Photos of a Maywood police officer dressed in the traditional style of an Orthodox Jewish man prompted an internal investigation and led officials in Rochelle Park, where the officer is a firefighter, to require anti-harassment training for all township volunteers.
Rochelle Park officials say Pete Donatello III has been disciplined by the fire department for wearing a yarmulke and payes during a party at the township firehouse.
It remains unclear how Donatello was punished, as township officials have either declined to comment or said they didn’t know exactly how the fire chief has handled it.
“It’s bad enough to parade around a building, but to put it out for the Public to fully see is another issue,” an anonymous letter publicizing the photo read. “This gentleman being a Fire Chief and more importantly a Police Officer should have known better with what he was doing.”
Read more at North Jersey.
{Matzav.com}
We’re in golus. We draw attention to ourselves and these things happen. It’s happening more in New York. when I moved to Lakewood people kept there heads down but now even here we are starting to forget. Time to change!
This is terrible. Trump should resign immediately.
I don’t see what’s the problem with dressing like that, as me he could dress with the hole casidisha uniform
Why was it harassment if it was a joke?
Why is it any different when we dress up as Arabs, Indians, Chinamen on purim? What is so offensive about it ?
We dress up on Purim as Indians, Mexicans, and many other nationalities, and it doesn’t reflect on any negative connotation whatsoever. Same here, the costume wasn’t in any which way a insult or offense. However, if the costume would include mockery or exaggeration, then that would be a different story.
We are not offended by this. There is a specific reason not to use “blackface”, due to its history…but I want my kids to dress up on Purim as a China-man or an Irish sailor…it is okay.
Much ado about nothing! As Shmillary would callit, a nuthingberger!
Wow, this is real bad… almost as bad as the time I dressed up as a firefighter for purim. I mean the nerve of someone to dress up in a costume…
All jokes aside, if it wasn’t a costume party then perhaps it could be viewed negatively. Even so, it very well may have been shtick. And even if he meant it to taunt or poke fun at jews he may not hate jews. He might just be doing what secular culture loves to do, roast people or get a good laugh at other people’s expense.
Either way, I am really happy that he was disciplined because now he won’t hold any resentment in his heart for jews. He will probably go home, settle on his couch with a cold beer and appreciatively smile at how wonderful it is to have his beloved jewish friends parade his picture all over the internet in his moment of glory.
We really know how to make friends. I’m so proud us.
YAY!
Big deal. I once dressed up like a pregnant nun. Everyone thought it was funny.
I am not understanding the issue here. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery
goyim think we should be self conscious (as any other minority group) but they don’t relize we are not at all אתה בחרתנו מכל העמים.