After an ugly anti-Semitic rant by Curtis Sliwa went viral, the Republican nominee for NYC Mayor made a video claiming he was not an anti-Semite.
In his 2018 address to a Hudson Valley meeting for the Reform Party, Mr. Sliwa berated Hassidim, hurling age-old misrepresentations and distortions that those who hate Jews have used for centuries at contemporary Jewish residents of Hudson Valley counties, several of which have seen influxes of identifiable Orthodox Jews over recent years.
Among much other ugliness, he expressed disdain for Jews who donate to political candidates. And derided “able-bodied men who study Torah and Talmud all day while “all they do is make babies like there’s no tomorrow.”
Such Jews, he said, don’t vote like “normal Americans,” and have the audacity to access educational funding for their schools to which they are entitled.
But now, Sliwa says he’s not an anti-Semite and even his two sons were raised Jewish.
Here is his response, and below it is the original video. Curtis never bothered apologizing for his remarks.
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26 Responses
He’s right, Adams isn’t in the clear either. But at the end of the day doing positive things for the Jewish community doesn’t mean you have a right to bash them freely to the whole world. It causes damage. I never understood why they feel they can get away with unleashing their hatred and then using the I’m a friend and I’ve been helping you card, and don’t forget it. You have an issue resolve it with the community leaders in a sit down as you suggested,don’t do it by going out and smearing the Jews in mass media.
All those who do positive think they own the Jews and have something over them since, you owe me. Lo miduvshech velo miokzech.
Anti semitic?! I didn’t hear a single word of anti semitism in the video. I’ll take a politician that speaks his mind, even if its offensive over a two facing one
Now that he’s a candidate he’s trying to have us overlook the blatant ant Semitic rant from several years ago. His children live with their Jewish mother who ended her relationship with Sliwa 7 years ago so he has little to do with the children “being raised Jewish” whatever that means.
The guy is 100% right.
You don’t pick up a public fight with someone who put himself in so much danger for the frum community. You request a meeting first.
We know who the antisemites are – they are democrats, the omars, tlaibs, when will the aguda fight them?
The difference between this guy and real antisemites is that the real ones want a jewish genocide chas v chalila!
Ugh. Come on. He’s not an anti-semite. He’s a friend of the JEws. he’s a loudmouth who loves attention and uses exaggerated language – he’s a talk show host! I hate to break it to you but all the other candidates probably think similart thoughts of us but don’t say these things out loud bc they’re more diplomatic and dignified than Curtis. He may be an impulsive braggart and deluded attention seeker but the last thing I would call him would be an anti-semite.
It’s obvious that YWN is in Eric adams’ pocket, this wasn’t mentioned even once during the primaries, if he was so bad then ypu should have told us to vote for Mateo
If I voice my opinion on all the negative aspects of black culture in urban areas and protest against, for example, low income housing being built for them, or schools for their troubled kids moving into my neighborhood, does that make me a racist? Just because what someone of another culture does that may be completely legal and they have rights to it, doesn’t make it desirable for people of another culture. And not appreciating having to either support another culture or move out doesn’t make one a racist.
Not only is Mr. Silwa’s singling out of Jews to criticize about “public funding” disgusting, someone should also inform him that there are huge numbers of Orthodox Jews who help finance public school education in America through their tax dollars despite not benefiting from the public school system at all. At least that is the situation here in California, where thousands of Jewish families pay high private school tuition costs and at the same time help subsidize public schools, without any ability to say where our tax dollars are spent.
We know Curtis for decades. He is not an anti semite. Ha has certain opinions (and he might actually be right about) but let’s stop playing the race card. Not anyone who disagrees with us is an anti semite.
Sliwa has been a friend of the Jewish People all his like. Period.
Sorry, while his words were badly expressed and definitely unpleasant to hear, I sense his frustration. In some ways, he is expressing the same frustration many frum Jews have when we see our co-religionists abuse the system. The difference is, we can say it but a goy can’t.
Well, that “goy” and his team HAVE always been there for us, in a way that no one else has been. And let’s be quite honest: we have seen some terrible abuses of laws by “frum” Jews, in terms of money laundering, flouting Covid rules without a second thought, Heshy Tischler running his mouth off, and so on… so many Chilulei Hashem.
I sat down with Curtis Sliwa after the Crown Heights riots and saw for myself how sincere he was. I don’t doubt that he is just as supportive now as then. Are we going to throw away our ONE TRUE FRIEND but kow-tow to local, state and even Federal government officials whose records towards us are less than stellar?
Major Jewish organizations accept “apologies” from openly antisemitic sporting figures and politicians. They give them tours of the Holocaust Museum, invite them to a seder or sukkah, and ze hu. THAT is a joke.
Be grateful there is one – just one- constant fighter for our safety and security who isn’t Jewish. You should be ashamed of yourselves. Thank you, Curtis Sliwa and the Guardian Angels: you have saved us more often than we can recall.
As I said in a comment here before, I’m grateful for everything America has given us Jews – particularly those of us who are frum. However, nothing this man said in the quotes given is antisemitic; they are factual. Of course, the one about frum voting patterns is at least partly opinion but there’s also a factual basis for it. YW: you should save your energy for getting exercised about actual antisemitism.
Vote Curtis. There is literally no better candidate in NY. I know for a fact he is the furthest thing from an anti semite.
Very nice Curtis, but where is your basic answer to your outright anti-Semitic rant displayed on the video, Where you there for your friends at the time you said all those vulger things about your friends. The chassidic community was your closest friends and allies always, and this is how you repaid them when you thought no one was listening? Answer to this , this is not made up! there you are with your whole outfit degrading a huge section of the Jewish community with the oldest and most vulger diatribe known to to anti-Semites! There are no excuses to what you said, but at least try to make some phony excuses for what you clearly said on the video before you ask for a sit down! Thinks which you may have done in the past are not valid excuses to what you stated to that anti-semiotic crowd whom you addressed! But try anyway to make some excuse, because your response was totally not valid!
Actions speak louder than words. Vote for Curtis.
He’s 100% correct.
We’re in golus and not going to have perfection. But why do we always look away from the candidates who are liberals who do terrible things to us and nitpick those who always really helped us over the years?
So let me get this straight Curtis, you’re not antisemetic, you just hate the “ultra” orthodox?
How can anybody trust anything you say?
What he said was perfectly reasonable. On the earlier recording he said some things that we disagree with, but none of it was in any way antisemitic. He expressed a reasonable point of view, a very common point of view, probably most Americans would agree with him. We don’t agree with him, and the law is on our side even though we’re in the minority, but he and the majority who agree with him are still entitled to their opinion, without being called ugly names like antisemite. Shame on you YWN for advancing this pro-Democrat propaganda.
When this Pollack rang Sheldon Silver’s doorbell, he lost.
Sliwa is no anti-semite , he is the one who protected Crown Heights during the riots.
What he said might make us feel uncomfortable, but is unfortunately true.
If you don’t believe what you see and hear, you will suffer the consequences r’l. הלכה עשו שונא ליעקב
He’s words are definitely helpful, and from his comments he does NOT look like a Jewish friend.
Becouse you are angary at the system (even if its true) does not mean he should be attacking us in public. Why should he attack part of our community if he pans to be our Mayer?? To me it does turn on a red light
Politicians who attach part of our community do like us. Face it.
I think some people here think that every republican needs to be defended regardless of his behaviour, I’m also a strong republican but wont vote for such a candidate. You need to start focussed.
he is right. grow up ywn.
Curtis Sliwa on yeshiva education:
“i went to Catholic school. Now, Catholic school did not believe in evolution. They believe G-d created the world. But we also learned a little bit about evolution. We learned a little bit about everything – history, civics, etc., some of which was in conflict with Roman Catholic doctrine. But you have to be exposed to some of that.
Now, you may determine: We’ll do it at the junior high school level or the high school level. But students should be exposed to it. They can reject it, but they should be exposed to it at some point.”
How about sitting down for a discussion before the rant….if we are friends whose vote you want…..
I dont think youre elected official material even if you are an ally in the street…wish it was not the case..we could use good represntation.