[Leica] Waterfall

[mark at rabinergroup.com (Mark Rabiner)]

> Vince wrote:
> 
> That said, just a note also that the Hassidim are not at all a rare sight 
> in
> 
> upstate New York. You just haven't been hanging out in the right towns.
> 
> There are whole sections of the Western Catskills that have a huge
> 
> population in the summer months.
> 
> 
> Try the Wal-Mart in Monticello on a Sunday.  There's no angry shopper like
> 
> the angry Hassidic shopper.
> 
> 
> The marvelous pictures of the Hassidic children and the man alone looking 
> at
> 
> the falls -- thank you for them. These also on a Sunday I bet?
> 
> 
> V
> 
> 
> Vince,
> 
> You are certainly right. About 30 years ago a substantial number of 
> Hassidim
> moved from Brooklyn to the township of Monroe, right across the Hudson
> river, to found the town of Kiryas Joel. The majority of its residents are
> Hasidic Jews who strictly observe the Torah, and belong to the worldwide
> Satmar Hasidic sect. Most speak Yiddish as their first language. Residents
> of Kiryas Joel typically have large families. Kiryas Joel is named for 
> Rabbi
> Joel Teitlebaum. Teitelbaum originally settled with his followers in
> Williamsburg, Brooklyn. By the 1970s he decided to move the growing
> community to a location that was more secluded from what he saw as the
> immorality of the outside world. Teitelbuam's choice was Monroe. In 2006,
> village administrator Gedalye Szegedin stated: There are three religious
> tenets that drive our growth: our women don't use birth control, they get
> married young and after they get married, they stay in Kiryas Joel and 
> start
> a family. Most of the big stores in the area keep Kosher out of deference 
> to
> their clientele. The best pastrami in the area is available at the BJs big
> box store in Monroe.
> 
> 
> The pictures were taken on Friday, April 2. This is the fourth day of
> Passover and apparently was being taken as an organized holiday.
> 
> 
> Larry Z
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> On Sat, Apr 3, 2010 at 1:03 PM, Lawrence Zeitlin <lrzeitlin at 
> gmail.com>wrote:
> 
> 
> Who needs Yosemite or Niagara Falls? If you long for the sight of falling
> 
> water there may be opportunities in your back yard. Croton Dam is just a
> 
> couple of miles away from my house. It was constructed over 100 years ago
> 
> to
> 
> impound the Croton River and provide a water supply for New York City.
> 
> Outside of the Pyramids and the Great Wall of China it is the largest cut
> 
> stone structure in the world. Certainly the largest one in current use.
> 
> Unlike many other large dams, this one is very approachable. In fact it is
> 
> quite people friendly. There is a large park at the base that is a favorite
> 
> picnic venue, fishing hole, or just a good place for hanging out.
> 
> 
> 
> The recent rainstorms that flooded the US Northeast filled the reservoir to
> 
> way above flood stage and the excess water pours over the spillway. Here is
> 
> what the flow looked like yesterday.
> 
> 
> http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Larry+Z/Croton+Dam+waterfall.jpg.html
> 
> 
> 
> The volume of water can be better appreciated in this closer view.
> 
> 
> http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Larry+Z/Dam+overflow+1.JPG.html
> 
> 
> 
> The weather was so nice that the local Hassidic community made a picnic
> 
> outing to the dam plaza. It was strange to see so many men in black formal
> 
> neo-18th century garb and very conservatively dressed women and children in
> 
> this outdoor setting. Brooklyn OK, but a rare sight in upstate NY.
> 
> 
> http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Larry+Z/Water+watcher.JPG.html
> 
> 
> http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Larry+Z/Hassadic+Picnic.JPG.html
> 
> 
> 
> But children are children and the dam makes an irresistible climbing wall.
> 
> 
> http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Larry+Z/Climbers.JPG.html
> 


Right across the Hudson river and keep driving 2 hours its way upstate.
An interesting town the average age is 15 the lowest in the US and  the
highest poverty rate in the nation.
But plenty of redeeming features .
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiryas_Joel,_New_York

I took the Bus up to Grossingers to Liberty last year to shoot one of my
cars for the NYTimes. It was like being amongst the Amish only you are being
amongst the Jewish. A trip to another time another dimension not only of
sight and sound but of mind.
The great diversity of the north east is not to be under estimated. Its much
of why I'm here.


[Rabs]
Mark William Rabiner