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Williamsburg vs. Williamsburg
By Mae Singerman / December 16, 2009
Two weeks ago, the City removed bike lanes in South Williamsburg, a primarily Hassidic community. Influential parts of the Hassidic community have been vocally unhappy about the lanes attracting scantily clad women bikers and bikers who don’t follow traffic laws. Simon Weisser, a member of Community Board 1, tells the Post, "I have to admit, it’s a major issue, women passing through here in that dress code. It bothers me, and it bothers a lot of people."
Last week, two self-identified "self-hating Jewish hipsters" were arrested for repainting and stenciling the bike lanes back onto Bedford Ave. These Jews represent the thousands of secular (or simply less observant than Hassadic) Jews who are part of the flux of hip, scantily clad and cost-conscious people moving into areas that are historically Hassadic enclaves. The lane removal has prompted outcry from bike activists and there have been lots of jabs made at the Hassidic community. Moshe Goldberger, a Hassid, complained to the Post that "unauthorized painting on New York City property is unlawful, but that is overlooked because it’s committed against the terrible Hasidim." The battle between two of Brooklyn’s most controversial and discussed subcultures- hipsters and Hasidim- leads me to ask questions that I don’t have answers for. First, what public actions and statements are considered Jewish? In all articles I saw on the story, only the Hasidim are written about as Jewish and their perspective is presented as the Jewish voice about the subject. What would it mean if the bike lane advocates did re-paint the streets not as "self-hating hipster Jews", but as proud Jewish rabble-rousers, who might be less observant but saw their protest as Jewish? Second, how can progressive Jews lovingly challenge Jews from all observance level, ethnicity, country or class, while acknowledging nuance, i.e., the right for community control vs. sustainable transportation?
This post originally appeared on JSpot.org and is reprinted with permission.
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Jewdo – I’m Jewish and I’m not Jew bashing. I’m bashing this particular community of schmucks. Williamsburg’s Chasidic community are the same people who threatened Abe Karpen with expulsion of his children from Jewish Day School if he acted in a movie! Forget that that movie role would’ve probably paid for his childrens’ yeshiva and college. Because of their pressure – he backed out of the movie so he could go back to selling kitchen cabinets making squat. This is a insular community who feels they are privileged and above any law of the land. Too bad that there is a bike lane and they don’t like it. The entire city has bike lanes and if bicyclists don’t follow the rules – they either get killed, injured, or ticketed. It is not up to the community to decide who passes through and via what mode they pass through. This is the United States. This is not a theocracy and this is not private property. If they want to be that insulated – they can buy some land somewhere else and build their own roads and make it gated and put a shul in there and have whatever rules they like.
Putting up a bike lane on Shabbat and not "consulting" the community before they put it up? Where do you think you are? Are you serious? These are public streets for the public. These streets don’t belong to the property owners or renters only. They don’t belong to the Chassidic community only. They belong to everyone. If you don’t get that then I really don’t know what more to say.
The best part of this whole thing is that the bicyclists took my idea of a topless demonstration and they’re doing it (or did it). So that just goes to show you – there are laws in place for EVERYONE and this community that uses extortion to keep their community members in check should be careful what they wish for.
A good day to all,
Mae Singerman hit the nail on the head when she mentioned
the issue of Community Control. The Chassidic community has been in
Williamsburg since at least the late 40’s early 50’s. For the record, the bike lane was put up by the City with
out consulting with the Chassidic community and on Shabbis no less.
Besides the position held by Mr. Wisser, the community has
always claimed that the issue is primarily one of safety. Many bicyclists do
not obey traffic laws in the community.
Members of the PD, the Chassidic community and Sanitation Dept., among
others, have expressed the opinion that the bicyclists are contributing to
dangerous traffic conditions on Bedford Ave which is already grossly over
crowded.
In response the Chassidic community lobbied the City to
remove the bike lanes as is the normal course of action for any community wants
to be heard. It is really the City
who should really get the blame, but hey we have a chance to bash some Jews so
lets do it! Fact of the
matter is there are still two bike lanes that go through Williamsburg on Kent
Ave and Wythe Ave, those Avenues run parallel to Bedford Ave. All should know
that you are still allowed by law to bicycle on Bedford although it has not
bike line, just please use a helmet and obey all the laws.
In a City that is as diverse as NY there will have to be
some give and take along with respecting the boundaries of your neighbors, that
how the City survives. The
Chassidim were there before the bikers and they will be there once many of
those hipsters are married and have moved out to Long Island. The Chassidim wanted no bike lines and
they got three. So they managed to have one removed what’s the big deal? I think the bicyclist should take the
“L”(loss) and keep it moving. In
regards to any “naked protests” that may or may happen, nothing would prove to
the Chassidim more that the bicyclist are a group of ‘wild animals’ with no
derech eretz than such a protest.
All I ask for is civility.
Wishing all of Klal Yisreal a good Shabbis.
I wonder if the Chasids know that it is legal for a woman to walk around without a shirt on in public in New York City? I foresee a protest against this ridiculous stance by the Chasidic community where women’s boobs will be exposed for all to see. That might shut them up and make them thankful for tanktops and bike shorts.
I have to agree with Rica. Needless to say this is very bad PR for us and this special-rules for Jews thing doesn’t ever quite work the way one would hope in the diaspora.
If the Chasidim hate seeing tight clothing (it’s rarely scantily clad – it’s just really tight), then perhaps they need to move to Judaea or Samaria or B’nai Brak or Meah Sharim and enjoy their traditional lifestyles in a place that accommodates it. You can’t expect the world to bend to your minority point of view. Just like Muslims should never expect special favors outside of Muslim countries, neither should we. It’s one thing to accommodate one’s schedule based on holidays – but to demand that bicycles be forbidden on public streets because you can’t control your lustful urges? That kind of thinking sure doesn’t entice me to become more religious, which is what Chasids should be striving for.
I’m
sorry – Brooklyn does NOT equal Meah Sh’arim! Nor is NY a Jewish State
(I know – shocking!) As a VERY happily proud Jew AND happy cyclist, I
say, “TOUGH NOOGIES!” What’s next? Removing car lanes because, in
summer, people drive in convertibles with the tops down, and they are
scantily clad in the car? Here’s a thou…ght
- DON’T LOOK/GAWK/STARE! Or, better yet, the cyclist is present, for
what, a couple of minutes? MAYBE? Don’t look! Bikers that don’t follow
traffic laws, that’s one thing – have a cop there to hand out tickets.
But give me a break! Cycling-Sistas in Brooklyn – lemma know when the
next paint-a-thon is! And Transportation Alternatives
- I hope you guys are ALL over this! AND that the NYC Century Tour goes
through Williamsburg next year! I’m wearing nothing but my Magen David
next year! (And my LIVESTRONG helmet, of course… )
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