Rabbis Arrested During Protest At Trump International Hotel

NEW YORK, NY — Police arrested 19 rabbis who sat down in the street in front of the Trump International Hotel in an act of protest on Monday night, authorities said.

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The rabbis, protesting with the Jewish human rights group T'ruah, were arrested during a demonstration against Donald Trump's executive orders affecting immigrants and refugees. The group of 19 rabbis sat down in the roadway on 61st Street in front of the Columbus Circle hotel before they were arrested, according to Rabbi Jill Jacobs, T'ruah's executive director and one of those arrested on Monday night.

"It makes a statement when we're willing to put our bodies on the line," Jacobs, 41, told Patch. "Right now the people whose bodies are really on the line are people trying to get to America, and risking death to do so. The least that we can do is put our bodies a little bit on the line...to bring attention to the situation of refugees."

The police department told Patch late on Monday night that charges were still pending, but most would be charged with disorderly conduct. Jacobs confirmed to Patch that 19 people were arrested and charged with disorderly conduct. Jacobs said that the group was given warnings by police to leave the roadway and that they were arrested when they remained on 61st Street.

The protest began on Monday evening at 88th Street and Broadway with about 200 people marching south toward the Trump International Hotel. The demonstration was part of T'ruah's ongoing conference, which brought together rabbis from the U.S. and Canada.

"I can say for sure is that we certainly are going to keep up the pressure in this administration to do what's right," Jacobs said on Tuesday of T'ruah's future plans.

The 19 rabbis arrested included rabbis from local synagogues in New York City as well as synagogues from around the country. Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum of New York City's Congregation Beit Simchat Torah was among those arrested.

"I’m risking arrest today because America welcomed my own immigrant family to its shores, as it did millions of families before us who fled persecution," Kleinbaum said in a statement.

The protest was organized "in support of immigrants and refugees and in opposition to Trump's executive orders that target them." On Jan. 27, the president signed an executive order banning travelers from seven predominantly Muslim countries and suspending the United States' refugee program for 120 days, among other actions. Trump's order has been suspended by an emergency restraining order granted by a federal judge in Seattle.

"What's happening now is morally wrong, and that's the role of clergy," Jacobs told Patch. "Religion is something that's supposed to be out on the streets with the people."

Last month, T'ruah released a statement condemning the executive order and voicing support for the "Muslim, Arab, and Asian communities most directly affected."

"As Jews, who know what it means to be targeted by discriminatory laws, we stand firmly with refugees fleeing war, persecution, and economic strife," they said in the statement.

This post was updated with additional information at 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday.

Image via Ingfbruno on Wikimedia Commons.