The Kansans were true to their word. They showed up at Congregation Beth Elohim sometime between 9 and 10 am on Saturday morning and picketed, as promised, the Saturday morning service.
This topped off a three-day
assault on Brooklyn, which started with a brief rally at Brooklyn Tech in Fort Greene on Thursday. They also planned to picket three other Brooklyn synagogues.
Apparently Brooklyn has been targeted because the borough has the largest Jewish population int he country as well as a huge number of gay people.
Double whammy for the Kansans who believe that Jews—and homosexuals—are the devil incarnate. You can read more about this group from the Westboro Baptist Church. The name of their website says it all: www.godhatesfags.com,
Friends who were at Beth Elohim during the protest, said that the Kansans were spewing anti-Jewish slogans and holding anti-semitic and anti-gay signs. Rabbi Andy Bachman is said to have made an eloquent speech on the steps of the Garfield Place synagogue. I am hoping that the text of that speech will be forthcoming to OTBKB.
Any first hand reports would be much welcome!
I was there this morning as the WBC folks – all 6 of them arrived at the corner of Garfield and 8th. They held up numerous signs and sang ridiculous anti-semitic songs; one of which was even set to the tune of a John Lennon classic. The whole “event” was peaceful enough and actually rather un-eventful. Maybe 200 or so counter-protesters stood across the street in front of the synagogue shouting random things and chanting etc. Frankly, I’m glad Park Slope didn’t react to these morons in a grand manner as that would have been giving them too much credit and undeserved attention.
I must commend Beth Elohim rabbi Andy Bachman, who handled the situation gracefully and beautifully, by having the counter-protesters turn their backs on the WBC crew and join him in celebrating the Jewish new year as he repeatedly blew the shofar. He also put forth messages about inclusion and even managed to poke fun at the “small group of visitors” from Kansas, who he added “give the Midwest a bad name.” Bachman apparently is from Wisconsin.