Crown Heights - Day 2

This past Tuesday was a very special day in Crown Heights. It was the yahrtzeit for their beloved Rebbe Menachem Schneerson. His . Jews who follow his teachings, members of the Chabad Lubavitch, traveled from all over the world to Brooklyn to be part of the observance of his passing twenty years ago. Not a sad occasion, it was more a celebration of his life and teaching and an opportunity for the children of the community to see videos of him and learn about his spiritual principles.

In strong contrast to the Satmar sect living in Williamsburg, the people were open and welcoming to anyone who wanted to experience the occasion. I had many invitations to put on tfilin. One day I may actually do it. Usually I post only a few photos from each day I visit a neighborhood, but there were so many wonderful opportunities, and I expect to be returning there tomorrow and hopefully will have many more to show. So here's a batch:

Crown Heights/Inspired Eye Magazine

At the bottom of this post is the link for Issue 11 of Inspired Eye Magazine in which I was honored with a featured few of my street photos and an interview. 

Yesterday I explored an area of Brooklyn which I hadn't yet visited - Crown Heights is the world home of the Chabad-Lubavitcher chasidic movement. The synagogue at 770 Eastern Parkway was the seat of Rabbi Menachem Schneerson's ministry. He was a beloved leader and his presence is profound throughout the neighborhood. It is an entirely different community in comparison to the Satmar chasidim who reside in Williamsburg. The Satmars are very closed off and inward directed. Not at all hospitable to outsiders (and photographers trying to work their way in .... ahem). As I walked the streets of Crown Heights the people were friendly, easy to talk with, and quite a few suggested I visit the main synagogue, fondly referred to as 770. I was told that Tuesday of this week was the 20th anniversary of Rebbe Schneerson's passing, his yartzeiht, so I intend to go back tomorrow afternoon for many more photos.

When I went inside 770 I was struck by how many people were there - studying, reading, chatting, eating, davening (praying). I took many pictures, had quite a few conversations, and showed my earlier work from the Lower East Side and Williamsburg which I have on my iPad. So many wonderful pictures there, and more coming tomorrow. Here's a sample of what I've worked on so far:

Here's the link for the magazine:

http://www.theinspiredeye.net/product/inspired-eye-issue-11/

http://www.theinspiredeye.net/street-photography-magazine/

Mermaid Parade, Coney Island NY

Halloween in June. Exhibitionist heaven. What more need be said?

Uncle Sam (on stilts):

Mayor de Blasio (not on stilts, but plenty tall anyway) and the first lady (can you imagine Mr Bloomberg in a pirate outfit?):

Plenty of security (I felt sooooo safe):

But I don't wanna be ina parade!:

Not every spectator had a good time:

Just one color shot to spice things up a bit:

A Hot Day In Brooklyn

Summer scorchers are here, a bit early. I wonder what August has in store for us! I took a walk in Williamsburg yesterday and met some interesting people. I can't understand why anyone would wear black frock coats, vests, and hats in this heat. But to each his own .....

Kids are kids, no matter what.

Father's Day Special

Nothing to do with Father's day, this post. Well ok, maybe one or two pics. Beautiful spring weather in June cried out for a photo walk around midtown yesterday. Here's what I saw:

Who dat guy takin' a picha?

Incognito:

Too many hands!

And his wife behind him was carrying a newborn. Hope she's gettin' overtime!

Another New Torah

As I mentioned previously here, A Torah scroll doesn't become kosher until the last few letters are added and appropriate rituals are observed. Yesterday I was invited to the last remaining Yeshiva on Manhattan's Lower East Side, Mesivtha Tifereth Jerusalem, for the finishing of a new torah. This time, however, the installation took place at the same time so I had the opportunity to photograph the ceremony and festivities attendant to it.

I shot over 600 exposures with both the X-T1, with the 10-24mm lens, and the X-Pro1, with the 18-55 lens. Lots of editing and processing work to do. Just for starters here's some images I processed in Lightroom and Nik Silver Efex Pro 2. I have many more images to process, more to come.

The Torah scribe, referred to a Sofer:

With Rabbi David Feinstein, the head of the Yeshiva and a highly renown Talmud scholar:

With Rabbi Shmuel Spiegel, whose help has been invaluable in continuing the project which I began over twenty years ago with his father, Rabbi Jacob Spiegel:

The golden crown and breastplate of the Torah:

Children of the Yeshiva watching the sofer write in the final letters:

Cantor Joseph Malovaney:

Dancing with the new Torah scrolls:

More From Bushwick

A few more shots taken at the Bushwick Open House event on May 31st.