East Village ‘Spiritual Sounds’ unites world of faiths
BY CHRISS WILLIAMS
The pews of Most Holy Redeemer-
Nativity Church in the East Village
were packed with Christians,
Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, Hindus and
the unaffiliated on Jan. 26 to listen to
the 11th annual “Spiritual Sounds; An
Evening of Faith, Recitation and Music.”
The topic of religion and spiritual
practice has long been a point of contention
for communities inside and outside
of New York City but not in this space.
Spiritual Sounds is not political in
nature or promoting anything other than
unity in diversity. For two hours, attendees
witnessed members from a variety of
faith communities perform and engage
in what the German theologian Rudolf
Otto called the “numinous,” communicating
with God, others, the universe and
themselves through sound.
The event allowed people to witness
humanity outside of their social filter
bubbles, an experience the event’s creator
and organizer Anthony Donovan says is
uncommon.
Donovan addressed those gathered
inside Most Holy Redeemer- Nativity
Church, with awe and praise as their
simple act of attending the event demonstrated
tremendous strength.
PHOTO BY CHRISS WILLIAMS
Middle Collegiate Church choir led by John Delcueto.
Remembering East Village cops slain 48 years ago
BY GABE HERMAN
Monday marked a gruesome anniversary
in the history of the
NYPD and the East Village.
On Jan. 27, 1972, Police Officers Gregory
Foster and Rocco Laurie were killed
while on duty by members of the Black
Liberation Army, an underground black
nationalist militant group that was largely
made up of Black Panther members, and
existed from about 1970-81.
Two of the men believed by police to
have executed the officers wound up dead
within two years, according to writer and
former NYPD officer Edward Conlon.
They had died in shootouts with police,
one of which involved Rocco Laurie’s
gun.
While two other suspects remain of
interest to the NYPD, the investigation
officially remains open.
“Today we remember Patrolman Gregory
Foster & Patrolman Rocco Laurie,”
the 9th Precinct tweeted out on Monday,
“partners and assigned to @NYPD9Pct.
Forty-eight years ago today, while walking
in the area of Avenue B & E. 11th St.,
they were ambushed, shot, and killed.
#FidelisAdMortem #NeverForget”
“We all have people in our communities
that may not approve of you doing
this,” said Donovan.
Religious institutions around the country
have witnessed a surge of violence as
religious identity is often a motivating
factor in hate crimes. According to the
NYPD, hate crimes in the city were up
19% in 2019 and anti-Semitic hate crimes
increased by 26% with 234 incidents.
Mayor Bill de Blasio recently asserted
its commitment to combating anti-Semitism
and hate crimes against religious
groups through the establishment of
It was an era of high crime,
violence and racial tensions.
The killings occurred around
10:50 p.m. on that fateful night,
while Foster, 22, who was black,
and Laurie, 23, who was white,
were on duty and in uniform.
They had finished looking
into a nearby domestic dispute
report, and were walking on
11th Street toward Avenue B
when they noticed a doubleparked
car.
The patrolmen checked in
a nearby diner if anyone knew
whose car it was, and when no
one did, they walked back outside. They
passed by a group of men, who would
then turn around and start shooting at
the Officers, who were shot in the back
several times. Then the shooters took the
officers’ guns and shot them again.
Foster, who was married and had two
children, was shot eight times. Laurie,
who was married, was shot six times.
Both men were former Marines and
Vietnam veterans.
After the killings, the NYPD released
information on several suspects. The Feb.
multi-ethnic interfaith neighborhood
safety coalitions and working with the
NYC Department of Education to create
new programming for schools that
promote tolerance.
Spiritual Sounds has provided a reflective
refuge from oppression and hatred
for the past eleven years.
“New York City is noisy,” said Father
William Elder, whose parish hosted this
year’s event. “Our challenge is in the midst
of the cacophony around us is to listen to
the sounds of the spirit, to listen to spiritual
sounds, the sounds of the human heart.”
(TWITTER/@NYPD9PCT)
Patrolmen Foster and Laurie were killed on Jan.
27, 1972.
3, 1972 issue of The Villager included a
report about the incident: “A citywide
dragnet is underway for four alleged
members of the Black Revolutionary
Army wanted for questioning in the
murders this past weekend of East Village
Patrolmen Gregory Foster and Rocco
Laurie.”
Nearly a half-century after the heinous
crime, the NYPD is active in keeping
alive the memories of Foster and Laurie.
Messages of remembrance go out
every year on social media, from the
Alex Seibel of The Bhakti Center, challenged
stereotypes of what a “spiritual
sound” should be with his performance
of an original rap song. “The way we
understand Bhakti is that anything can
be transformed into a devotional act to
God,” Seibel told The Villager.
Other local faith groups participating
included; St. Marks Church in the
Bowery, The Shul of New York, Light
of Guidance Sufi Center, St. Mary’s
American Orthodox Church, Orthodox
Cathedral of the Holy Virgin Protection,
Second Avenue Church, Sixth Street
Community Synagogue, The Catholic
Worker, Most Holy Redeemer-Nativity
Church, Nechung Foundation, The Center
of Universal Peace, Town & Village
synagogue, Medina Masjid Mosque, and
Middle Collegiate Church.
Adam Raabe, a former resident of the
East Village, attended Spiritual Sounds
for the first time. After Middle Collegiate
Church’s gospel choir closed the evening
with rousing joy-filled number, he mused
that the event was everything the world
needs in 2020, ”a melding of the good
things that religions can offer, specifically:
community and inspiration. The
event is welcoming, diverse, and awe
inspiring.”
9th Precinct and other NYPD
officials, including former Police
Commissioner Bill Bratton and
current Police Commissioner
Dermot Shea in recent years.
“Today in 1972, NYPD P.O.s
Gregory Foster and Rocco Laurie
were assassinated – shot in
their backs – solely because of
the blue uniforms they wore,”
Shea tweeted in 2018. “These
2 heroes fought for America
as Marines in Vietnam, and
worked every day after to keep
NYers safe. We will never, ever
forget.”
Foster’s legacy is being carried on in
his family, as NYPD Chief of Department
Terence Monahan tweeted a photo of Foster
next to one of his grandson in uniform
as a current member of the NYPD.
“In his grays, this is Probationary Police
Officer Gregory Foster III,” Monahan
wrote on Nov. 18, 2019. “He now wears
the shield of his grandfather, Officer
Gregory Foster, who along with Officer
Rocco Laurie was shot and killed in the
line of duty in 1972. Thank you for carrying
on the legacy, Greg. #Never Forget.”
4 January 30, 2020 Schneps Media