Letters to the Editor

Prostitution Problem
Dear Editor:
At the intersection of Jerome Avenue and East 192nd Street, there is a major prostitution problem that starts at dusk every evening. Women in tight shorts walk out into traffic under the el attempting to engage male motorists driving by or stopped at the traffic light into conversation. With this prostitution climate comes the inevitable other crime problems such as drugs and shootings.

Is there any way the new commander of the 52nd Precinct or Community Board 7 could attempt to address this prostitution problem with police enforcement?
Diane Walker

HHC: Don't Forget NCB
Dear Editor:
I am concerned that the Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC) is holding a vast number of health screenings at its hospitals all over the city, but none are listed for North Central Bronx Hospital (NCB). The Norwood News of Sept. 25 - Oct. 8 had a full page ad listing events at HHC hospitals and nothing was listed for NCB. In the Norwood News for Oct. 9 - Oct. 22, there is a full page ad that lists HHC events in the city. An NCB health fair on Oct. 8 was listed. This same ad was printed in the Daily News on Oct. 2 and the NCB health fair was not listed.

I am upset that nothing for NCB was listed before and that the community was not informed of this event.
Lowell Green

Where's Temple's Stained Glass?
Dear Editor:
There are those who have chosen to allow time to render this matter irrelevant and unimportant. In good conscience, I cannot allow this to happen. 

The ornate and colorful stained-glass windows depicting the Star of David and containing memorial plaques bearing the names of deceased members of the 70-year-old Orthodox congregation of the former Mosholu Jewish Center on Hull Avenue in Norwood, suddenly and inexplicably vanished from the building within the past eight months during the final stages of renovation. 

The building, which was purchased by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York for the modest sum of $600,000, was being converted into a Head Start facility. The building was bought as is. Though there was no contractual agreement regarding the stained glass windows, it was agreed by all parties that several controversial issues which remained unresolved -- the most important of these involving the stained glass windows -- would be addressed and resolved after the sale.

The stained glass windows remained in the building at the insistence of Nora Feury. There was, however, a verbal commitment given by Ms. Feury, the director of the Head Start program, that was reiterated by Kathleen M. McCormack, attorney for the Archdiocese, in a signed letter dated Oct. 31, 2000 (after the sale) in which she acknowledged the concerns regarding the windows and our right to exercise option to them. In the letter, she states that "if there are any changes or modifications to any of the above (windows included), we will, of course, advise you accordingly -- we thank you for your invaluable assistance and look forward to a mutually satisfactory resolution of these matters." 

In the ensuing months and years, many attempts were made to communicate with the Education and Building departments of the Archdiocese in order to formulate plans concerning the removal and replacement of the windows and the eventual distribution to another synagogue or Jewish institution. It became increasingly apparent that we had been misled. The responses from the Archdiocese were for the most part misleading, contradictory, or non-existent, eventually leading to an impasse. Many letters were hand-delivered to the residence of Edward Cardinal Egan, requesting that he intervene. No responses were ever received.

By permitting the removal of the stained glass windows without first properly notifying the congregation or its representatives, the Archdiocese committed an act of depraved indifference and in doing so it denied the preservation and perpetuation of a significant part of the legacy of the 70-year-old congregation. 

In response to this act of desecration and sacrilege which should never be tolerated by any religious faith, one would hope that there would be a strong and shared public outcry and condemnation, and that the Archdiocese would be held accountable. 

The fact that I am only one person does not mitigate the horrible injustice that has been perpetuated by the Archdiocese. I am doing what I feel is morally right and what should have been done by those in positions of authority and responsibility. To remain silent and not bear witness to the truth of the story that must be told is to fail to respond to the many past generations of members of the congregation that can no longer speak but which I hope will be heard.
Dr. Charles L. Bierman

Ed. note: The Norwood News contacted the Archdiocese of New York for comment on this letter, but did not receive a return call by press time.

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