Yeshiva World News has learned that a number of Brooklyn yeshivas, whose leadership had been supportive of Joe Lazar, have abandoned his candidacy after learning that Lazar accepted the backing of the United Federation of Teachers (UFT), a group that has publicly opposed government funding for yeshivas and has consistently leads the fight against any plans to help yeshiva parents.
With yeshiva parents struggling with the rising costs of tuition, community leaders are questioning how Lazar could accept the endorsement of an organization that is based on an anti-yeshiva and anti-tuition-paying parents platform. Said one yeshiva leader who requested anonymity, “Because of Assemblyman Dov Hikind’s insistence, we initially pledged our support to Joe. We don’t want to upset Dov, but we are quietly telling our parents to vote for David Greenfield today because of his record fighting for yeshivas and against the Teacher’s Unions.”
What’s more, suddenly Lazar’s statements that he did not agree with Greenfield’s advocacy for tuition tax credits or Greenfield’s plan for free door-to-door transportation for yeshiva parents seem conveniently like the positions traditionally taken by the powerful Teachers Unions.
The Teachers Unions, led by the UFT, are public enemy number one of yeshiva parents in New York. When the State Legislature was considering implementing several measures that would directly benefit both yeshiva parents and our community’s mosdos, it was the UFT that led the effort to defeat the proposals. UFT also rallied in Albany in opposition to the pro-yeshiva legislation, launched a massive advertising campaign denouncing the legislation, and sent thousands of letters to lawmakers expressing their outrage at the proposals. When Governor George Pataki put forth a plan involving tuition tax credits, which puts money directly back into the pockets of yeshiva parents, the president of the UFT called it a “terrible proposal.” Most recently, sources say that the Teachers Unions were responsible for killing a proposal this year that would have provided many yeshivas in the community with TAP funding – tuition assistance for students in yeshiva gedolas in New York.
The UFT is now actively supporting Joe Lazar’s campaign and making phone calls to its members to encourage them to vote for Lazar. According to several people that received these calls, the calls criticize Greenfield for his support of private and charter schools and ask union members to vote for Lazar instead.
This has led many parents to question why the UFT has gotten involved in the Lazar campaign and is so interested in helping him. According to one yeshiva parent who is active in the Boro Park community, “If Joe Lazar was actually planning to fight for the rights of yeshiva parents, it is extremely doubtful that this organization would have supported his candidacy.”
(YWN Desk – YWN)
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26 Responses
Hikind has been in power for a generation and all he does is go after crazy Holocaust deniers. While I support the Jews of Gush Katif Hikind was not elected by them but by us. LAZAR=HIKIND a vote for LAZAR is a vote for HIKIND.
BP- WAKE UP AND SMELL THE COFFEE. GO GREENFIELD!
David, has a history of fighting for Yeshivos and private schools.
Joe Lazar has no history.
So even if the UFT weren’t involved, it would still make sense to vote for David.
That being said i don’t want to take away from Mr. Lazar who I happened to know has helped many people in his tenure as a government employee.
So it isn’t that Joe wouldn’t be good, it is just that David would probably be better.
People are lending too much to David’s yeshiva advocacy… when it comes to the City Council… yeshiva spending doesn’t come as an even moderate priority.
Just voted for greenfeld!!!
Met lazar at my polling place on ave k and east 10th.. He copuldn’t change my mind!
The more I hear the more we need greenfeld! He’s young and he knows what the frum people need……
Go Greenfield. People go out and vote today!! We need a change for the better for our yeshivos, mosdos and entire community. Greenfield’s the candidate to do it. #3: agreed.
Just voted for David at Murrow
Greenfield is good for us, go vote and make sure your faimly votes
And why is YWN the only outlet reporting this. From the beginning the mosdos were forced into supporting Lazar while many of them would really support Greenfeld.
BEWARE: Don’t Tell Those People Standing Outside The Polling Area For Whom You Pulled The Lever. They Are Joe Lazar Staffers And Will Attack You!
They Chastised Me And Many Of My Friends. Simply Ignore Them!
This happened after I voted, but if it would’ve happened before, I would vote with more Simcha. Don’t let those arm-twisting paid individuals make you stay home. Go out and vote out Hikind/Lazar, get someone that already delivered and one that the UFT is scared of.
Go Greenfield Go!
#4 Imagine what an idividual can accomplish without a title; just by talking, calling, urging (that is what David has been up to lma’an hamosdos for the past several years). If he becomes the next councilman then his phone calls, etc. will have more weight!
You yourself can accomplish if you wanted to for the mosdos as well, but probably don’t have the time. If this is what David does for a living then he will have the time.
If Greenfiled supporters or Lazar supporters, no matter whic, are bthering people, just go inside and “quietly” (don’t make a scene–it just makes a chilul hashem) alert an election offficial, and they will be moved away
MASKIM to number 10
lazar himself ( at 9:30 am on ave k and east 10th) was watching his workers belittle guys who were handing out papers for greenfield
what a disgrace!
We should fund ourselves. Government should not be funding private religious schools!
I agree with #14 with 1 stipulation. Those whose children are in private schools, are exempt from those taxes that fund public education.
TO ALL YOU GUYS WHO ARE PILING ON LAZAR:
C’mon; Let’s be fair. He still has the support of the overwhelming majority of the mosdos in Borough Park.
This man did a lot of chesed for the mosdos when he was in positions of authority in the government. Let’s treat him with the reespect that he deserves, and let the best man win.
BP! Don’t let old fasioned politics dominate our community!
We need change=Greenfield! We need a fresh face in politics=Greenfield!
We need results to continue=Greenfield!
WE ARE ALREADY SICK & TIRED OF DOV HIKIND & HIS FOLLOWERS!
Lets all go= GREENFIELD – CHANGE & RESULTS!
Deepthinker, I’m calling his entire campaign into question after going through what I did. Is this the way a Jewish candidate behaves on election day?
Lazar had an ad yesterday in the daily ‘Luach Hatzibur’ that he won’t send loudspeakers Erev Pesach. Well, I now know whom not to believe…
How can I trust someone like this? How can I believe all of his campaign propaganda with the endorsements if he shows me that he isn’t an honest individual? First we had the expose here with Parker and other Askanim, then the Daily News with Felder and now with us… I don’t trust someone like this and bullying won’t get him to earn trust!
Mr. Johnson, i guess you feel that the government should be reimbursing us for not sending our children to public school we do pay for it….
MASKIM!
Noach Dear did huge amounts of chesed for thousands of yiden and his reward was a kick in the rear from Hikind.
Just voted Greenfield. Maskim about the Lazar staffers harassing…very annoying!
Just voted GREENFIELD!
I urge everyone to follow me!…
Moderators Note: One username per person. (geshmockster. The rest we will leave out)
Can someone explain if the Lazar campaign thinks they have the entire Boro Park why they feel the need to have cars going around with loud speakers, people handing out papers at the polling site? If David has no chance why even bother? I just came back from voting and hope that my vote counts!
Malkymom,
I have such a headache from the Lazar mobiles! It sounds like Purim out there! I really hope he loses just for annoying the whole community for an entire day. Plus, his staffers are so annoying. They come over so cocky, one said to me “you’re voting Lazar right?” I said “no, I’m going in right now to vote Greenfield.” That humbled him a bit. Why does Lazar think anyone should vote for him?
Mr. Johnson #14,
I do not even know how to begin to respond to you. Do you know the struggling burden of cost in Yeshivas today? We pay real estate taxes for schooling that we receive nothing for. Please have compassion (once you get back from Haiti, of course – first things first).