BY JASON COHEN
With recent attacks on
Jewish, Asian and Muslim
people, Community Board 11
hosted a unity rally on May
26 at Orchard Beach.
CB 11 Chairman Al
D’Angelo organized the
event, which featured civic
and religious leaders who
spoke about the need to bring
people together.
“Hate cannot drive out
hate, only love can do that,”
D’Angelo said. “Racism cannot
be legislated away and
can only be erased through
understanding.”
Among the people in attendance
was Community
Board 11 member and Bronx
Muslim Center Outreach Coordinator
Yahay Obeid.
Obeid moved to the borough
five years ago and
wanted to be involved in the
community. So, he attended a
49th Precinct Council meeting,
then the Morris Park
Association and Van Nest
Neighborhood Alliance.
Obeid recalled how he
was recently with a friend
who thought he wasn’t normal
to attend a meeting instead
of being at home watching
sports.
“I said I see myself as a
normal person because I
care about my community,”
Obeid explained. “I love the
Yankees, but I care about my
community more.”
Religious leaders Pastor
David Hernquist of the Van
Nest Assembly of God Church
and Rabbi Saadia Pewzner of
the Bronx Jewish Center both
stressed the need for people
to come together and respect
each other.
Hernquist, who has been
with the church for 31 years,
described it as a “loving
CB 11 Chairman Al D’Angelo speaks at the unity rally at Orchard Beach. Photos by Jason Cohen
multi-cultural congregation.”
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“God loves everybody
the same,” he stated. “He
made everyone in his image.
There’s no such thing as racial
superiority.”
Pewzner explained that
Jewish people say a prayer
in the morning claiming
to love their fellow man as
much as themselves and
one at night where they forgive
people who did things
against them.
The rabbi added that people
should not hold grudges.
“The only way we can be
real human beings is if we
are at peace with our neighbor,”
he said. “We have our
differences. We all come
from different backgrounds,
but in many ways we are all
very similar.”
“Hate cannot
drive out hate”
CB 11 holds unity rally
PRESTON HIGH SCHOOL Congratulations Class of 2021
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Analisa Rose Matranga
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Savannah Polanco
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Kaitlyn Briana Rodriguez
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