BROOKLYN (VINnews/Sandy Eller) – In what appears to have been intended to be a conciliatory move, Governor Andrew Cuomo held a conference call with multiple prominent Jewish community leaders to discuss the ongoing shutdowns in the state’s red zones that have closed shuls, schools and non-essential businesses.
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Sources told VIN News that the call took place at 7 PM Sunday night, with clips circulating several hours later on WhatsApp featuring audio of questions asked by three rabbi representing distinctly different segments of the state’s Orthodox Jewish community as well as some of Cuomo’s responses. All three of the rabbis who were permitted to ask questions did their best to distance themselves from the angry rhetoric and insults aimed at the governor since his October 6th announcement that stunned Jewish communities statewide and referenced their long-standing relationships with Cuomo.
Rabbi David Niederman, executive director of the United Jewish Organizations of Williamsburg, expressed his concerns about false narratives picked up by the media, including a supposed protest in response to a state order banning a 10,000 person Satmar wedding. Rabbi Niederman explained that both the protest and the size of the weddings were inaccurately reported and called on the governor to verify potentially sensationalized stories. Saying that it is difficult to tell reporters that their facts may be incorrect, Cuomo turned the tide of the conversation by elaborating on the state’s current gathering restrictions before making an offer to work with the Jewish community to lower its COVID rates.
“There’s no leader who is worth his salt who doesn’t want to reduce the amount of people going into hospitals, so it will be my pleasure,” said Cuomo. “We can do that as soon as you are available. Put together a group – we will do it.”
Lavishing praise on the governor, Yeshiva Darchei Torah’s Rabbi Yaakov Bender advised Cuomo to look away from harsh words that are being said in anger and to understand that many in the Jewish community support him unequivocally, adding that any parent in his school who disparaged Cuomo would have to find another school for their son. Addressing the issue of closed schools, Rabbi Bender observed that with 80 percent of his students coming from homes where both parents work, many are spending their days on the streets, making school openings of paramount importance.
“We gotta do something governor, you gotta help us,” said Rabbi Bender, adding. “Nothing more [important] than taking care of the children, they’re going backwards in a very bad way.”
Like Rabbi Bender, New Square Mayor Izzy Spitzer spoke warmly about Cuomo’s father, former New York Governor Mario Cuomo, and he discussed the pain of a relationship becoming so strained that both sides felt the need to prove their loyalty and friendship to each other. Spitzer lauded the governor for his hard work and discussed the importance of having an open dialogue as soon as possible with the governor and his senior staff in order to bring an end to the lockdowns.
“Let’s sit together and am sure in a very, very short time we’ll be able to get the whole thing together,” said Spitzer. “We’re in it together governor. Keep up the good work – let’s do it right away.”
Cuomo ended the call with a pledge to follow up on the matters discussed, saying he would love to work together with the community to bring infection rates down in order to end the lockdowns.
“Let’s do it tomorrow,” said Cuomo. “We get the numbers down, we open everything up 100 percent.”
But there were those who expressed doubts about the call. Journalist Yochonon Donn tweeted that no representatives of any Borough Park yeshivas agreed to take part in the call because all questions had to be approved by Cuomo’s staff and participants had to agree to be muted.
Sources told VIN News that a face to face meeting between Cuomo and Borough Park schools could take place within the coming days.
A parent who disparaged the governor will need to find a new school? Wow, it seems that censorship of dissent is contagious.
Yay, made up just in time for the elections. Dont be fooled, vote republican down the ballot.
Sorry, but Cuomo lacks the credibility to make pledges. He has earned whatever derogatory terms we use, and he richly deserves the commitment by the Jewish community to be voted out of office. This call was a publicity stunt, and accomplished nothing except for what askanim do all the time, pander to the politicians for favors, and promise them undeserved votes. We must stop this. These politicians are getting away with genocide, and the askanim have stopped to levels of immorality and dishonesty that are inconsistent with being part of the Am Hanivchar. They do NOT represent us. They are the reason we have sold our community for a few dollars, having accomplished nothing but empty promises, several laws that discriminate against us, tolerance of some of the most reprehensible and disgusting things.
You will say that heaping praises on Cuomo might work. Wrong. He will utter the phrases you want to hear, and then double down and torture us.
Phoy!! I’m going to vomit. After these “leaders” begging and groveling on their hands and knees, Coumo offers the “possibility of reopening…” It’s so nausciating. You are not my leaders and don’t talk for me.
Doctors around the country are urging full reopening and urging for the stopping of wearing masks which is causing many health issues, doctors all over the US are urging for businesses and schools to reopen, which is excatly what the frum community did before King Coumo injected fear and is needlessly controling our lives while giving free reign to liberal events. We did exactly what needed to be done and all the groveling before His Majesty won’t change his mental issues of the need to control the weak people of the population, the Jews, with our groveling so-called leaders and mosrim and the our own people condeming us for speaking out against the racism against us, it’s no wonder Coumo and DeBlasio have a convenient scapegoat to place blame upon so they can ignore their inability to lead a state which is going down the drain.
Coronavirus cases in Westchester are now their highest since June, over 1000 active cases, 50 people now hospitalized, six deaths last week (see the article just up on Lohud). Not a word from Cuomo. No red zones, no lockdown, no fines being issued, nothing.
Don’t ever forget that Coumo baomer Covid on Orthodox Jews and therefore inciting anti semitism around NY.
He also said that the Orthodox Jews NEVER follow rules.
Watch your back everyone.
I’m gonna throw up! Pandering to Cuomo just raises his ego level! If u think that’s gonna get u somewhere, good luck. Wait till he realizes we all voted for president trump anyway, he will be mad and knock us out again!! Shame on u 3 rabbinic pandering to Cuomo! I don’t want any part of this
I believe this about governor Antichos like a loch in kup.
Arch
Another sell out by a shrewd Governor who knows how to play up to the Askonim
Niederman and Spitzer care about one thing only ………………………………….. that is dollars and grants not the safety of our community
Look up the Great Barrington Declaration. Signed October 4 by 3 top epidemiologists and co-signed by 35 other top medical professionals.
Since then, 30,000 medical practitioners and 10,000+ public health and medical scientists have signed as well.
Point? The lockdowns MUST STOP!
Children suffer the most but many other groups do as well. (People afraid to go to hospitals for heart attacks, cancelled chemo treatments, postponed kidney transplants, etc. etc. Please google it and read it! It’s very short….
We know a lot better now and there are 40,000 medical professionals who have signed on that this is BAD. We need to Open Up!
Please Mr Cuomo help save Jewish lives. Do not give in to these so called leaders, and their pressure tactics. We the people don’t want to die. I lost 3 people in my extended family already. If we cannot be smart enough ourselves and try our best, please do it for us.
It’s foolish to think that our governor suddenly has a good side in him and wants to make peace. It’s very clear that he is afraid of the courts who have ruled (in Queens) to show cause why he closed the school and within two hours he announced the school opening. The governor was sued by a parent and not by the Rabbi who receives government subsidies and is afraid.