[Bio and video below.] A Jewish man was shot tonight in the robbery of the MB Vineyards liquor store in the heart of Flatbush Brooklyn, at Avenue J and Nostrand Avenue. The victim, 35-year-old Yoseph Robinson, was taken to Kings County Hospital in East Flatbush and passed away moments ago, succumbing to his wounds.
Police are searching for the suspected shooter, a black male.
Yoseph z”l was transported by Hatzolah after suffering from traumatic arrest.
Further information and levaya scheduling will be posted when available.
Boruch dayan emes.
Update, 10:46 p.m.:
Raised in Spanish Town, Jamaica by his Grandma Pearl, Yoseph Robinson, like most of the island kids, thought of the United States as a kind of utopia. It was a fantasy come true when he and his two sisters were finally able to join his parents in the Midwood section of Brooklyn, New York, in 1989. At the age of 12, he exchanged his slower-paced life of mango-picking, fresh water fishing and swimming for an Americanized one filled with stylized clothes and worries about being cool enough.
During his teenage years, Yoseph lived in the Bronx, Philly, and finally Los Angeles, where he became involved in music.
By the time he was 23 years old, Yoseph knew he had to leave the affluent Hollywood scene behind in order to physically and mentally survive. He turned to Yiddishkeit as a means to surrender control, accept humility, and educate. He became a ger tzedek.
Yoseph persevered through many highs and lows in his lifetime, but converting to Yiddishkeit was his greatest accomplishment. At the time of his petirah, Yoseph had been working on a book about his struggles, transformation, and experiences as a black Jewish man in the United States. The book was slated to be released this coming December.
Unfortunately, this life was snuffed out tonight, ending an amazing journey of a brave and courageous man.
Click here to read an interview with Yosef earlier this year.
Click below for a video of Yoseph discussing his life’s journey:
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{Noam Amdurski-Matzav.com Newscenter}
Boruch dayam emes.
Tragic story.
yosef was a ger tzedek. he was a helpful and friendly and funny man to all who shopped or only browsed in the liquor store where he worked on nostrand avenue off avenue j
Hashem Yinkom Damo.
A softspoken gentleman. Now a Mes Mitzvah. Levayah Details?
Mr. Bloomberg where are you? you should get those traffic police off the street and send out the normal cops to patrol brooklyn. don’t send me any newsletters in the mail claiming that you brought down the crime here! ok Mr. mayor? do you understand that?
I remember when mazav posted this video over a year ago as the Featured Video of the Day. I was so inspired then when i watched it. Al i can do now is cry!
i was in the store when someone came in asking for tzeddaka from the owner.
R`yosef said that hes only an employee and cant give $ from the business BUT INSTEAD SAID HERES A DONATION FROM HIM PERSONALLY,AND PROCEEDED TO HAND HIM A GENEROUS SIZE BILL!A REAL KIDDUSH H-M!
What a special Neshama.
Baruch Dayan Emes.
Baruch Dayan Emet. Oh, Yoseph…I want to wake up from this nightmare. Hashem wanted back his brightest star. I rememeber you, yid. We have no Levayah details as yet. This is the saddest day of my life
Boruch dayan Emes. Yoseph was a sweetheart and a role model to the entire neighborhood. The store was open to 11 on thursday nights bec. of shaBBOS
Yosef was a kind and wonderful person an inspiration to all who knew him.Baruch Dayan Emes he will always be with us in our memories and hearts
I don’t know how to say what I am feeling…
I am sitting here, fighting back tears…
Tears for a Yid that I never met…
Tears for a brother.. of mine… a b’nai Avraham.
Becoming a Ger is as easy as giving up everything to be close to G-d.
We all have an Advocate in heaven now…
Love T
THIS IS SO SAD!!
I shopped in this store and was always impressed by him, what a terrible tragedy… Now reading about his journey, all I can think is how we all should learn from him
I shop in this store and was always impressed by his gentleness… Now that I have read about his life, all I can think about is how we all should learn from him… what a tzadik
Reb Yosef achieved more in his short life than the 6 billion people on earth. He came from the very bottom of the barrel and got to the top. He should be an example for us, especially for me.
#4 You are 100% right!
yoseph was a gentle neshamah who gave people much chizuk. he will be sorely missed.
I feel so very sad about this terrible tragedy. The only way that I can make sense of it, is like Lahavah said, Hashem wanted his brightest star back. May you, Lahavah, and all of his mourners be comforted among the mouners of Zion.
so sad. but the we cant just be sad, he wants us to do something for his holy neshemah.
becuz there is no one to say kaddish for him. So:
Learn a mishna in his memory
say a perek tehilim for his neshama
give tezdakah in his zechus
Do something, do it right now!
Yosef Ben Avhrohm
Baruch Dayin Emes!
I only heard about him here, on line. It is so sad. He was such an inspiration and an example for others. Boruch Dayan Emes
I will iy’h learn maseches yoma in his zechus
May his neshama have have an aliya