Dear YWN,
I am the same letter writer who blasted Mayor Mamdani last week for turning Flatbush into scenes of Germany in 1930. I feel compelled to write another letter.
A viral video circulating in the Flatbush Jewish community — and amplified by Councilwoman Inna Vernikov — is causing understandable concern among already anxious Jewish residents. But facts matter.
The video shows Muslim men praying on the sidewalk on East 16th Street near Avenue R, alongside the Prospect Park girls school building. (Side note, I had 5 daughters attend this school, and remain close to the administration.)
But several important facts are being conveniently ignored:
#1 — The video falsely implies the school is “on East 17th Street.” That is misleading. Actually, she is a blatant LIAR. The school building stretches from East 16th all the way through East 17th Street.
#2 — The mosque is literally next door to the school building on East 16th Street.
#3 — The mosque has been there for years without incident.
#4 — The mosque operates out of a tiny apartment space and, sometimes at their Friday prayer gathering, there simply is not enough room to accommodate everyone indoors.
#5 — There was no protest, no chanting anything anti-Semitic, no intimidation, no confrontation. They prayed and left.
#6 — Jewish communities across Brooklyn also have countless shtieblach operating out of apartments, basements, and converted homes because space is limited.
#7 — When Prospect Park’s own shul holds Kiddush Levana outside, or when there is a Hachnosas Sefer Torah spilling into the street — as happened recently — would anyone seriously call that “intimidation”?
Councilwoman Vernikov wrote:
“This is an ALL GIRLS Jewish school in my district. I’m all for prayer and free speech, but why do a bunch of GROWN MEN need to do this right outside of a school full of little Jewish girls??? Is not this what MOSQUES are for? Is this INTENTIONAL?”
After her original post, Vernikov added:
“Looks like there is a mosque right near the school, and these may be congregants. But the alarm from my constituents is understandable amidst the almost daily protests and emboldened public displays of antisemitism across our city which have blurred the line between provocation and genuine acts of religious faith. We shouldn’t have to live like this! PS: it’s not lawful to obstruct sidewalks!!!”
A councilwoman should actually know the houses of worship in her district before shooting from the hip (no pun intended).
And Vernikov writes: “it’s not lawful to obstruct sidewalks!!!”
What about Jews having Hachnosas Sifrei Torah to the tune of dozens each year, blocking sidewalks and streets every Sunday? Why would she ever go down this road? What a reckless thing to do. Wait until non-Jews turn the tables on us. Totally irresponsible.
But this kind of rhetoric, without context, only inflames tensions and frightens constituents who are already on edge because of very real antisemitic threats elsewhere in the city.
Not every Muslim gathering is a threat. Not every prayer service is intimidation.
There has been a massive mosque on Coney Island Avenue for decades with virtually no issues, and local Jewish leaders have worked cooperatively with mosque leadership on numerous neighborhood matters over the years.
The Jewish community absolutely has legitimate concerns about rising antisemitism and violent anti-Israel extremism in NYC. Those threats are real and should never be minimized.
But manufacturing panic over a prayer gathering next to a mosque that has existed peacefully for years does not help anyone. It only deepens division, fuels suspicion, and makes coexistence harder.
Signed by a real, Midwood, Brooklyn resident, anonymously, out of fear, my home will be set ablaze.
The views expressed in this letter are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of YWN. Have an opinion you would like to share? Send it to us for review.
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20 Responses
I will add that as religious Jews we should be delighted when we see the worship of Gd. When moshiach comes all the goyim will be praying to the one true hashem. We want to see more of this not less.
“What about Jews having Hachnosas Sifrei Torah to the tune of dozens each year, blocking sidewalks and streets every Sunday? Why would she ever go down this road? What a reckless thing to do. Wait until non-Jews turn the tables on us. Totally irresponsible.”
Uh, I hope hachnasas Sifrei Torah get permits from the city, as opposed to over here they probably didnt
The only glaring difference, as far as Coney Island Avenue is concerned, our beloved NYPD allows the Muslim worshipers to double park all the way from Avenue to Avenue for as long as their prayers take. If one double parks in front of a Yeshiva or Shul for 5 seconds, our beloved ticket givers place a $115 ticket on your windshield. Why does our beloved NYPD treat the Muslims better than the white Orthodox Jews?!
Councilwoman Vernikov is 100% correct.
Over the past 1,400+ years, Muslims have never hesitated to kidnap Jewish children.
Over the past 1,400+ years, Muslims have never hesitated to enslave Jewish children.
Over the past 1,400+ years, Muslims have never hesitated to beat-up Jewish children.
Over the past 1,400+ years, Muslims have never hesitated to rape Jewish children.
Over the past 1,400+ years, Muslims have never hesitated to torture Jewish children.
Over the past 1,400+ years, Muslims have never hesitated to murder Jewish children.
Muslims and Christians DO NOT worship the same G*D that we do.
Article is spot on… fear mongering needs to stop. Thonk about it: Only because these prayers are allowed—our outside Judaism is tolerated in the free country… not so?
When I pass a church in my neighborhood singing —I’m disgusted but thankful that they don’t come out with clubs to shlugen the yiddin.
This fearmongering is spread by the Zionists, who need Muslims to be their enemy.
Islam is all about intimidation. Don’t believe me? Get yourself a Quran and start reading.
“out of fear, my home will be set ablaze”
Are you going that far in smearing fellow jews
You’re a real שאנדע. Check your יוחס
There’s questions to be asked. Have they done this before when space was an issue? Does the school have a good relationship with them? Was everyone aware that they are next door? If this was already common practice then people shouldn’t jump to conclusions
I disagree with you. How do you compare kiddush levana gathering to moslems gathering in public prayer. The only time i experienced any semblance of rough behavior in a shul gathering is at a kiddush after davening. Get out of the way!
Hachnosos sefer Torah gets approved and coordinated by the city. No threats, intimidations, or violent attacks were ever made.
Moslems men praying in public, sorry, they lost their don lkaf zchus.
But im sure you wouldnt have any issues walking in a dark alleyway with a group of young moslems approaching you. Can you say Pampers?
It wouldn’t be the comments section on YWN if you didn’t have someone questioning someone else’s yichus. It’s hard to imagine what the moderators don’t let through.
I agree with this letter.
If you are a yirwi shamayim, the prayers of Muslims should not concern us AT ALL.
America needs more people Praying.
In every group there are sincere people praying to The Creator.
Those are chasidei Umos ha’Olam, and we are better off if they pray!
HaShem is perfectly capable of ignoring the prayers of those who wish to hurt us. Meanwhile, it keeps them out of trouble!
Additionally, having people show up for prayer keeps them visible to the public.
If you are intimidated by prayer of non Jews, I wonder if you really believe
1. Hashem is the One True G-d,
2. the Torah is His Word
3. We are Am Hanivchar, and Torah Validates that Special Relationship
A big issue about nothing.
R Shmuel Salanter held to keep 4 amot from a praying Muslim as you woukd from an Yid. So, if there is no association with violence, we probably should hold by that.
This posting seems like Islamic “taqiyya”, i.e. material designed to mislead the “infidels”.
First the posting states “The mosque operates out of a tiny apartment space”
Then the posting states “There has been a massive mosque on Coney Island Avenue”.
Which one of the above is true?
Many Jews want to bury their heads in the sand about the extreme danger posed by Islam.
Muslims are constantly praying outside not because their mosques are filled but in order to intimidate the “infidels”.
They didn’t scream, intimidate, or protest, they just prayed? I think everyone who thinks they were just being good Muslims should do a research on how they mark territories. Please do your research and learn about the political side of Islam, remember, they hate Jews more than they hate dogs. When a Muslim smiles at you, he is just showing his teeth.
There were frum judenrat also. Have you followed the patterns of every Muslim majority neighborhood? Askonim are also fools often.
Thanks for the letter. Spot on.
@Square_Root. Wrong. The Muslims DO worship the same G-D as us. As one commenter here brings from R Shmuel Salant (I’ve always heard it from R Yehoshua Leib Diskin) , he would not walk in front of (4 Amos) a praying Muslim.
Christians on the other hand, believe in Shituf R”L.
“RightJew”: First the posting states “The mosque operates out of a tiny apartment space”
Then the posting states “There has been a massive mosque on Coney Island Avenue”.
Hey, genius, both are true! There’s no contradiction at all. It takes a real chochom from ma nishtana to think there’s any contradiction. And if you’d ever driven or walked up Coney Island Ave you would already have known about the giant mosque. The tiny shtibel on E 16th St not so much.
Muslims who live in Muslim countries DO NOT
pray in the streets or on the sidewalks.
They only do that in non-Muslim countries,
to intimidate non-Muslims.
Just before Mohammed (the Founder Of Islam) died,
his final words in this world were:
“OH GOD, KILL THE CHRISTIANS AND THE JEWS!”
Not enlighten the Christians and the Jews — KILL them!
These are the final words of the man who Islam claims
was THE PERFECT MAN, who must be imitated by everyone.