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Congressional race in Staten Island: Max Rose Stands up for the Orthodox Jewish Community, While Malliotakis Remains Silent

By 09/21/2022 3:52 PMNo CommentsBy M. C. Millman

The race between Max Rose, running to reclaim his seat as a former member of congress from NY-11, and incumbent Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis is taking place in November in New York City’s only swing congressional district – home to many Orthodox communities, including Staten Island and some portions of Brooklyn.

On Sunday, Rose voiced his support of Congressman Ritchie Torres’s letter calling for an investigation into New York’s response to what Torres called “the wave of anti-Semitic violence that has gone unchecked in New York City. So much so, that anti-Semitic attacks have risen to levels not seen since forty years ago when the ADL began recording anti-Semitic attacks.”

Rose voiced his support in a tweet, saying, “Time and time again, we see Jewish families attacked while walking to Shul, or going about their day just because they are Jewish. @RitchieTorres is right, more must be done to protect these families- and the DOJ must ensure the perpetrators of these crimes meet swift justice.”

On Monday, Rose shared his views on the recent attack on yeshiva education. The congressman clarified his stance in an op-ed in Hamodia on Monday, September 19. In it, he examined the current news being reported on New York’s yeshivas through the lens of the tremendous uptick in anti-Semitism, making New York City’s Hasidic community one that is clearly under attack.

“The fact is,” the former congressman states in his Hamodia op-ed, “like all neighborhoods, the Hasidic community is a big, diverse place filled with people of lots of backgrounds, beliefs, and opinions. I have long known members of the Hasidic community. They are our neighbors. They are our friends. They are our colleagues. And they are New Yorkers who care deeply about our city… Above all, they are committed to their youth, to their education, and they are loving parents. They don’t fit the profile that the New York Times painted of this community.
“This is why when we examine the recent news about Yeshiva’s, we need to take into account the worries and fears many face. To start, we need to be perfectly clear that every child deserves a sound and basic education – something I know the members of the Hasidic community – parents, and educators – overwhelmingly share that desire and belief. I will support them in ensuring that every child receives that quality education within a culturally sensitive environment and without interfering with their religious teaching. This can and must be achieved collaboratively, not through derision and threats.”

“As I wrote in my op-ed,” Rose shares with Yid Info readers, “There is a right approach and a wrong approach. It’s incumbent on the government to strike the right balance, helping ensure that all kids receive a good education without allowing the conversation to devolve into anti-semitism and absolutism. These children and their families deserve better than that.”

Yid Info reached out to Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis numerous times, as well as her office, to allow her to comment on this issue. While Malliotakis’s staff member, Thomas, spoke with Yid Info, he professed complete ignorance on this explosive matter despite it being of grave concern to thousands of the congresswoman’s constituents. Thomas promised to accelerate the question by sending it to Albany and to subsequently get back to Yid Info with the congresswoman’s statement. That was last Friday. To date, the congresswoman and her staff have yet to formulate a response as to what Malliotakis’s stand is on the rights of Orthodox Jewish parents to choose an educational system for their children without interference from those offering similar oversite to a failed public school system.

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Avrumy Schwartz

Author Avrumy Schwartz

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