An Orthodox rabbi made the first telephone call of his life on Rosh Hashanah and 6, 000 Jews were able to hold their annual “tashlich” observance by a little lake in the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens.
When the Jews reached the gardens, it was found that the iron gate leading to the lake was padlocked and the participants would have to pass through the turnstiles to get to the site. This, Rabbi Samuel Schrage asserted, was not permitted on the Holy Days. He also said that Dr. George S. Avery, garden director, insisted the Jews would have to go through the turnstiles.
So Rabbi Schrage called City Hall and Assistant Chief Inspector Patrick Whalen ordered a police emergency squad to take action. The squad members took the hinges off the big iron gate and the 6,000 Jews walked in, led by Rebbe Menachem Schneerson, leader of the Lubavitcher chassidic movement.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
