3 Chabad Leaders Invited To Obama Crown Heights Speech Today
Rabbi Shea Hecht, Rabbi Chanina Sperlin and Mrs. Devorah Halberstam
received official invitations from the White House on Wednesday to join
the President in the public school on Albany Avenue.
The Yeshiva World reports:
Beside Governor Cuomo, Mayor Bloomberg and Bill de Blasio’s presence, three prominent Crown Heights-Chabad leaders will be in the crowd when President Barack Obama delivers an address connecting education and economic growth in Brooklyn this afternoon, COLlive has learned.
According to the report, Rabbi Shea Hecht, Rabbi Chanina Sperlin and Mrs. Devorah Halberstam received official invitations from the White House on Wednesday to join the President in the public school on Albany Avenue.
Sperlin, intergovernmental liaison for the Crown Heights Jewish Community Council, was initially invited and was asked to recommend a “local community leader.”
He recommended Hecht, Chairman of the National Committee for Furtherance of Jewish Education (NCFJE), which is involved in the public school system with its Released Time program to teach Judaism to Jewish pupils.
Also on the guest list is Devorah Halberstam, Director of Foundation & Government Services at the Jewish Children’s Museum in Brooklyn and an advocate against terrorism ever since her son Ari was murdered on the Brooklyn Bridge.
The White House said Mr. Obama will “discuss the importance of ensuring that the next generation of middle class American workers and entrepreneurs has the skills they need to compete and win in a global economy.”
Hey Rabbi Hecht, how about an equivalent “Released Time” program for Lubavitch kids to be taken out of their “schools” and be taught some basic math, science and history and computer skills? Obama’s speech is about ensuring children have the skills they need for the global economy and they invite rabbis who do everything possible to prevent this outcome. As for the “Jewish Children’s Museum” – I’ll bet it doesn’t have much of a dinosaur exhibit!
Posted by: Allan | October 25, 2013 at 01:30 PM
It does not appear as though they accepted. Given that candles get lit in about an hour, I'm not entirely sure you can read a lot into it.
On one hand - closing down the street in Crown Heights on a Friday afternoon was not an astute political move. On the other, I'm pretty sure he knows how many votes he cost the Democrats (6? 7?) vs how many he would have gained by coming on a Thursday (that number is 0) and made a good decision.
Posted by: rebitzman - $101 to read my posts | October 25, 2013 at 03:25 PM
hecht? any relation to uvruhum hecht? that with problems at Israeli immigration for (reuydef) incitement to murder?
Posted by: Yosef ben Matitya | October 27, 2013 at 08:26 AM
@Yosef - His brother's son.
Posted by: rebitzman - $101 to read my posts | October 27, 2013 at 08:40 AM
To Yosef ben...
Just a reminder.
Shea Hect took over for his father JJ Hect whose 90th birthday is tomorrow. (24 Cheshvan)
BTW Chanina Sperlin was the one that got the invite for him & 2 others. After the prez spoke, Chanina shook hands with him and spoke to him for 30 seconds. (that's a lot from a president.)
Posted by: put a square into a hole | October 27, 2013 at 08:59 AM