History of Crown Heights

In 1940, Crown Heights was one of New York City's premier neighborhoods with tens of mansions, tree-lined streets, an array of cultural institutions and parks, and a large number of fraternal, social and community organizations. In 1950, there were 75,000 Jews here.

Crown Heights had begun as a posh residential neighborhood, a "bedroom" for Manhattan's growing middle class. As the neighborhood began to age and suburbia beckoned, middle class flight began, slowly at first, spiraling in later years. As many of the more established Jews left, and apartment vacancies increased, pressures mounted on property owners to rent to low income individuals and families. Concurrently, private home property values began to fall, and both middle class families felt compelled to move out before their investments decreased even more in value. Their place was taken primarily by refugees from Eastern Europe, Afro-American and Hispanic minorities.

The early '60s were a time of turbulence in race relations. Riots and violence plagued New York and other American cities. Crown Heights was an epicenter of frustration and victims of knifings, beatings, and muggings were all too common.

This downward spiral in neighborhood social and economic status left a large proportion of elderly, infirm and poor, including newly arrived immigrants who could not or would not leave. During the Johnson administration, Crown Heights was declared a primary poverty area due to a high unemployment rate, high juvenile and adult crime rate, poor nutrition for lack of family income, relative absence of job skills and readiness to work, and a relatively high concentration of elderly residents. Many Jews chose to leave Crown Heights, hoping to avoid these problems.

The Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, arrived in this country in 1941 and settled in Crown Heights. Observing first hand what has been commonly referred to as "white flight", the Rebbe posed a different solution: to meet the problems head-on. "There is no reason for Jews to flee the neighborhoods where they have established their homes, businesses, and religious and cultural institutions," he declared.

And the Lubavitch community listened. The neighborhood became a center for growth and development. Pioneering community leaders set up neighborhood watch organizations, housing associations, and other social service projects. Ultimately, all these came under the direction of a single umbrella organization: the Crown Heights Jewish Community Council.

When we think of New York City's main tourist attractions - the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building, the United Nations, and other Manhattan landmarks come to mind. But what would you say if someone told you that there is a neighborhood in Brooklyn that is visited by scores of tourist buses every week? Do you know that tens of thousands of people from the United States and from around the world plan trips to New York just to spend time in Crown Heights? Or that the world's largest Jewish Children's Museum is due to open in late 2003 in Crown Heights? That the revenue which all of this brings not only to the neighborhood itself, but to New York City as a whole, totals millions of dollars a year?

The binding power for the Crown Heights community is the Lubavitcher Rebbe, a model of leadership. The Rebbe is an example of a person who was able to inspire his followers with a long-term vision that endows their efforts with meaning and depth. He advanced the knowledge of the Jewish community in numerous areas of Torah scholarship. He initiated the Teshuvah movement which brought hundreds of thousands of Jews back to their Jewish roots. His counsel was sought by leaders of the American Jewish community, trend-setters within the Israeli government and opposition, and political figures of local and national stature in the U.S. and throughout the world.

Maintaining the Crown Heights community was a priority for the Rebbe. He is the one who decided the community would remain in Crown Heights, and throughout the years, he guided community policy. And it was he who encouraged the democratic elections that determined the community's present leadership.

Unfortunately, the positive elements of life in Crown Heights are not the only things that have attracted national and international attention. On several occasions, racial tensions have erupted in the community, thrusting Crown Heights into the headlines. These are problems that have no easy answers and they cannot be ignored. They are problems much larger than Crown Heights, part of the process of transition and change propelling the development of our post-industrial society.

It is our feeling that in a society where the maps are continually being redrawn and the rate of change has gone off the graph, the only way to insure the growth and stability of society is to build a life based on spiritual purpose. The problems will be solved on the personal level, as people use genuine values to build their lives, those of their families, and the structure of the community in which they live.

When former-Mayor Dinkins visited the Rebbe in the midst of the riots of 1991, the Rebbe told him, "We are one people, with one G-d and one government." Again, the Rebbe supplied the needed tools and perspective that enables us, together, to meet the challenges of harmoniously living together in our communities.

As we move into the future, Lubavitch is strenghthening, not weakening its roots in Crown Heights. More and more schools and social service organizations have been funded within the community. Many immigrants from Russia have settled within the community. Kingston Avenue has become a thriving business area, and the direction is toward continued growth.

One of keystones of the Rebbe's message to us was the imminence of Moshiach's coming. But the Rebbe was sharing more than a time frame. He was telling us that we have the opportunity to anticipate the knowledge, harmony, and peace of that era in our lives at present. In Crown Heights, we are dedicated to building a community that reflects this potential. Why sit on the sidelines? Join in our efforts.