Crown Heights and East Flatbush community leaders came out to denounce a school bus turned mobile art studio that was torched early Sunday night in East Flatbush.
While the NYPD is investigating the fire as a possible hate crime, and there are rumors in the largely Black and Orthodox Jewish community that arson caused the blaze, the FDNY said fire marshals are still investigating the cause and would not confirm it was arson.
FDNY officials said a bus on fire call came in at 12:04 a.m. early Monday morning and the fire was extinguished 25 minutes later at 12:29 a.m. The scorched bus remained on Troy Avenue near Maple St. surrounded by crime scene tape through today, but was removed in the late afternoon.
Leviticus Scheiber, the owner of the colorful coach, said he arrived at the scene on Monday morning to find the bus had been set ablaze. Scheiber uses the van as an art studio and also to carry his children to school.
“I got this bus to be creative, to spread my love and my life,” said Scheiber (aka Leviticus), who is best known for painting portraits in this art studio on wheels.
The neighborhood’s mobile canvas gained popularity after being featured in Hasidic Jewish singer Benny Friedman’s video, “Ivri Anochi – I’m a Jew and I’m Proud,” earlier this year. The YouTube video exalting Jewish pride has garnered over 2 million views since February.
Community Board 9 Chair Musa Moore, spoke out against the alleged arson. “When acts like this occur, it affects all of us,” said Moore. “This is wrong. We cannot let hate conquer us.”
Nachum Segal, JM in the AM radio host, also came out to denounce the fire. “We take this opportunity to thank and laud all the public officials, of all denominations and all backgrounds who have gone ahead and condemned this act,” said Segal.
East Flatbush Democratic District Leader Cory Provost was also in attendance to promote unity and denounce the incident. “We must stand together as a community, said Provost. “We are all Brooklynites today.”
The mood of the press conference quickly turned celebratory when Friedman gave an impromptu performance encouraging bystanders to join in. Geoffrey Davis, the local Democratic Assembly 43 District leader, chimed in to help Friedman with chorus of the Hebrew melody.
I’m personally not going to be deterred by something like this and no one in the community should be,” said Scheiber.
Check out the video:
