THROWBACK: 8 Years Ago - The Night Boro Park Erupted After Rubashkin’s Release

Eight years ago today, scenes of extraordinary celebration unfolded across Jewish communities, following the announcement that President Donald Trump had commuted the 27-year prison sentence of Sholom Mordche Rubashkin. In Boro Park, thousands of people gathered outside the Rubashkin family home on 55th Street and near the family butcher store on 14th Avenue, dancing and singing late into the night. Large sections of the avenue were closed as more than 1,000 people poured into the streets within minutes of the news. Across Klal Yisrael, the reaction was one of overwhelming joy and gratitude. After eight years in prison, Sholom Rubashkin had become a symbol of achdus, the focus of countless tefillos, and a source of faith and hope for many. In Crown Heights, Maariv at 770 Eastern Parkway was recited in a Yom Tov nusach, followed by spirited dancing. Similar celebrations took place in dozens of shuls, coinciding with the final night of Chanukah. Also captured that night was a powerful moment: for the first time as a free man, Sholom Rubashkin speaking publicly alongside his father—an emotional scene that resonated deeply with the thousands celebrating his release.