On February 9th, the 19th anniversary of the death of Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka Schneerson, thousands of Hasidic Jewish women flocked to her gravesite. She is buried alongside her husband, Chasidic leader Menachem Mendel Schneerson at Montefiore Cemetery, a Jewish cemetery located in Cambria Heights.
Cambria Heights is a middle class black neighborhood. Not too long ago, rallies and protests took place when the chasidic leader was buried there. It is rumored amongst the Jewish follows that he is the Messiah they had been waiting for. Many of his followers approached homeowners in the neighborhood with quick cash offers on the houses near and surrounding the cemetery to be “closer to the Messiah”. Some people were quick to accept, but most resisted. The rallies came about when the Jewish followers wanted to rent out the nearby park and elementary public school on the anniversary of Schneerson’s death. The protest took place with many community members including a nearby church.Â
Neighbors have stated that there is nowhere else for them to go, there is no other community like this one. Although it has been relatively quiet about the attempted “takeover,” from time to time, a homeowner will find a “sell now, get cash” flyer mixed in with their mail or on their windshield.
This is the link to an article on the woman who inspired the journey.
Your article is very interesting. There is a lot of tension between the African American community and the Jewish community in my neighborhood as well. I hope that this issue does not escalate into another riot like the one that happened in Crown Heights several years ago.