Archive for the ‘flatbush’ Category
Holocaust Survivors lunch
Coney Island Avenue and Avenue K, Brooklyn NY
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Josef Ostrowicz was in the Warsaw ghetto for 2 years. after the war he was one of the founders of Israel. He has been married with Galina, originally from Russia, for 18 years. They speak Hebrew, Yiddish, German, Polish, Russian but almost no English. 5 years ago they moved to the USA, Benson Hurst Brooklyn. She said the services and support for the Holocaust survivors is much better in the USA than in Israel.
The 2 ladies became friends at the concentration camp, the person from the organization told me. She told me they would not let me take their picture, she could not take a photo of them herself. But when I asked they said yes and they even gave me their first / last name.
We ate some chicken and vegetables. I asked Joseph, the holocaust survivor if he only ate kosher and he said no with a smile. But I wonder if we got lost in translation.
I told his wife I love Borodinsky bread. She asked me why I like that. she said Kiev bread is a lot better and that I should learn Russian or Hebrew so we could have a conversation.
Memorial weekend Haitian parade
May 24, 2009
Nostrand ave, Brooklyn, NY
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Memorial weekend Haitian parade down on Nostrand ave.
Starts later than expected. some Rara bands play spontaneously on the sidewalk.
After 1 pm the floats start coming down Nostrand avenue.Many groups from Latin America like Colombia and Nicaragua.Women from Bangladesh selling Haitian flagsCops from the 67th precinct were overseeing without ruining the party, just empting some alcohol containers and anyway the smell of weed smoke was all over. I got a plastic sports bottle from the Census truck and filled it with a 16 oz Coors.
At these parades people really lower their defences and differences. Many want to be photographed and ask me if they can get copies. Some even offer money. But if someone does not have email it is a lot of work to get the images printed / dropped off or mailed.
At the end of the parade n Avenue D/Newwkirk ave there was spontaneous dancing and music playing. Kids could pet donkeys and goats and adults could buy fried goat or pork from the food vendor a few feet down the street.
Haitian drum on Nostrand ave. Brother High rehearsal
East Flatbush, Brooklyn, NY
April 25, 2009
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Busy weekend shooting events in Prospect park. back on the bike for a long ride. On Nostrand ave @ Clarendon I run into Toto. his friend goes and brings a drum imported from Haiti. It is made of cow skin. They talk about the cracks. People stop by to look at it.
Brother high practice in a basement a few blocks away. Young mothers bring their kids in the rehearsal room.
Easter first Rara – Prospect Park
Easter Sunday Prospect Park. First Rara.
April 12, 2009
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Prospect Park, sunset on Easter Sunday.
Good Friday Passions. East Flatbush and Williamsburg
East Flatbush and Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Friday, April 10 2009
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Holy Cross Cemetery procession.
Elderly ladies march sing and pray around the cemetery. They stop every few blocks according to the tradition of the Via Crucis. It is a gloomy day. Streets find a “Dead End” at the cemetery. Different women carry the cross in turns.
I run into NYPD’s Thybullet and Simon. They liked the photos I sent them in the past. Usually they have to take guns off the streetm here they just have to make sure cars let the procession pass.
In Williamsburg a procession of mostly Italian Americans from Salerno and Avellino. A younger crowd. Kids dressed as J. Christ, Roman legionary, Mary and so on.
Young girl in white with a cross leads the procession. reminds me of a kids’ version of Bergman’s The Seventh Seal.
Old ladies from near Naples watch over statues of Mary and John The Baptist. They have been living in the USA for 35 years. They only speak very accented Italian and almost no English at all.
