Hate Scrawled in our Local Park
Dear Editor:
It was a beautiful May morning and I decided to take a stroll in Flushing Meadows Park. As I entered the path that snakes around the lake, I was accosted by a sign on a lamppost with a painted message that said, “Support BDS End Apartheid Crimes Now.” As I continued walking, I counted 10 lampposts with this painted message.
My first thought was outrage that someone would scrawl anti-Semitic propaganda in our local park.
The message is a total lie. It’s scary how a false narrative can be flagrantly advertised. Anyone supporting BDS sanctions against Israel is supporting antisemitism. Anti-Zionism is antisemitism. Israel is the opposite of an apartheid state. We need to educate the world and fight back against this propaganda.
I called Assemblyman Daniel Rosenthal’s office about this. I know we can’t sit idly by. Let’s work on sharing the truth about Israel. Our strongest weapons are our tefilos, being kind to our fellow Jews, and making a kidush Hashem. May we merit to stop the viscous lies and to bring Mashiach now!
Susie Garber
Congressmember Nadler Is Trief For Jewish Voters
Dear Editor:
Congressmember Jerry Nadler’s support for Brad Lander for NYC Comptroller in the June Democratic Party Primary is disappointing. Nadler loves playing the class, sex, and race cards. He said in the television commercial endorsing Lander for Comptroller that “Brad will hold corporations accountable for not paying people of color and woman equitably.” In this day and age, every corporation has a Human Resources department. Owners, management, supervisors, and employees are all aware of anti-discrimination laws on the books that require employees be paid equally regardless of ethnic origin, sex, sexual orientation, or age when performing the same tasks.
Nadler joined Congressmember Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) and Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, both of whom hold extreme left of center positions including taking the side of Hamas versus Israel, in endorsing Lander. Birds of a feather flock together.
Remember, earlier this year, Nadler endorsed the idea of reparations. Congressmember Nadler is clearly treif for Jewish voters. Anyone Nadler endorses is bad news for those of Jewish faith. Nadler doesn’t deserve a financial campaign contribution or your vote when running for another term in 2022. Diogenes is looking for a main stream moderate candidate who would be a true friend of Israel to run against him in the Democratic Party 2022 Primary election.
Larry Penner
Dear Editor:
One of the many attractions of living in Kew Gardens Hills is Freedom Square Park, the triangular park at the intersection of Main Street and Vleigh Place at 75th Avenue. It is a delightful park where frum families can congregate, watch over their young children or grandchildren play on the playground, or enjoy a seudah. It is also aesthetically pleasing, with shrubs and flowers surrounding the perimeter of the park, and there are ample trees providing shade.
Yet this attractive environment is often despoiled by individuals and families who bring snacks or food (including full-course meals) and then leave their trash on the park’s tables and benches. They do not bother to take their refuse to nearby bins or perhaps even consider discarding their trash in their receptacles at home. In doing so, they display a callous disregard for others who might wish to use the same tables or benches for eating, let alone be concerned about creating an eyesore.
I often wonder about the mentality of these individuals, many of whom are frum. Do they not realize how their selfish acts adversely affect other people in the community they themselves live in?
Peter Tuckel
Kew Gardens Hills
Dear Editor:
Goldy Krantz, you are a turkey - and don’t take that the wrong way. I’m a bowler, and when someone bowls three strikes in a row, it’s called a turkey. You have had three outstanding articles in the last three weeks.
First was the whole argument you started about young people buying houses in KGH, and good or you for bringing up that subject. Maybe people will realize there are other cities just as kodesh as Queens, and people are moving there for affordable housing.
The second article was from the young lady who isn’t mature or ready to really live the life she wants. It’s great to have the financial support of parents, but a grown-up married adult should be able to stand on her own two feet - or four feet if she gets married. Live the life you can afford to live, and if you don’t want to struggle with finances, choose another dream life.
And this past week was the third article that was another winner. I can’t tell you how many times my wife and I have discussed that my nephews, between the ages of 30 and 43, all seem not to be in a rush to marry. Is it a coincidence they are the more “modern” ones of our nephews? The nephews, cousins, and our son who lead a yeshiva life were all married by 25. They wanted a family and got down to business. The ones with “corporate” jobs and taking advantage of the money they have and free time don’t seem to be in a rush. They tell my sister they have time. In the meantime, my sister and I and everyone else knows that the older a man gets, the more set in his ways he gets, and the younger prettier girls don’t want to date them. And why should a 25- or 30-year-old young woman want to date or marry a 40 plus year old? I told my nephews once that they may be enjoying themselves now, but they are really losing out on what could be the best years of their life if they can get serious about dating and marrying. Of course, they laugh at me and think I’m stuck in the past.
I have read it in other articles as well: Girls in their 30s are complaining that it appears that men their age are not interested in settling down, and so they are offered to date men well older than they are. Do these men think that when they decide to get serious and marry it will happen in a few weeks? It may take months or years to find the right gal- and she has to like him too. It’s not a one-way street. My wife really does her best to try and set up some nieces and girls on our block, but it’s very hard. She goes to shidduch meetings and makes all the phone calls, but sometimes she wonders why she bothers, because all of our children are married and she doesn’t need this extra headache. But my wife is a helpful, loving woman who wants to do what she can when she thinks she can help.
Thank you, Goldy, for writing about issues that are important to discuss and not being afraid to stir the pot. Gobble, gobble - you have earned your turkey.
Yaakov Friedman
Dear Editor:
I would like to comment on the last two articles that Goldy Krantz has written.
The letter and answer to Chaya regarding how she doesn’t know how she will be able to live her dream of being a kollel wife without the extra support, or should I say the support of her parents, is pitiful. Follow that up by the letter last week about how the frum men in their upper-20s and 30s seem in no rush to date - it all makes for one depressing state of affairs in the frum dating world.
I place blame on everyone here, all of us in the frum community - for those who raise our children to be extremely dependent on parents for everything. Nothing is wrong with helping a child, but now that you see when parents had a real-world moment with their daughter (Chaya), she couldn’t deal with it. Have her parents solved all of her life decisions in the past so she can’t even begin to figure out how to live a life without their money? I’m sure if Chaya’s parents read her letter they would be ashamed that they raised a daughter to cry as soon as she is faced with adversity instead of pulling up her bootstraps and getting to work.
I’m sure Chaya isn’t the only one. I know a few friends helping to support their children who are learning. But one friend and her husband have put off retirement for a few years because one of their children still needs financial help. Their son knows that his parents, in their late sixties and early seventies, deserve retirement, but doesn’t seem to have any issue of working “Abba and Ima” to the bone. Take some responsibility! When do your parents get to enjoy the fruits of their labor? Tomorrow is not a given, G-d forbid something should happen to my friend - then what? My friend is tired, as is her husband; they and deserves to spend a winter in Florida instead of fighting the weather and traffic as he pushes his way into work. What is wrong with children today? Let your parents rest and have some enjoyment in life. I’m not saying the kids aren’t appreciative, but c’mon! You’re in your thirties with a few kids, you wife is working two jobs - maybe it’s time to help support your own finances and leave your parents to enjoy their golden years while they still can. I would love to have a 10-minute chat with Chaya or anyone with her way of thinking.
The second article is about the boys not taking initiative and putting their best foot forward and even making it appear like dating is a bother to them. Then stop dating - step back! Let someone else date these wonderful girls. I have seen it too often and heard from my friends and from my own sisters. I can understand having a bad experience once and a while, but the girls today seem to have more bad than good. It’s as if they are trying to compete for the one goal-oriented, smart man who actually wants to get married - and it makes me sick. I know Goldy is a fan of Disney, so I will compare it to Druzella and Anastasia fighting for the glass slipper. The slipper is the young man with a plan of marriage, children, along with ways of supporting his family. But because there are so many men that seem lackadaisical and uninterested, once that slipper/man is found, it’s a rush as to who can get to him first.
I’d love to sit with some of these boys - because that is what they sound like, boys - and ask them where their heads are at. I can understand when someone is 23 or even 25 not being in a rush to marry, but when you’re 30? 35? C’mon! Get your head in the game son! There are beautiful, smart young women on the market looking for a spouse that can be you! We are not like other cultures. We are taught from a young age to marry and have a family. But because you’re busy with your friends or job or whatever it is, you’ll put that on the backburner. These girls are going through gehenim trying to find eligible shidduchim for themselves and are being redt to men who are much older than they are or not right at all, but they are redt to them because men like you aren’t interested right now. And who is say when you are interested, the girl you want, the 25/30-year-old will even want you? You won’t even consider dating a girl your own age when you are finally ready to settle down - and it is not “settling,” believe me; the girls are the ones “settling down.” Now that you are ready to date, you think you will call the shots with the shadchanim: “young, pretty, thin...”? And you think you will get it? Your personality may be great, but they look at your profile and see age... All of the “men” doing this are doing themselves and these young women and klal yisroel an extreme disservice!
Tova Goldberg
Dear Editor:
I would like to respond to Warren Hecht’s article, “Mean Greene.” In that article, he attacks Marjorie Taylor Greene. It should be noted that Warren always attacks pro-Jewish voices and praises the antisemites.
First, in her Twitter account, Rahsida Tlaib states, “Israel targeting media sources is so the world can’t see Israel’s war crimes led by the apartheid-in-chief Netanyahu. It’s so the world can’t see the killing of babies, children and their parents. It’s so the world can’t see Palestinians being massacred.” Tlaib also compared Israel to Nazi Germany in a previous tweet.
In her response, Marjorie Taylor Green stated, “Israel was not targeting media, they were targeting the terrorist organization Hamas that is funded $30 M/month by Iran, and has been firing over 1,000 rockets into Israel this past week ... Never forget that Obama/Biden sent $1.7 B pallets of cash to Iran. Iran funds Hamas jihad $30M/month against our ally Israel.”
Warren’s conclusion is that Marjorie Taylor Green is a mean and vile person. He says nothing about Tlaib. By attacking Greene and refusing to criticize Tlaib, Warren is actually helping Iran and Hamas to spread lies against Jews.
Warren also stated previously that the Democratic Party supports Israel. I cannot believe any rational person would say such a statement. Not a single Democratic Senator stood up for Israel. Chuck Schumer refused to condemn Hamas for their rocket attack on Israel. Robert Menendez, the most ardent supporter of Israel, stated, “I am deeply troubled by the Israeli military actions that resulted in the death of civilians in Gaza.”
Israel does not target civilians. Israel does more than any country in history to avoid civilian casualties. Menendez is spreading a blood libel against Israel. This statement by a supporter of Israel is fanning the flames of anti-Semitism in the U.S. and the world.
The Democrats in the House of Representatives blocked a bill that condemned Hamas. The Democrats support Tlaib and the Squad. You cannot be a supporter of Jews and a supporter of antisemites. Warren, you must make your choice.
I know Warren loves the Democratic Party and hates Trump and the Republican Party. But he has to make a decision. If he wishes to support antisemitism, he should stick with the Democratic Party. If he wants to oppose antisemitism, he must switch parties.
Martin Berkowitz