[EXCLUSIVE LETTERS IN EXTENDED ARTICLE]
On the heels of David Storobin’s latest negative attack on Councilman Lew Fidler it appears that several rabbonim are sending a message: enough. YWN has confirmed that at least four rabbonim who David Storobin has publicly claimed as endorsing him have said that they HAVE NOT endorsed him. The rabbonim, well respected in their communities, each wrote personal letters stating very clearly that they are not endorsing Mr. Storobin. The statements are a serious break in Storobin’s claim to have lined up support from rabbonim – the central claim of his campaign.
“I am not convinced that one candidates observance or hashkofas is better than the the others,” wrote Rabbi Mechel Rosenbaum. “I never authorized my name to be utilized in a political campaign or to urge a vote for David Storobin,” continued Rabbi Rosenbaum’s letter.
[CLICK ON IMAGES TO ENLARGE SIGNED LETTERS]
Rabbi Avrahom Moshe Binsky was equally forceful stating, “In no way do I endorse any candidate or any party in this political election.” Rabbi Natftoli Rottenberg echoed the same concerns, “I have never endorsed or authorized my name to be utilized in a political campaign nor have I urged anyone to vote for any particular candidate in this upcoming state senate race.” Also signing a letter proclaiming that he was not endorsing Storobin was Rabbi Chaim Krausz.
“Our community should participate in the upcoming elections and vote based on who will represent us best and produce the most accomplishments for our community’s needs,” concluded Rabbi Rosenbaum.
It is unclear if the Storobin campaign will take responsibility for this latest embarrassment or pass the blame on the organization that is believed to be responsible for originating the letter – Jews for Morality. According to several sources, Joseph Hayon and Joseph Friedman, both of Jews for Morality, actively solicited signatures for the letter. However, it appears that in the case of these four rabbonim they were not told by Mr. Hayon or Mr. Friedman that the letter was an endorsement of Storobin or that it was being organized by Jews for Morality.
Jews for Morality was founded by Rabbi Yehuda Levin. Levin is well known in the Jewish community for his strong views on all things related to Toeiva. Levin quite famously endorsed Republican Carl Paladino in his race for Governor of New York last year. Levin later withdrew his endorsement in front of Saint Patrick’s Cathedral after Paladino refused to endorse all of Levin’s anti-toeiva platform. Ironically, Democrat Andrew Cuomo went on to win the election and immediately passed same-gender marriage into law. Rabbi Levin is also well-known for his endorsement of renowned anti-Semite Pat Buchanan for President. Less know is that Levin has run for Congress, Mayor and New York City Council twice. He lost each and every time.
Keep your browser pointed to YWN for all the latest news in the final hours of this exciting race for New York State Senate.
(Dov Gordon – YWN)
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33 Responses
So they didn’t withdraw support, they just say they never gave it in the first place.
Lew Fidler camp is very, very nervous.
Wow. It appears that Yaakov Gold was right all along.
I didn’t realize that all of this was organized by Yehuda Levin but now it makes so much sense. It’s too bad that Levin, Hayon and Friedman are so obsessed with this one issue that they would apparently mislead our rabbonim!
Classic case of mitzvah haba’ah b’aveirah!
mdd is right,
YWN should stop being pro-Storobin. It is obvious that Storobin lied. The headline should read:
STOROBIN LIED ABOUT SUPPORT FROM RABBONIM!
Zalman Kugelberg, based upon which issue should we vote? Pork from Albany?
This is really scandalous. If Storobin lied to our Rabbonim he should drop out of the race. If Yoseph Hayon & Co lied to our rabbonim they should be put in cherem! Either way, SOMETHING must be done about this tremendous chilul hashem!
Why did they sign the letter without reading what it said?
This is why my Rav never signs his name on anything; you never know what the real deal is. Also, aren’t Rabbonim who are affiliated with shuls liable to lose their IRS tax deductable status if they endorse candidates?
Stuart,
It’s mashma form the article that these Rabbis were defrauded. Apparently, they were told and showed one letter and signed THAT letter. Then there names were used inappropriately in ANOTHER letter that they never even saw.
A shanda!
Things are getting more & clearer. I saw these Rabbonim on Storobins campaign literature and was very impressed that they actually had local Rabbonim. Now I see the truth!! They falsified their names for their endorsement. How many of the other endorsement are legit???? I’m sure the Storobin Mafias will scramble and “BEG” the other Rabbonim to agree that they knew all along about the endorsements!!! Whom can you trust if not these Rabbonim?? I will now vote for Lew Fidler no matter what the Storobin Campaign says. No more doubts in my mind. Yehuda Levins tactics have just ended. You disgraced and lied to OUR Rabbonim. You disgraced and lied about the endorsements. The gay marriage bill passed under all our watches back in January in the State Legislature. The same State Legislatures that the Storobin supporters gave campaign contributions.
WOW, what a chillul H-shem!!!! It’s time to expose the real scandalous folk HERE and NOW!!!
Lew NEVER lied about anything. He’s an honest man. He said everything the way it is and for that he is being lambasted.
On the other hand, Straw-bone has been consistently saying things to “please the crowd” and they’re buying into it like fresh bait.
Folks, WAKE UP!!! Look at the facts…
My advice is to ignore all the negativity and character assassinations (including this one) and focus on the issues. Democrats always try to get your mind off the issues as that is a loser for them.
David Storobin had NOTHING to do with these signatures. This is the work of Jews For Morality, who took it upon themselves to support his campaign. David is in no way affiliated with Jews For Morality.
The timing of this scandal also points suspicious fingers at Yeshiva World News. I would bet a pretty penny that Lew Fidler had a lot to do with this article, especially considering the strategic timing. Corruption at its best….
#8, no, a rov has a first amendment right to endorse whomever he wants. The shul may not make endorsements; the rov is his own person. And the rov, of course, has no tax deductible status to lose.
Just out of curiosity. Don’t Rabbonim issue statements that are signed, on their own stationary? If you are posting a link to the letters at least put the originals, assuming there are originals, not just heresay with signatures applied. For the record, I am completely neutral, and do not know which of these candudates is the lesser of two evils.
These letters, all identical, should not be construed to mean these Rabbonim endorse the other candidate. The letters state only that they never have endorsed a political candidate. Also the letters in no way indicate that one should or can vote for a candidate who supports causes that are the antithesis to our Torah values. Hakoras tovah is an important factor here, but chilul HaShem brought about through giving the wrong message about what we stand for is also a factor.
cherrybim, a Rabbi or an other type of leader, can make a personal endorsment. NOT from their org. or Shul but a personal one.
It seems here that these Rabbanim never even gave that but there names were used without permission.
Storobin may have lied, and he may not be the best candidate, but what’s the alternative??? A guy who’s pro toeiva? STorobin is still the better of two evils.
#4, I am pro-Storobin.
The one issue that Starobin plays up and influences the rabbonim who actually endorsed him is a non issue. Last year the Republican Senate passed the Toeiva “marriage” bill. Starobin can’t prevent it after the fact and I assume he knows that.
BTW, Rabbi Avraham Schorr shlita, Rabbi Yisrael Belsky shlita, and many many other leading rabbis still support storobin and encouraging the community to vote for him tomorrow. Fidler is trying to distract everyone from the big names!
What difference does it make at this point whether either candidate is either pro or anti gay marriage? It’s already been passed in NYS, with votes from Shomer Shabbos Assemblymen Silver and Weprin. It’s not going to be overturned, so why not focus on the issues that matter now – not last year?
And Storobin is no more likely to be able to obtain school vouchers then the man in the moon is.
Chevra,
I think we need to take a pause here and look at what we know-
We know that there are at least some Rabbonim that have come out publicly and said that they were tricked into signing the kol koreh against Mr. Fidler.
We also know that the Strovin camp says that Rav Belsky endorses their candidate, and one of the posters here has even declared that Rav Belsky, one of the leaders of our Kehilla supports Mr. Strovin and encourages everyone to vote for him tomorrow. I would like to point out that Rav Belsky Shlita has been in the hospital for many weeks, nebuch even when the gedolei hador shlita are being prayed for on the sick bed we can not help but drag them into this? The Rosh Yeshiva is mamish a choleh and these folks claim he is telling us all to vote tomorrow? Really? The chutzpa of these individuals. Not only have they lied to our Rabbonim, they have taken the name of one of our most chushuva leaders who lays at this very moment sick in the hospital and claimed that he wants us all to vote tomorrow for Storobin? Chutzpa and bizui Talmidei Chachamim cant not be tolerated.
Then of course there is the issue of Storovin claiming that the KBH does not exist and that the Bnei Yisroel did not leave Mitzrayim? Really yidden, if this is how you mark shloshim yom kodem hachag then I guess we are different.
Mr. Fidler might not be frum, he never claimed he was, he believes in G’, he supports the yeshivas and he will never vote on toeva….Oh and he has not lied to or about any of our Rabbonim Shlita.
You tell me what the good move is. I know what I will be doing. I think we need to take a look at this, whoever lied to these rabonim, whether its Yehuda Levin or the Aguda or Joe Hayon or whomever storovin has as his yiddisha advisors, they do not seem to share our values.
#23, back to the misrepresentations?
And Fidler is good?
A Rav or any other representative of a non-profit nay not endorse a candidate; he may however indicate who he is going to vote for.
I’m shocked at how little we know about Storobin. He seems to have Libertarian leanings, so would he support strip joints in the neighborhood? How does he feel about our tax dollars going to support gambling? The only point that people seem to be focusing on is same sex marriage, which has already passed. But where are our tax dollars going?
I have never seen Storobin with my own eyes, but the last time I saw Fidler was September 20, 2010. He stood up to the Brooklyn Democratic leadership, and spoke quite eloquently. I have never been a big fan of Fidler, but he seems to be the more trustworthy of the two, at least from what I have observed. Storobin seems to revel in all the offenses against him, and Fidler has shown that he knows how to navigate the legislative process- though I leave that up to you to decide whether that’s a good thing or not.
I am among those quite disgusted with Levin’s antics and public displays. But sometimes, even if only sometimes, he has a point. Whether he is involved or not, I have no clue. The degree of misrepresentation or outright lying is also not in my range of knowledge. What is downright intolerable is the sheer decibel level of negative campaigning. So far as I can tell, both are guilty. And in my opinion, neither has the needed morals to serve in public office. I cannot, and will not consider a vote for Fidler – since he proudly endorses SSM. He also promises something he can never deliver, the tax credits for yeshiva tuitions. It is virtually impossible, but makes for a good enticement to vote for him. Storobin has much in the campaign that is equally negative, with all the irrelevant dirt about how frum his opponent is or isn’t. Neither of these fellas gets my vote this time. What disgraces.
The bottom line is Fidler is pro toavah marriage and Storobin is NOT!
I know for a fact that R’ Avrohom Schorr never gave official support for Strorobin. I know someone who asked him And R’ Yisroel Belsky was in critical condition on a respirator. He didn’t give support either.
Fidler is pro-Toeivo. Enough voting for Toevo! Its tremendous Chilul Hashem, when Torah is sold for $$$. Its not monotheism its – moneytheism.
What difference does it make at this point whether either candidate is either pro or anti gay marriage? It’s already been passed in NYS, with votes from Shomer Shabbos Assemblymen Silver and Weprin. It’s not going to be overturned, so why not focus on the issues that matter now – not last year? Its because of 1) Chilul Hashem 2) Who knows what new gezeios laws are going to be voted upon?
A story was recently reported claiming that a handful of the 50 rabbonim who recently signed a statement regarding the special election today in New York State had withdrawn support from David Storobin. This report, we are told, is inaccurate and misleading. Two of the rabbonim who were claimed to have “retracted” in fact have said in their own words that their earlier statements were intended solely to teach halacha and not to play politics. Rav Chaim Krauss and Rav N. H. Rottenberg have emphasized that although they do not endorse a particular candidate, they hold that is assur to vote for a candidate who has pledged support for legislation regarding toeivah.
Other rabbonim who were said to have “retracted” had never actually endorsed a candidate, so claims of their retraction were not true.
Rabbi Avrahom Schorr did endorsed. And Rabbi Belsky May he have a refuah Shelimia did endorse us right before he fell ill.