Yated Ne’eman senior writer Rabbi Yochonon Donn has taken to Twitter to lambaste New York Governor Kathy Hochul’s campaign for ignoring the chareidi media.
Donn, who also writes for Mishpacha Magazine, wrote on Twitter: “Very disturbing that [Hochul’s] campaign promised interviews with at least three frum media – Mishpacha, Hamodia and Ami – and it never materialized. Aside for (sic) Cuomo, no other candidate has refused to talk to our community thru its media. Me, as well as journalists from the others, have sent repeated requests for a sit-down with the governor. They weren’t ignored, just slow-walked until it was too late. The fact Gov. Hochul won the overwhelming majority of the Orthodox vote makes it more urgent that we be heard.”
Some took umbrage with Donn’s cogent points. One communal activist claimed that “when time after time you go overboard in attacking @GovKathyHochul or other political officials for allegedly mistreating our community, you lose much of the good faith they naturally had by showing no good faith towards them.”
A different activist came to Donn’s defense, stating that “of course @yochidonn is correct – the politicians always use and abuse the frum community, only giving us time when they need us. Kudos to @yochidonn for calling out the governor. It’s time someone stood up for our community instead of bowing down to them like many askanim do to our detriment.”
{Matzav.com}
Come on kid! Grow up! We’re in Galus! Have you also given on כביכול the Ribono Shel Oilam for not taking us out of this Galus now 1952 years? We’re guests in this country; realize that! We have enough enemies! If you want to vote for Lee Zeldin, go ahead!
By the way, I didn’t see your piblic reaction to the antisemitism the latter endured in recent days! Curious why! Mr. Donn, get real! They don’t like us here.
Rabbi Cooper perhaps you are 95 years old and you feel it is appropriate to condescendingly refer to anyone younger than you as “kid”. But I doubt it and it is highly inappropriate to refer to one who is in his forties as kid.
Secondly it is extremely absurd to equate Gov. Hochuls avoiding the frum media with lehavdil elef alfei havdalos Hashems ultimate geulah.
Thirdly Mr. Donn is a journalist, not a politician. He is not required to pontificate on every incident. Perhaps he even did on his Twitter feed and it didn’t make it into Matzav.
Yochonon Donn is majoring in minor things. Why doesn’t he come out and loudly protest Governor Hochul’s public, in your face, stand on ABORTION?! Why doesn’t Yochonon Donn speak out loudly about her stand on mishgav zachor???! Arguing about “me barosh” is immature at best and…………….at worst.
It is not a journalists job to stand on 13th Ave with a sandwich board protesting.
As a journalist he was trying to do his job and interview a politician running for office who will represent many of his readers.
He had done this many times before during political campaigns and is rightly calling out an arrogant politician who thinks she can avoid uncomfortable questions by hiding from experienced journalists.
Perhaps he would have questioned her regarding those issues you mentioned.
This has nothing to do with mi barosh as she is avoiding all the frum media.
What is this “mishGav” thing you talk about on every single site?
Attention Donn: We are living in golus.
What does living in golus have to do with Governor Hochul’s not giving an interview?
“Me, as well as journalists from the others, have sent repeated requests…” . Is that correct English?
I noticed that; it should be “I, as well as…”.
However, it was a tweet, not an edited newspaper article.
I could give three reasons why Gov Houchal wouldn’t give an interview. 1. she knew she would be asked about yeshiva education. An answer favorable to us will alienate her left wing base. 2. She knows the askanim and Mosdos will endorse her regardless. 3. She knows most frum neighborhoods will vote Republican in November.
What about her policy positions? What does she stand for? Over the past 1 weeks, what has she made sure that you know she stands for? Which picture has she chosen as the one to identify her on Twitter??
If we are honest, we may recognize that she has put herself at odds with the Am HaShem. Refusing the interview is the smallest indicator. Cuomo was also at odds with the Am HaShem, but he played a ‘good’ game.
Chareidi Media should be ignored and first and foremost by ourselves. Their reporting is very biased to certain interpretations of what Torah life must mean for everyone, even when reliable widely accepted Robbonim offer a minority opinion. Critical thinking is strongly discouraged.
Maybe Hochol will not take part in a media that refuses to show her face?
Get real . She used the chareidim for support and photo-ops and they gave them to her. She doesn’t care a fig about you guys , so don’t make yourselves so important.
What’s the difference. Frum journalists aren’t courageous enough to ask the right questions, ie, the 2nd amendment, Hochul’s EO on taking away health freedom rights (quarantining those who are suspected of COVID), the clotshot that is killing and maiming thousands.
Perhaps by bringing attention to this, Mr. Donn is making the point to those who still think that if we support the government, the government will support us: they won’t! They are POLITICIANS. They don’t care about you or me or anyone else, except as votes. And they don’t really need us for that, they obviously can manufacture however many votes they need to stay in office.
Has hochul said anything yet on the education issue? Or is she going to wait until after the November elections, after our usefulness is void?
Hochul is definitely not a friend of the frum community and will stab them in the back if it suits her purposes.
But the askanim said to vote for her so who are we to question?
Why would she waste her time with frum publications? She has the askonim backing her anyhow
Aside for (sic) Cuomo, no other candidate has refused to talk to our community thru its media.
He must mean in the governors race because in the NYC mayoral elections, Maya Wiley (who came in third place) also refused to speak to the frum media
Thank you, Rabbi Donn. Keep raising the issue. I don’t remember any outreach from her to the Orthodox community; we should have been voting overwhelmingly for Tom Suozzi who sounds like he actually cares.
To those comments that, “hey, wake up we’re in galus,” he is fully aware.
The real problem is the askanim bowing down to the liberal anti semite woke left wing politicians and not even talking to the republican candidates. Why should any candidate give a jewish publication the time of day, our askanim have already endorsed them to our detriment without ant care for our safety or welfare.
Donn, you publicly rip the democrats on a weekly basis what chances do you think you have that you will be ontop of Hochuls list for an interview?
These days a Democrat running in New York who doesn’t border on open hostility to the frum community and isn’t actively looking to undermine is the best you can get. No need to fight over non-interviews.
Do you think the other gubernatorial candidates like Jumaane Williams would give interviews? And if they did would they follow through? (I personally voted for Souzzi in the primary but being that he only got 13% of the vote there was never any realistic chance that he could win)
Jumaane Williams is a decent guy. I’ve met and spoken to him on numerous occasions. The white racist elitist democrat establishment never accepted Mr. Williams and won’t give him any recognition.
The establishment always wins and the worthless stepped on voters always lose. We’re done as a Nation.
Why should she interview with frum media that refuses to show her face?
Askanim are like Democrats. They’re always around and never leave us alone.
Ignore her. Interview the republican candidate and let him tell us why we should vote for him
Rabbi Yehoshua Cooper, my son, Rabbi Yochonon Donn, is a talmid chacham. He learns for hours on end. He works hard as a writer to support his large ( BAH) family. He is most definitely NOT a kid!
Keep up the good work, Yochi. I’m proud of you!
It’s assur to promote or support a candidate who HKB”H calls toaiva and hates. As David hamelech said: those that hate you Hashem, I hate.
If one can’t do that, he should choose a different parnasa.