Can A Leopard Change Its Spots? Maybe
Dear Editor:
Andrew Cuomo is no stranger to New York politics. First his father, Governor Mario Cuomo, and then Andrew himself left a lasting impact on the state—and on the Jewish community in particular. While past performance is never a guarantee of the future, both Cuomos have a history of positive engagement and support for our community.
That changed during COVID. Governor Cuomo’s approach during that time, especially his treatment of Orthodox neighborhoods—placing them in “red zones” that were slower to reopen—felt unfair and deeply hurtful. Like many of you, I couldn’t forgive him. So when word spread that Andrew might run for mayor of New York City, I was uneasy, and I withheld my support.
Still, as a representative of the community and the Queens Jewish Alliance, I felt a responsibility to at least hear him out. Last Monday, I hosted a small group for a meeting with Mr. Cuomo at my home.
He was professional, articulate, and respectful—but more than that, he was humble. I’ve attended and hosted many meet-and-greets over the years, but I’ve never seen a candidate stand up and sincerely apologize to potential voters. He acknowledged the pain of the past, reiterated his long-standing support for our community, and spoke candidly about the alarming antisemitism emerging from some of his opponents.
After hearing him out—and weighing both his record and his promises—I’ve had a change of heart.
I am endorsing Andrew Cuomo for mayor of New York City and ranking him #1 in the primary. I hope you will join me in doing the same.
Sorolle Idels
The Shove
Dear Editor:
Hey, President Macron! Comment allez-vous? Très mal, n’est-ce pas? When your “viba” shoves you in front of the press, that’s not a simple “patch” in the “panim.” I don’t feel sorry for you since you’ve turned anti-Israel. However, I think your marriage can be a lesson to all of us in what we should not do.
First of all, don’t marry a woman 24 years your senior. Outside of the latest French haute couture, I don’t know what you could possibly have in common. You can’t discuss Charles de Gaulle or JFK. You certainly can’t discuss the Vietnam War. (This shoving incident happened in Hanoi.) I’m sure Macron would have difficulty discussing a Star Trek episode.
Next, and most importantly, never marry a student! She was Macron’s drama teacher, and I don’t think they were discussing The Iliad. Mutual respect is what’s called for in a teacher-student relationship. Maybe Macron and his wife should be reading Eishet Chayil. Perhaps they can find the secret to a good married life. I can’t say I’m an expert in that field, but having had 1,000 wives, I’m pretty sure Shlomo learned what to do and what not to do.
Macron should change his attitude towards Israel, and that might make him a mensch—and who knows? That might lead to his becoming a better husband.
On a more serious note, it’s difficult to be humorous during such a trying time. Let’s open up our Tehillim and pray that Hashem helps us during this war.
Debbie Horowitz
Dear Editor:
I would like to respond to Warren Hecht’s article “Harvard Derangement Syndrome.” In short, Harvard has become a hotbed of antisemitism and anti-American activism. The fact that Warren supports Harvard’s antisemitism is difficult to comprehend. In particular, Warren accused Trump of picking on Harvard and not following due process. Nothing could be further from the truth. Trump simply demanded that Harvard provide information about acts of antisemitism on campus. Trump additionally demanded that Harvard take steps to protect its Jewish students and faculty. Harvard arrogantly told Trump to go jump in a lake. In addition, Harvard had the audacity to reward two Harvard students (Ibrahim Bharval and Elim Tamaklo) with a $65,000 fellowship as payment for assaulting a Jewish classmate (Yoav Segev). We should be praising Trump for taking swift action against Harvard by cutting some of their government funding. Instead, Warren expressed his deep sense of admiration for Harvard for encouraging violence against Jews. This reminds me of early Nazi Germany, where violence against Jews was praised and rewarded. Although Warren has Trump Derangement Syndrome and cannot engage in rational thought, he has sunk to new lows.
Martin Berkowitz
