Family and friends of slain Chasidic businessman Menachem Stark, have reportedly, complained to The Algemeiner that they haven’t heard from the office of newly sworn-in New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, since the horrific murder early Friday morning.
“The mayor’s office has had no contact with the family at all,” an anonymous Stark family member was quoted in The Algemeiner Tuesday.
“We are talking about seven orphans. Seven children who lost their father due to a kidnapping and murder. Where is the mayor when it comes to this case?” the source cited a family member as saying. “We ask the mayor to come and show respect to the orphans.”
In a Wednesday editorial, Hamodia called out the mayor for remaining mum on the issue and for not issuing the minimal expected shiva call to the grieving family. “The mayor’s silence is deafening,” the headline on page 40 reads.
“Ever since the abduction and brutal murder of Reb Menachem Stark, Hy”d, Thursday night that shattered the Orthodox community — and all decent New Yorkers — Mayor Bill de Blasio’s voice has been missing from the uproar,” Hamodia editorial board wrote. “What is needed most at this time is a clear-minded condemnation of the tragedy by the mayor, a full court press conference to separate fact from myth, or even just to articulate a plain pledge that the administration is committed to pursuing the murderers until justice is done.”
The newspaper goes farther in accusing the mayor of abandoning the Orthodox Jewish community. “The mayor’s silence is a shocking blow,” the editorial reads. “Where has Mr. de Blasio — self-described in numerous conversations as a friend of the community — been as half the shivah has been completed? Why has the mayor allowed rumors to fly on social media, blogs and tabloids without clearly conveying in regular news updates where the investigation is holding, who and who not are suspects and what they believe are the motives?”
“Why hasn’t the mayor yet issued his condolences, either through a shivah call, or at the very least, a public statement? New Yorkers expect leadership from their mayor, and the Jewish community knows better than most that Mr. de Blasio, the city’s public advocate until last week’s inauguration and a former city councilman representing parts of Boro Park, possesses that quality. We need to see it on display now.”
The newspaper awkwardly puts the mayor to task for not attending a local press conference condemning the NY post for its negative coverage of the murder. “Sunday, dozens of elected officials, Orthodox community representatives, and leaders of various other ethnic communities came to Brooklyn’s Borough Hall on short notice to condemn a heinous murder, urge on the homicide investigation, and protest the besmirching of the reputation of a good man by a tabloid hungry for heart-stopping headlines… Missing from the mix was Mr. de Blasio, an old friend who has long stood shoulder to shoulder with the Jewish community on a whole range of issues during his council days,” the paper’s verdict reads.
“Mr. de Blasio also passed up an opportunity to comment on Monday, when he was asked about the Stark investigation by a reporter. Inexplicably, the official video of the 54-minute press conference, which usually cuts off after the mayor leaves the room, ends after the question but before the answer.”
[In fact, the mayor did answer the question posed to him by a NY Times reporter. The mayor said that Nassau County Police Department is leading the investigation and that Police Commissioner Bill Bratton is the guy to go to for information and updates on the case.]
“It is especially important for Mr. de Blasio to get involved here. His absence has been conspicuous and disturbing,” the paper concludes.
The mayor’s spokesperson did not yet respond to an inquiry sent by YWN, at the time this article was published.
(Jacob Kornbluh – YWN)
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19 Responses
please there was about 14 murders in NYC since he became mayor did he visit any of their families NO
another landlord was murdered after the post headline did he visit them NO
sorry to the mayor all citizens are equal. Shame of the family for not saying he should visit all or at the very least the other landlord
Pirkay avos warns us of what happens when politicians don’t need you anymore.
Eh… just this morning on 880 they commented how de Blasio has bad habit of coming late to everything… maybe he will issue statement next month.
Why? If he went here he would spend all time visiting people who lost some one
Non sense.
Well, well its a week into deblastoff’s reign and all the sycophant, so called “askonim” who (i won’t name) sold their souls to the devil for a few shekels and tried to sell us on how great deblastoff was gonna be for us, get this. Don’t act all surprised now. Maybe if the victim’s last name was bell, hawkins or diallo instead of stark you’d get a statement. Well shoytim, you reap what you sow. Enjoy the next 4 years!
the least the family and others calling for the mayor to go for a shiva call could have even off handed mention we feel the same about the other landlord who was killed
there are others in the world who suffer just as much when there family members gets killed.
People will feel more sympathy for yiddin when yidden show some concern for others it works both ways.
you cannot ask the whole ny to feel your sorrow when you do not feel the sorrow of others
Quote: ‘The newspaper awkwardly puts the mayor to task …’
If the reporter uses ‘awkwardly’ to describe Hamodia’s opinion, I disagree. There’s nothing ‘awkward’ about Hamodia’s opinion, nor its English, nor its presentation.
I don’t agree with Hamodia’s opinion this time, but it’s certainly not awkward. Hamodia is almost always well-written and never ‘awkward’.
What may be ‘awkward’ is your reporters placement of the word ‘awkward’ in the wrong place in the sentence.
Thank you,
A proud Hamodia reader.
He has no time to visit people the election is over and he got your vote and if he would run again you will vote him in again like the Obama
אל תבטח בנדיבים בבן אדם שאין לו תשועה
I don’t understand why the Mayor is expected to be menachen avel. These visits in the past have been publicity stunts, with few exceptions, and are out of place.
When a police officer or other City employee dies, perhaps the Mayor’s attendance in more appropriate.
In fairness to the family – if they truly requested he visit – the request was most likely made before the other landlord’s murder was made public. It takes time from an interview till it actually makes it to press. So please, stop badmouthing them.
Also, Nassau does not run the whole investigation, it’s being run on both ends; so it’s a lazy cop out.
The fact is Menachem Stark A”H was given very bad press coverage and it definitely appears De Blasio is looking the other way to avoid angering his landlord hating constituents in this “divided city” of ours. If he felt otherwise he should have at least commiserated with the family, with or without an actual visit. So I’m waiting… He can still redeem himself, although sooner would have been better than later.
YWN did it again
Bh they did not quote the nypost today l, unlike other sites especially the ones calling for a boycott.!
I happen to really be very impressed .
May you have strength to always follow in tge right path
Mammele says:
January 8, 2014 at 12:57 pm
In fairness to the family – if they truly requested he visit – the request was most likely made before the other landlord’s murder was made public. It takes time from an interview till it actually makes it to press. So please, stop badmouthing them.
let them do another interview. and anyway did they realize that there where 14 other murder victims since he became mayor or where they to late for that too
I see no reason why Mayor DeBlasio should make a shiva call on the family of Menachem Stark. Every murder is a tragedy for the family of the victim, and it may be appropriate for a mayor to make a shiva call when the city was involved in the death, e.g., a stray bullet from a police officer’s gun, or city employee driving a city vehicle recklessly, but in Mr. Stark’s tragic death, there appears to be no direct involvement of the city government. Indeed, a mayoral visit to the grieving family may only give unwanted publicity to an already-grieving family.
And I see no basis for inferring any politicking by the mayor in his decision not to make a shiva call on the Stark family. I do think some of the commenters above are trying to find political motivation or anti-Semitism in the mayor’s non-visit to the grieving family, and such ideas are as unsound as the Post’s ugly headline about Mr. Stark.
What absolute arrogance by these troublemakers. Where does it state that the mayor must be menachem aveilim? If the mayor visited the family of every murdered person in this city, he would never be in city hall. These chassidishe need to mature and learn the ways of the real world.
I have a long memory going back at least 12 years ago, and I well remember that it took Mike Bloomberg a very long time to learn the routine of his being expected to attend funerals of fire fighters & police officers and “horrifying cases”, and Mike Bloomberg also came under massive criticism until he eventually learned that he cannot abscond himself from such sagas.
So let’s also give Bill de Blasio breathing space to learn up all of these protocols & expectations of him.
“I think” I see people are missing a point here”. And sadly it just comes to show how insensitive people to others feelings. They just can’t grasp & understand other peoples pain and others expressing them self’s.
Honestly, It was a thought that came to my mind right away.
I was very curious to hear what the Mayor will say when the story came out. As we are so used to hearing at press conferences, from police commissioners and Mayors all the time as saying. “We will get to the bottom of things”, “I will make sure the thieve”, murderer, what ever the case may be is will be apprehended and brought to trail on on on, “. We all grown ups (at least most of us I hope)understand well that is easier said then done. But the leading figure if its a mayor or a police commissioner etc. have to show that their some one in control in the city even many people might think, yeah sure, talking like a big shot, lets see what you could do. (Yes people close to the case should be involved and and make sure everything possible is done to solve a case.)
But the main reason for them speaking up could be for different reasons, for a certain incident to keep people calm, others hopeful, others safe on and on. We remember after 9/11 President Bush went to ground 0 with a loud speaker and started yelling. Do you have any idea what difference it made to so many people. Can you imagine if the news would be that he is hiding in the basement of the White house for a month. (I’m not comparing, I’m just giving an examples) and remember the support Mr. Dinkins gave to the people of Brooklyn when it came to crown heights. How scary and frightening it was for everyone because he acted the way he did.
I think/hope you get my drift,
I think, It is not that they needed the Mayor or police commissioner to “come down to the stark residents”. And ya know what, maybe that is what they needed emotionally, who knows. (Not saying now, if he should go or not)
My point is when your in pain you want support more then anything and from anybody.
Now one might say, Why should the Mayor be busy with comforting the family, community, city, etc in any case. Their is one answer to that. Because he is the Mayor. He was running around asking everyone to vote for him so he can be there for our city for us. Now you might say he will be busy with it all day. Well, I hope not, let’s hope he will try to keep the city safe. But sadly things do happen. And secondly, Their are things you can do that make a difference. And again for everyone it is something else. Different things work for different people and you can’t make everyone happy or bring someone back. Do I need to give him ideas?
If he truly does not want to start making house calls, maybe hire a PR man specially to visit family in a case like this. And hand them over a personnel letter from the mayor addressed from city hall. For me as a grown up I’m not sure if I’d care. but can you imagine how a 7 or 9 year old boy/girl would feel if the phone rings in middle of Dinner and the person on the other line says hi, This is Bill De’blasio, may I please speak with little moshie/jonny/lucy etc. Hi, this the mayor of the whole city of NY I’m calling to let you know that I’m also a daddy, and I will not rest until the bad guy is in jail.
And the truth is, even adults need to hear something like that at times.
Not saying anything at all can be very very painful and even scary to to the people even closer to the person they lost. I’m sure if he would of made one powerful statement like a leader, the reaction would be different.
And about those saying he shouldn’t go to Stark because he will have to go to the family on Avenue C. What is wrong with some of us? #1 First of all, how many grown ups have been kidnapped and burned in the city this year? We are talking about a brutal murder case here, on Mr. Braton and this Mayors watch. And we know of at least two murderers that are on the loose for a week now. So what ever the Mayors policy is, about how he will react to crimes publicly, let’s hear it.
#2 Why in the world, again are people “Yidden” so fast to bad mouth, judge, slander other Yidden in severe pain, for what? for asking for support from the Mayor. Tell me one reason in the world, why someone crying about losing a close friend/relative in this case Mr. Stark O”H be busy asking why the Mayor didn’t go or speak up to the other murder case etc. I’m not down playing or comparing but obviously, in the other case the police apprehended the suspect very swiftly. And how in the world are you going to compare one murder to the other in any case. How many shootings happen in this city because of people know that other people have guns, but they don’t turn them in, because they don’t rat. And yes, a lot of sad stories happen where innocent people and even young babies and children get killed from a stray. Every lose or murder in this city is pain no matter what race, color, religion, the child or adult might be, If you think it is not your friend/relative think what you would say if you knew chas v’Sholom who it is no matter if it was it was your friends, neighbors, co workers, doctors, nurse, fireman’s, police mans, bus driver, sanitation, delivery man, on and on, on. We live in a civilized nation and we are thought to treat and greet everyone with respect and we should teach our children the same. But it is the people that run the city that need to make the people live in it safe and secure and also make us all feel that we are as well. And if in any other case g-d forbid where the Mayor doesn’t show up. They should not feel they can’t say anything because then he will have to go to Ave C. If the people on Ave C feel they need/want the Mayor. They can speak up about it. The people in Wiliamsburg don’t have to be busy with that at all.
And by the way, I personally can understand where these people are coming from. Sadly, Nebech, let’s not talk about the nifter now. Let’s talk about the Family for one minute the people that will need to grow up and walk around with this for the rest of their lives. Don’t they have the right to want some answers to this scary story. Instead of talking about this horrible murder everyone is talking about how to boycott the post and all the other trash talk if he was a slumlord or not. Don’t they have the right to want some mercy.
Not saying i’m defending anyone (maybe I should) (have no clue who Mr. stark was by the way.)because it doesn’t matter to the case because what ever the case it doesn’t justify murder. In my opinion most of us know good and well, how any opinion, reply, comment, section of any site works like. Anyone can say what ever they want about anyone freely including this site. So you might say if it wasn’t true people wouldn’t write it. Well, well, nebech nebech, what happened to us in the past few years, so many of us don’t even know the difference between a story a “chashad” accusation and gossip. We are so addicted to a good piece of loshon hora. So many people think that if there is a comment box we need to write something to get it going. How many of you own online stores? or have reviewed an item you didn’t like and gave a negative review with out even thinking twice. So I feel that is where all this trash came from, no one in their right mind would go to the press and say I hated my landlord less then 24 hrs after the biggest most wanted case in this city was opened. Would you want to be suspect #1 ? come on, we all know where they got it from. They went on line, and even if a police source did throw out a tip. where did they get? they also went online and did the search no one would call the police and say, I didn’t do it but I want you to know my faucet is leaking. So all the trash talk and gossip is from one site where people where expressing their feelings about their landlord.
And that is exactly what many of us on here are continuing to do. Gossip gossip gossip, the reason you should keep your comments to your self not because it’s not a free country it is, Because you are a Yid, because you didn’t know him. He wasn’t your land lord, you should get your self out of this epidemic of reading and posting to comments because you are a Yid and we have a Yeiza Hora it is to hard for us to say, wait I don’t even know who we are talking about why am I believing every word I just read because it is printed? and in most cases I don’t even know who wrote it or how honest that source is.
I started writing the post when their was 16 above me. I don’t know how many more are on here by now. I hope the negativity will ease up a little.
Sorry for writing so much, I had to get it out. They say it’s healthy 🙂
can one quote from chazal where it states that our role in exile ‘ is to require rather then just ask ,condemn rather then just talk it out of pain ,when in comes issues like this in here ?
Whether DiBlasio goes to be Menachem Avel or not, it will be interesting to see what he is willing to do with Orthodox Jews PUBLICLY, considering the atmosphere and goals mentioned at his inauguration. The content of the speeches didnt sit well with The Jewish Press, for one. Some saw it as writing on the wall.