Agudath Israel Expresses Outrage at Curtis Sliwa Antisemitic Rant
Agudath Israel of America, like all New Yorkers of good will, is outraged at current mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa’s recently publicized rant against Hassidic Jews. Our outrage is accompanied by great surprise, considering how Mr. Sliwa and the Guardian Angels group he founded have shown great concern for the safety of Jews
In his 2018 address to a Hudson Valley meeting for the Reform Party, Mr. Sliwa berated Hassidim, hurling age-old misrepresentations and distortions that those who hate Jews have used for centuries at contemporary Jewish residents of Hudson Valley counties, several of which have seen influxes of identifiable Orthodox Jews over recent years.
Among much other ugliness, he expressed disdain for Jews who donate to political candidates. And derided “able-bodied men who study Torah and Talmud all day while “all they do is make babies like there’s no tomorrow.”
Such Jews, he said, don’t vote like “normal Americans,” and have the audacity to access educational funding for their schools to which they are entitled.
Aside from the misleading nature of Mr. Sliwa’s accusations, with violent attacks on Jews, like those in Monsey, Pittsburgh and Jersey City, still in recent memory, words like his only add fuel to the fire of Jew-hatred.
Mr. Sliwa might find it helpful to speak to representatives of some of the Jews he so dislikes. Some education about Judaism’s priorities and how a true democracy functions would benefit him as he aims to lead a city known and celebrated for its ethnic and religious diversity. A repudiation of the offensive and fallacious words, and an apology – a sincere one – are in order.
At the end of his diatribe, the then-talk show host touted his Jewish connections, as if that in some way justified his bigoted words, and, in an attempt to head off criticism of his hateful words, asserted that “The moment you bring this to somebody’s attention, you’re called an antisemite.”
Mr. Sliwa, however, should know that when one parrots the traditional canards used by antisemites one is reasonably suspected of being among them.
A reckless and outrageous statement by agudah to publicize it against Curtis who has a record to be a ohev yisrael.
ReplyDeleteDid Agudah approach him for a response before this hit piece which could raitz uhn against frum yidden?
This video is 3 years old.
Since when is Agudah acting as an extended arm of the democrat party in NYC
His remarks may have been out of anger to what he beleived was happening to a neighborhood given the corruption and pay to play that goes on.
Agudah should not be the ones to attack and this only puts the klal in danger
Did Agudah attack AOC or Schumer for the remarks about Israel and Gaza?
No.
Unfortunately, considering he is the Republican on the ticket, Curtis Sliwa is a lowlife with no moral compass. He may have been different at an earlier point in his life, but that is who he has shown himslef to be over the years.
DeleteThe diatribe against frum Jews was not a one off, he has done this multiple times in recent years as he sought to pivot from being a staunch conservative to being more liberal.
Aside for his antisemitic rants, he has also flip flopped on most of his political views over time. His views are not based moral or intellectual views, but change with the wind.
He also is very clearly below average intellect, as is made apparent to anyone who has listened to his show
Poor Agudah. And their "askanim".
ReplyDeleteCurtis will be cutting ✂️ down 馃敾 on their government grants.
Adams and Yang definitely won't do that. The two women (forgot their names, they stopped their commercials), one is a Soros funded, husband works for Soros, will pile on the grants.
Maybe you are used to listening to the old Curtis Sliwa, and haven't listened in the 5 years. He has constantly attacked frum jews, conservative principals, and Donald Trump for that matter.
DeleteHe has changed his views multiple times and will do anything for a buck. He wasn't always like that, but apparently having to pay 3 alimony's can make a person desperate.
Anon 3:35PM
DeleteThere is no, and hasn't been any alimony in NYS for many years. He's paying child support, and using that as "shtick" on his radio 馃摶 program. Don't forget, he was out of a job for over a year.
I basically listen to him a few times a week before he began his campaign. So I can differentiate the old vs the new Curtis. Of course he does shtick, especially when he was on his own without a co-host.
I even remember when he was saying these things on the radio, not just at some political event as the post says.
The fact remains, certain people are afraid of losing their government grants, a position that is well advised. That includes other ethnic groups, not just the one Agudah claims to represent.
That's what's really going on.
This is not the Aguda I once knew and respected. The old Aguda would have requested a meeting before picking a public fight with a guy who at personal risk did so much for the frum community. And that is just the starting point of what is wrong with this letter. And hypocritical of Aguda to be putting it out
ReplyDeleteEven so I'm holding my nose and remaining a member of Aguda because who else does their legal advocacy on behalf of the frum world? With all their faults we still need them (similar to Curtis Sliwa and the Guardian Angels)
DeleteEither
Rabbi Yaakov Menken
Managing Director
Coalition for Jewish Values
http://coalitionforjewishvalues.org
torahjewsfordecency@gmail.com
Get in Touch with them
Mr Cohen, what do these organizations do for Yeshivos, for people in legal trouble, for our health and safety, and everything else we need from a national shtadlanus organization?
DeleteYour organizations deal with one issue, and an issue that is marginally relevant to us.
That is because they are elbowed out of the way by Aguadah, OU and similar other organizations.
DeleteSecond, they deal with all issues of utmost import!
So An issue that is not gelt "is marginally relevant to us"?!
Is only because they are jump-started by the previous mentioned organizations with a fraction of the resources but with Blood Sweat and toil that agudath Israel gets around to bother themselves to get involved in some most crucial issues
Deleteit's hard to be aware of this because aguda claim & given wall-to-wall media
Someone is sabotaging Agudah. This is not the askanus and shtadlanus that the gedolim approved of. They are picking a public fight with all the hallmarks of 讛转讙专讜转 讘讗讜诪讜转.
ReplyDeleteThis letter should be pulled ASAP.
It was done hastily with no Seichel
Hypocrites what they are
ReplyDeleteAGUDAH attacked the chasidim during Corona for the levaya that was held in Williamsburg
FEH to them for starting up with politicians just to get $$$$$
Pretty poor decision on Agudahs part. They are obviously not familiar with Curtis. He’s a colorful but decent guy who puts his money where his mouth is not like the other candidates that they endorsed.
ReplyDeleteSo apparently all those lectures we heard from Aguda askonim about working with politicians on the issues we agree with them and about how careful we have to be not to attack them as anti-Semitic in order that it doesn’t become a self fulfilling prophesy are something they only say in relation to left wing politicians who never end up working with us anyway.
ReplyDeleteEven assuming Curtis Sliwa IS an anti-Semite one thing you can’t take away from him is his willingness to work with and help the frum community. He received plenty of awards for doing so. He and Agudas Yisreol head Rav Moshe Sherer ztz’l sat on the same dais and spoke at the same venue (a protest about Lemrick Nelson being acquitted)
But even so Agudah has no problem attacking him publicly and risking making an OPEN enemy out of him. At a time he is at the zenith of his power and influence and R’L could very easily respond by doubling down on what he said. Which would get a lot more votes and favorable press.
A lot of his taanos have truth to it he just did not say it in a PC way.
ReplyDeleteAgudah made his remarks worse than it is and played it up to get some gelt from the corrupt democrats
Aguda is playing with fire and putting the klal in sakana. They should have kept quiet and let others respond.
ReplyDeleteNah he’s not going to win anyway. He has no chance.
ReplyDeleteThat's what Agudah is betting on when they mouthed off. Agudah does not represent us. Another organization started with good intentions and became full of themselves.
DeleteStrange Agudah attacking him when he has no chance. Does Agudah do you their research? Do they realize He'll be back on radio before you know it. Do we want him attacking the frum all day on air? His record with the frum hidden has been pretty defensive especially when he was with the liberal self hating jew Ron Kuby. Maybe Agudah should do a full evaluation on the person situation - this just seems like a knee jerk reaction - unless they think this will help them get on Eric Adams good side?
ReplyDeleteCurtis responds to aguda in a video and criticizes them how dare they call him an antisemite. he offers to meet and discuss the issues but he put his life on the line in crown heights BP williamsburg all the years.
ReplyDeleteAguda should publicly apologize
No they should not. He is an anti semite and will attack us on air anyway. Again he has no chance and they were simply attacking a public figure anti semite, nothing wrong.
ReplyDeleteSay he IS anti-Semite.
DeleteThat makes Aguda attacking him even dumber and riskier .Let sleeping dogs lie. Soon he will be back on the air but now even more hostile thanks to the public fight Aguda started with him.
But don't worry. The minute we start dealing with left wing anti-Torah and anti-Semitic candidates the Aguda Askonim will be back to lecturing us about finding common ground with our enemies and how about how careful we have to be not to attack them
Aguda has never attacked any left democrat politicians no matter the anti semitic remarks they have made.
ReplyDeleteThis public attack comes from the left wing bureaucrats within agudah the same clowns who attacked Donald Trump. The moetzes members were furious about that letter as they were not asked before it was published.
There is major infighting going on about this letter but the PR department is controlled by leftists who do not always ask the moetzes before putting out such statements that can potentially backfire against frum yidden.
The Moetzes does not have the power to have someone in the PR department fired?
DeleteI think I can guess who wrote this letter. Even if my guess is wrong I don't get why Aguda keeps someone who frequently writes controversial political articles and a guy a who clearly pushes for left wing politicians as one of the heads of their PR department.
Just last week he wrote an article for NBC News titled Some Trump supporters are co-opting the American flag. Nazis once did that, too.while clearly identifying himself by his position within Aguda. Where is the achrius behind this? How can such articles not come to bite us?
100% Agudah can not play both sides, if he is the spokesman they are responsible for all the rhetoric and articles.
DeleteThey do not consult with the moetzes with every letter
They use daas torah selectively when it agrees with the daas balai batim who run Agudah.
There has to be a public campaign against the agudah it is time to let them know that the klal rejects their representation if this is how they are acting puting us in sakana.
ReplyDeleteTheir hatred of the right and love of money is making them act irresponsible and raitzing un the sleeping cells against klal yisrael
诪讛专住讬讬讱 谉诪讞专讘讬讬讱
https://agudah.org/contact-us/
ReplyDeleteWho is the left winger you are guessing wrote this letter?
ReplyDeleteNot important. I want to be clear about the following.
DeleteAlthough I don't think this letter should have been written and strongly feel that Aguda needs to appear more politically neutral and needs to make more effort to stay away from political controversy (like they always used to) I still support Aguda in most other areas 100%.
https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/some-trump-supporters-are-co-opting-american-flag-nazis-once-ncna1270741
DeleteThat is because other Blood Sweat and toil organizations are elbowed out by Agudah, OU and similar
DeleteNot everything coming from Agudah is approved by the gedolim but that is what they want you to believe and they take advantage of the olams trust by abusing it with these political statements coming from their left wing anti Trumpers within the organization
ReplyDeleteThis has nothing to do with antisemitisim this is all about vites. aguda wants to show eric adams that they control the frum vote but the problem is that Curtis sliwa haa a big following in the frum community. By putting out this letter they hope to turn some votes in favor of eric adams
ReplyDeleteThe question is
ReplyDeleteDid the Agudah discuss this letter with any of the Gedolim on the Moetzes?
Did they ask R Ahron Shechter , R Malkiel Kotler, R Ahron Feldman etc if theyvahould write such a letter ?
And if so what should the wording be?
Or is this whole Letter the Daas Yochid of one or Two Individuals who work in the Agudah office