Commuters in Neighboring Towns Robbed at Gunpoint
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As Scarsdale residents and police deal with the recent spate of break-ins, residents in neighboring towns such as Mamaroneck, New Rochelle, Pelham and Harrison are contending with an even more freighting crime-wave; armed robbery.
Since mid-January there has been a rash of gun-point holdups in neighboring towns. Often times the victim is a commuter walking home from the train station at night when the perpetrator approaches. There have been six incidents since mid-January including two last week.
On February 9th there were two separate incidents, one in the Village of Mamaroneck and another in Harrison. In both cases, a commuter was walking home from the train station and was approached from behind by an assailant with a handgun and ordered to the ground. The victims were robbed of personal possessions including money and cell phones. According to one report, the Harrison commuter was hit on the head during the robbery. In that case, the victim was taken to White Plains Hospital for treatment.
Similar incidents took place on January 12th and January 31 in Pelham and on January 17th in Mamaroneck.
In nearby New Rochelle on January 29th two females, one a student at Iona, were also held up at gunpoint and robbed of their possessions after entering a building.
The suspect’s description is nearly identical in all cases: An African American male between 5 feet 10 inches to 6 feet in height, 175 to 200 pounds, medium build. He is usually wearing a dark hooded sweatshirt, jeans and a mask or a light colored bandana covering his face, though in one instance, the suspect’s height was estimated to be closer to 5 foot 7. Both men and women have been targeted in these robberies
“Victims are usually approached from behind while travelling on local roads. We see a similarity in all of the cases leading us to believe that is the same person or persons in all cases,” according to Lt. Robert Koziak of the Mamaroneck Police Department.
Koziak says that the police departments in the towns that have been hit have been coordinating with one another and have stepped up patrols. When asked if there have been any leads or breaks in the case, Koziak merely said that the investigation is ongoing.
Back in Scarsdale, when asked about these crimes, Detective Lt. Thomas Altizio responded that while “the stations along the Hudson, Harlem and New Haven train lines are patrolled by the MTA Police Department. (Scarsdale) has an officer assigned specifically to the downtown village area through the early evening and always have patrol cars assigned to make frequent checks on the area each shift.”
Altizio reminds commuters, and residents in general that people walking home should follow standard safety practices; People should “try to walk with someone and go to the nearest home or business if they feel they are being followed. People should always immediately report suspicious person or activities to their local police.”
New York State Crime Stoppers is offering a $2500 cash reward to anyone who has information that directly leads to the arrest and convictions of the robber or robbers in these attacks. People should call 866-313-TIPS if they any information that can lead to an arrest.
Jen is a freelance journalist who has covered the economy and markets for over a decade at a major financial news outlet. She lives in Scarsdale with her husband and 2 children. Jen has yet to bake a successful batch of cookies.
Thieves Resume Edgemont Home Break-ins
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A spate of home burglaries in 2011 seemed to have ended until we received reports of two more incidents this week. The first one took place on Inverness Road at 6:45 pm on Saturday February 11. Police responded to a burglar alarm at the home and found a shattered glass door on the back patio. The suspect(s) ransacked the upstairs bedrooms targeting jewelry boxes. The amount of stolen property has not yet been determined.
Patrol officers searched the neighborhood for suspects and interviewed neighboring homeowners.
On Monday afternoon February 13 at 3:30 pm, police got a call from a Juniper Road woman to report that someone had entered her home between 11:00 am and 3:15 pm.
Suspect (s) entered the home by forcing open a ground floor window in the back of the house. The master bedroom was ransacked and numerous items, including jewelry and a wii game video console, were stolen.
Police again searched the neighborhood and detectives were sent in to investigate this second incident within two days.
Greenburgh Police ask anyone who may have seen anything suspicious, relevant to this incident, to call them at (914) 682-5331. All calls will be kept confidential.
Rabbi Jeffrey Brown to Lead Scarsdale Synagogue
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Scarsdale Synagogue Temples Tremont and Emanu-El (SSTTE) appointed Jeffrey C. Brown to become its new rabbi as of July 1st. The appointment was announced by temple president Ellen Plum Rosenberg. Rabbi Brown was elected by the congregation following an extensive search to find a successor to Stephen A. Klein, who will retire as Senior Rabbi on June 30, 2012, after 31 years as the spiritual leader of this 525-family congregation. In addition, the Synagogue announced that Associate Rabbi Andrew Gordon will leave at the end of June to become Associate Rabbi of Temple Sinai, a 950-member-family congregation in Roslyn, NY.
Rabbi Brown comes to Scarsdale Synagogue following seven years as associate rabbi of Temple Solel in Cardiff, CA. In his role at the 850-family Reform Jewish congregation in suburban San Diego, Rabbi Brown takes a leading role in virtually every aspect of temple life. His pulpit skills, commitment to education and pastoral care are augmented by special program leadership that helped to transform and modernize the 33-year-old congregation. Highlights of his leadership include assisting in the creation of the temple’s nationally-recognized Facebook presence, and authoring two award-winning blogs aimed at young people and adult education students respectively.
A 2000 magna cum laude graduate of George Washington University, Rabbi Brown received his rabbinical training and ordination at Cincinnati’s Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion, where he earned a master of arts degree in Hebrew letters, with the highest academic standing in his ordination class. Prior to his tenure at Temple Solel, he served as student rabbi at congregations in Colorado and Texas, as a chaplain at Jewish Hospital of Cincinnati, and as a rabbinic intern with Hillel at Miami University of Ohio. Rabbi Brown is married to Amy Bebchick. They are the proud parents of two young children.
Mrs. Rosenberg commented: “We feel fortunate that our covenant community attracted so many highly qualified candidates to succeed Rabbi Klein. Our rabbinic search task force reviewed the credentials of more that 40 rabbis, conducted in-depth Skype interviews with about a dozen of them and invited three very special people to have extended visits with us.”
“Following this thoroughgoing search effort by the 16-member task force, co-chaired by Ellen Baken and Steven Eigen,” Mrs. Rosenberg continued, “Rabbi Brown became the unanimous choice of our Executive Committee and Board of Trustees. His selection was ratified by a congregational vote, and we are simply delighted that he will be joining us this summer.”
In his letter to the membership of Scarsdale Synagogue following the vote, Rabbi Brown wrote of experiencing the warmth of the community and the devotion of its lay leadership, saying, “I am eager to work with all of you to build on that warmth and vitality as we write the next chapter of Scarsdale Synagogue’s history together.”
As Rabbi Emeritus, Rabbi Klein will continue his three-decade-long affiliation with Scarsdale Synagogue, where his leadership spurred the growth of the congregation from about 100 members to over 500 families today. Mrs. Rosenberg noted: “Steve led, embraced and helped to manage our synagogue through significant challenges and constructive change, enriching our community with vision, diligence and the sense of purpose that defined our worship services, educational programs, social action and many, many other activities. We cannot thank him enough for his service and for his commitment to all of us over all the wonderful years.”
Rabbi Klein is a former president, treasurer and secretary of the Westchester Board of Rabbis, and he played an integral role with Scarsdale’s Ad-Hoc Committee on the Crèche, which handled a divisive issue eventually resolved by the U.S. Supreme Court. In 1990, he was appointed and recently became Co-Chair of the National Commission on Rabbinic-Congregational Relations, mediating and solving intra-congregational disputes. Following the 9/11 tragedies, Rabbi Klein regularly served as a disaster care chaplain, providing spiritual guidance and emotional support to victims’ families.
Commenting on the summer departure of Rabbi Gordon, Mrs. Rosenberg said: “We express our thanks to Rabbi Gordon as well. He has been an innovative leader during his four years with us, especially by inspiring our young people to embrace the convictions and good works that are the hallmarks of our Reform Jewish community. We wish him every success in what we know will be a bright future for him and his new congregation.”
Scarsdale Synagogue Temples Tremont and Emanu-El is a Reform Jewish congregation committed to vibrant, caring Jewish life, and self-discovery and connection to Jewish roots by its members as they seek to build a Jewish future together. Founded in 1961, SSTTE was joined by the memberships of Tremont Temple of the Bronx in 1976 and Temple Emanu-El of Southern Westchester in 2008. For further information, please contact:
Gary Katz, Executive Director Scarsdale Synagogue Temples Tremont and Emanu-El at (914) 725-5175 or by email at: sstt5175@aol.com.
Scarsdale League Selects Students to Attend Inside Albany Program
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Chris D’Silva and George Frankle from Scarsdale High School have been selected by the Scarsdale League of Women Voters for an all-expenses paid trip to participate in the Students Inside Albany program. This program will take place from March 25-28, and will bring approximately 40 students from across the state to Albany to get a first-hand education about their state government. The program is designed to increase high school students' awareness of their responsibility in representative government and to provide information about the tools necessary for meeting that responsibility.
D’Silva, a 10th grader, and Frankle, an 11th grader, were selected from among a pool of outstanding applicants in a competitive process open to all high school students residing in Scarsdale. In fact, the League’s Board was so impressed with the quality of the applicants that it approved funding to send two students rather than one to the conference this year.
While at the conference, students will join their peers in a hands-on learning experience about how state government works. The highlight for most students is the opportunity to shadow their Senators and their Assembly member for an afternoon, with many students getting the opportunity to attend session on the Chamber floor.
The League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan political organization, encourages informed and active participation in government and works to foster a better understanding of public policy issues that will have an impact on our lives and our communities. For more information on the Scarsdale League of Women Voters, please visit www.lwvs.org.
Florie Wachtenheim to Receive 2012 Scarsdale Bowl
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Florie Wachtenheim has been selected by the Scarsdale Bowl Committee to receive the 2012 Scarsdale Bowl, the highest honor for service to Scarsdale. Wachtenheim will be the 75th recipient of the Scarsdale Bowl Award and the 22nd woman selected. Nominators on the Scarsdale Bowl Committee recommended Wachtenheim as “a volunteer leader in Scarsdale who invariably worked cooperatively with neighbors to make the right choices as a group. Her ability to find and solidify a consensus has been exceptional. Her trustworthiness and caring often have carried a group beyond sharp differences and to view changes in a new light.“
Wachtenheim has experienced and led an extensive “tour” of educational service opportunities over her years in Scarsdale from the day she became a resident in 1981 with a husband and one child. Even before her third son was born in 1989, she already had accepted responsibility in the Fox Meadow School PTA.
Her “tour” was marked by growing levels of responsibility from the time in 1994 when she became President of the Fox Meadow PTA. Important roles have been accorded to her at Scarsdale PT Council, School Board Nominating Committee, Middle School PTA, Scarsdale Teen Center, Scarsdale Bowl Committee, Scarsdale Scholarship Fund, Scarsdale Board of Education, League of Women Voters, and Scarsdale Adult School.
Wachtenheim’s sons attended Scarsdale schools, K-12, and now are graduates of colleges and universities. Her business activities included, for twenty years, a role as Administrative Vice President, Merchants Importing, Inc. She is now an Associate at the executive search organization Hazard, Young, Attea and Associates, Ltd. where she conducts executive searches for school districts.
Asked about her reaction to the news, Wachtenheim said, “Quite frankly, I was astonished and actually a little bit unnerved. I’ve always felt tremendous support for the contribution and spirit this award acknowledges, and I did not consider that I came close to meeting the standard that the Scarsdale Bowl represents.”
What were her favorite volunteer posts? Wachtenheim told us that she enjoyed “those connected to education, and most emphatically, those where I’ve been able to feel a direct connection to people in the community including the Fox Meadow PTA Presidency, the Board of Education Presidency, and chairing the Scarsdale Bowl Committee in 2008.
Some of her most memorable volunteer jobs including her work on the founding of the Teen Center, on the steering committee to explore an education foundation for Scarsdale as well as serving as a judge of the Middle School speech contest, as a facilitator at Young Writer’s Conference and as the liaison to the High School government at SHS.
The Scarsdale Bowl Dinner on Wednesday, April 18, celebrates the spirit of volunteerism in Scarsdale and includes the high moment when the Scarsdale Bowl is received. The Scarsdale Bowl Committee was formed initially as an independent entity in Scarsdale. It remains an independent committee of resident citizens, but the Scarsdale Foundation has the duty to maintain the Scarsdale Bowl tradition. For further information, go to www.scarsdalefoundation.org .
