City and State elected officials joined President Joyce F. Brown at FIT on September 30 to honor Jane Schreibman, the Chelsea resident who reported the undetonated explosive device she spotted on West 27th Street the night of September 17, after another bomb had exploded on West 23rd Street. The event, and Schreibman’s 911 call, underscored the importance of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s precept, “If you see something, say something.”
“That one phone call puts to rest any cynicism anyone may harbor about the power of one person to make a difference,” said Dr. Brown in her remarks.
Manhattan Borough President Gale A. Brewer organized the event. Additional speakers included New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer, New York City Public Advocate Letitia James, State Senator Brad Hoylman, State Assembly Member Richard Gottfried, and Erik Bottcher, chief of staff for Council Member Corey Johnson.
“How many of you have been told throughout your life to mind your own business?” James asked the audience of reporters and FIT community members. “Because of her actions, countless people were saved from what could have been a tragedy.”
“She is what Chelsea is all about,” Gottfried said. “People who pay attention and who care about our neighborhood.”
Schreibman, a photographer who has lived on West 27th Street for the past 36 years, was touched by the recognition. She emphasized that New Yorkers should call 911 if they suspect anything, even if they aren’t sure. “I apologized to the operator because I was worried it was a frivolous call,” she said.
Schreibman has participated since 2013 in FIT’s Senior Learners program, which provides local residents 60 and older the opportunity to audit classes with undergraduates for free, subject to availability. She has taken flamenco and Middle Eastern dance, as well as multiple Italian literature classes taught in Italian.
At the end of the ceremony, Schreibman was given a proclamation, signed by all the elected officials present, which declared September 30 as Jane Schreibman Appreciation Day.