sometimes ponder what it would have been like if all those BTs from the 1960's etc pre-internet had more access to what Chabad is b4 they stepped in.... A Shaliach used to meet someone in oblivion and by the time they got into the Rebbe, thru the washing machine and out of yshiva with a shidduch they still were clueless about Chabad, the Rebbe etc as compared woth today.

[AskMoses]

Its like this Parade is so important the Yeshiva's can't run normally...(jkjk)

[BaisHamikdashBa]

Its a yomtov so some yeshivos give time off!

[RavSiach]

just a point....academic...I sometimes ponder what it would have been like if all those BTs from the 1960's etc pre-internet had more access to what Chabad is b4 they stepped in.... A Shaliach used to meet someone in oblivion and by the time they got into the Rebbe, thru the washing machine and out of yshiva with a shidduch they still were clueless about Chabad, the Rebbe etc as compared woth today.

academic only?

[SeeTheLight]

Wow YN that sounds like one of the old stories of the chassidim travelling throughthe forests and woods with robbers and bears and whatnot to see their Rebbe.

And I cant believe you walked through the "Amazon river" with your son!!! Wasnt he sacared? I was scared just reading it!! (JK :glasses:)

Yankel forgot to mention how he lowered his rod (umbrella) and Hashem split the parade in front of him, as he walked across!

SeeTheLight

[SeeTheLight]

And after all that, can you imagine his response: as we headed home, my son tells me that this was "probably the best day I ever had." ??! Yagaati uMatzasi -- Taamin!

Just when you think you're doomed to failure, "Yagaati" always saves the day. That whole story reminds me of a phrase we learned in camp some 20+ years ago, "Hashem is always watching over me." Applies today as much as it did back then. Applies even more when your whole day is spent indirectly accomplishing "Torah tzivah.."

SeeTheLight

[AskMoses]

Yankel forgot to mention how he lowered his rod (umbrella) and Hashem split the parade in front of him, as he walked across!

SeeTheLight
Parade or the Black Sea?
:D

[Yankel Nosson]

I crossed Eastern Parkway in the midst of the Caribbean parade...
Almost came to the same mistake again this year :eek:

(Is it a sign of Chassidishkeit or prishus to not remember the date למניינם? ;) )

[Aaronke]

What about Mttisyahu? Where was he?!

[Returning]

Almost came to the same mistake again this year :eek:

(Is it a sign of Chassidishkeit or prishus to not remember the date למניינם? ;) )

I stopped myself from going to 770 for Maariv (I am around Empire) - the crowds did not seem dangerous but the sidewalks were so crowded there was no point in looking for trouble. The streets seemed quiet today when I went out to do some quick shopping.

[IAmSara]

One year Erev Rosh Hashana was Labor Day. The parade had to end by a certain time and from then on, it was always finished well before dark.

I still don't leave the house at all that day, and this year in our new apt (on East New York Avenue) which faces the back of a building, I saw no one in feathers or body paint! Smelled no roasted goat and hardly heard any noise. Ah, suburbia....

[Bittul]

Almost came to the same mistake again this year :eek:

(Is it a sign of Chassidishkeit or prishus to not remember the date למניינם? ;) )
A sign of unemployment... :disapp:

Put up signs next year: Do not cross the Kav Shachor.

[Yankel Nosson]

A sign of unemployment... :disapp:

Put up signs next year: Do not cross the Kav Shachor.

:D

Actually, according to chazal, Tohu lies beyond the Kav Yarok.

[Gevurah]

Kav Shachor

8KIng can correct me..but no such term....:ct-freak:

[Bittul]

Then your stream of consciousness did not lead you to political partitions of Eretz Yisroel.

[searching4truth]

Its a yomtov so some yeshivos give time off!
lol :laugh: