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.
{Matzav.com}
A real shlechteh mensch.
What was the point of this statement?
You have a guy who is a total nobody with no chance of becoming NYC mayor BUT (1)his position as the Republican nominee gives him a big microphone and who (2)has frequently stood with and given support to the frum community when they were under attack.
What good could possibly come out of picking a public fight with him over something he said THREE YEARS AGO?
I am a life time member of Agudas Yisroel (at the cost of $1,000)and a frequent donor to them.
Next time they pick a fight with a public figure over anything other than a proposed law adversely affecting the frum community or a response to RECENT anti-Semitic comments my membership is cancelled and donations are stopping.
I would like to bring to your attention 2 points.
1) what is the point of YOUR statement? Why cant you take up your grievance with them in a constructive manner, no, you felt that others needed to hear it. Maybe THAT was EXACTLY the point of the Agudah?
2) To the best of my knowledge, and having met Rabbi zweibel personally, there is NOTHING done without the approval of Agudas rabbanim. In which case, if you feel there was an error based on your Life experience and your amassment of knowledge which surely competes well with these Rabbanim, you would know that the proper approach is to bring your claim to them, not make a public argument about it, no?
If Aguda doesn’t want public comment they shouldn’t be making public statements.
This is the first time in my entire life that I have ever publicly or privately criticized Aguda to a third party. As above I’m a lifetime member
Because this time I feel that they haven’t just done something that I disagree with, they did something to put us in danger. Therefore I have the right to protest
Yes a while ago I did privately contact Aguda about how they and their spokesmen need to be less clearly aligned with the left. They need to stop defending controversial left wing politicians and stop attacking controversial right wing politicians. I got no response.
While his actions overall don’t match the vitriolic comments recorded here nonetheless he made those statements and he made the mockingly and in public! After those comments I stopped listening to his radio performances! We do not need him as our mayor even though he might make the best mayor and the one New York needs at the moment. Jews cannot vote” him into office! It’s not like he even retracted – whatever that would be worth! WE can’t vote him in!
The Polish Jews will tell you how it was their Polish friends that turned over many Jews to the Nazis. Curtis is Polish.
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.
And so do open letters like this one only add fuel to the fire of Jew-hatred too.
He isn’t going to change his mind because of this letter. Instead it make him and more importantly, those who he has influence over and want to see him become mayor, become even more hostile.
Had he made the comments on the campaign trial I would understand Aguda speaking out. Being that he made them years ago all I can say is that Aguda is not using any sechel in making this statement.
I don’t know the answer so I’m asking this seriously
Does Agudas Yisroel ever put out statements against Democratic no chance candidates who are accused of anti-Semitism or is this something they only do against Republicans?
I googled it and could not find any Agudah of any Democrat politician. No matter how anti-Semitic. I did however find a 2019 Rabbi Shafran article defending AOC claiming that she’s made no anti-Jewish or anti-Israel statements
Yes, they consistently do, if you sign up to their newsletter you will see it. Apparently this one gained more media attention because Sliwa has been a friend for Jewish people, its more dramatic.
Your welcome
Listening to his rant he is basically just repeating basically just repeating the standard YAFFED and social media propaganda.
Agudah would accomplish a lot more by requesting a private meeting with him to explain our view than by publicly attacking him. There is no way he would turn down a meeting request from Agudah when he is futilely running for mayor of NYC. The meeting may or may not be productive but this letter certainly won’t be.
How pathetic: “reasonably suspected” in the last paragraph of this article. Say it as it is: Sliwa always had an unhealthy obsession with religious Jews, as any reasonable person can conclude from listening to decades of his radio shows, and if he is not a hater of religious Jews than nobody is! And don’t bring some feeble-minded excuses like his guardian angels group sometimes helping religious Jews – there are plenty of antisemites who would sometimes assist Jews for a variety of reasons, such as a political truce or a business relationship. Besides, there might have been other leaders of guardian angels who do not have a Jew-problem like Sliwa does, and whatever good relationship between Jewish community and the guardian angels came from them and not Sliwa. If it quacks like an antisemite it is an antisemite. Don’t try to appease this jerk.
Mr. Sliwa might find it helpful to speak to representatives of some of the Jews he so dislikes.
So why doesn’t Aguda call him and try to arrange a meeting?
How do you know they haven’t?
maybe the previous commentors didn’t think of this, but it could be that this letter isn’t only for curtis sleewaw to read but more likely for anyone who thinks that maybe his comments are true (like a comment I saw on a different matzav article)
If the letter was not only about him then they should not write it about him.
Aguda should be politicly savvy enough to make their point without directly attacking Mr. Sliwa
Aguda askonim are (correctly) always lecturing about working with politicians we don’t like 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. This is something they preach even (only???) in relation to left wing politicians who never end up working with us and always remain hostile anyway.
They should please take their own advice in relation to Curtis Sliwa too.
Even assuming Curtis Sliwa IS an anti-Semite (which I’m not) 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 Yisroel head Rav Moshe Sherer ztz’l sat on the same dais and spoke at the same venue (a protest about Lemrick Nelson being acquitted) etc.
Do they think they can publicly attack him this way and still expect to work with him? It’s time for Aguda to get a new political advisor.
For now however they should call up Curtis Sliwa and do damage control.
As someone who commented above I would like to make clear that I remain a supporter of Agudas Yisroel.
I vehemently disagree with them about this letter (and a few other issues) but I still recognize that Klal Yisroel needs them. Please don’t use this letter or any other taionos you have on them as reason to lessen your support for them.
End of the day as a frum person YOU need and benefit from Aguda