It was a horrible tragedy.
Two Yeshiva students standing on the sidewalk after a long day at Yeshiva, when suddenly they were run over by an out of control vehicle.
One of the boys, 17-year-old Marcos Tawil Z”L was rushed to Good Samaritan Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The second boy, David Maldanado, 19, was listed in serious condition at the Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla. Friends and family were calling on everyone to say Tehillim for him.
But the despicable Journal News (also known as LoHud.com), just couldn’t control themselves. They couldn’t attempt to write a story honestly even if they tried. The anti-semitism and glee in their reporting of this horrific tragedy is nothing short of despicable, and Matt Spillane and Steve Lieberman should be fired immediately.
Their article reads as follows:
“A 17-year-boy died late last night when one car struck him and a friend as they stood in a school dormitory driveway on Route 202, police said.
The dormitory-school at 996 Route 202, also known as Haverstraw Road, had been operating with a temporary certificate of occupancy after opening in violation of town zoning and building codes. A 2015 critical state report on the Building Department operations cites the school for lacking permits and operating in violation of safety regulations.
The school, Yeshivat Tiferet Torah, also has been hit with fines by the Rockland Board of Health.
During the two-car accident reported at 11:50 p.m. Wednesday, Marcos Tawil was struck by one and died shortly afterward at Good Samaritan Hospital in Suffern. The second youth, David Maldanado, 19, remained in serious condition at the Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla, Ramapo Detective Lt. Mark Emma said.”
Why did these anti-semitic writers feel the need to write about a violation that the nearby yeshiva building had been issued more than a year ago? Is that pertinent to the investigation in this horrific tragedy? Is it important to the reader? Is it important to this boys poor mother who was woken up in the dead of night in Argentina to inform her that her son was just struck and killed by a vehicle? Have you no shame in your reporting? Are you a parent, and have you ever thought about losing a child in the most tragic of ways? Have you ever thought of the way it would be reported? Perhaps some news agency will find some dirt on you from 22 years earlier and place it in paragraph number two. How would you feel about that? You heartless anti-Semites.
But wait. There is more.
The Journal News then felt the need to specifically ask Rampo Police Detective Lt. Mark Emma for comment on the violations.
The article continues:
“Emma said officers will refer the case of the house’s status to the Ramapo Building Department. Chief Building Inspector Anthony Mallia didn’t return a telephone call this morning seeking comment on the building.
During 2013, the Rockland Board of Health fined Arash and Sara Hakakian and Neal J. Klatzko, owners, 996 Haverstraw Road, $900 for operating a rooming house without a permit and for failure to get proper permits for a sewer system.
The Hakakians operated the Sephardic Congregation of South Monsey. A judge rule in 2007 that their home at 7 Balanchine Court in Monsey was not entitled to a $14,226 religious tax exemption after a judge found Arash Hakakian didn’t use the house primarily for religious reasons.
The house was cited in a critical report of Ramapo’s building inspections and enforcement in January 2015 by the State Department of State’s Division of Building Standards and Codes. The state found the house is one of many that failed to comply with needed permits.
The agency alleged when Ramapo didn’t require the property owners to obtain building permits, the town violated the applicable minimum standards.The school and dormitory had received a temporary certificate of occupancy from the Building Department.
The Hakakians and Klatzco bought the one-family house in December 2011 for for $615,000, according to the Ramapo Tax Assessor’s Office website. The colonial-style house was built in 1974.
Ramapo Supervisor Christopher St. Lawrence said he would check with Mallia and the Building Department about the house, but he was not aware of problems with zoning. He said there’s been previous fatal accidents in the area.”
For the record, just SEVEN out of SEVENTEEN paragraphs in the Journal News article discussed the tragic crash.
Jonathan Bergman – Pomona
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17 Responses
It is the way of a person being pursued to always feel that way
The reason the journal news states the zoning bit is because maybe if the Yeshiva was in a safer environment which was zoned for a school this wouldn’t have happened
It’s not anti Semitic to state someone was negligent
Thank you Jonathan for expressing your sentiment. Any sane fellow Yid feels the same way.
Is there a recommended email address that I could let them know how I feel?
wow, coffee addict, you just made the exact point that YWN made.
Not only are you deviating from the tragedy at hand, you are actually blaming the school for this.
Subtle nuances in news articles, which is part of journalistic art, have a way of deviating the reader from the primary news item.
THAT is the point YWN was making.
Addict, indeed…
The driver of the car that spun out of control, hitting another car and eventually the two boys, was a police officer!
Whether there was a school there or not, any two people could have been standing on that corner. It was the negligence and fault of the driver who’s car hit those boys.
The discussion of zoning issues is an attempt to shift responsibility from the driver, who is somewhat of a high profile person, to another.
Remember, he is a person employed to protect, and given all of the news and accusations of police misconduct, this does not look good for them.
THE FOLLOWING WAS SUBMITTED TO YWN VIA EMAIL:
Wow! You guys picked up on that sick news article just as I commented to my co-worker about the same thing!
I wrote this to him:
From: Y******
To: Lieberman, Steven C.
Subject: RE: Ramapo: Teen pedestrian killed in Route 202 crash
Good morning, Steve
I hope this finds you well.
Thank you for the reporting on this terrible tragedy.
Just out of curiosity, when you mention that the owners of the house had been cited with past violations, I assume that you are inferring that had that house not housed the “illegal” – or shall I say “undocumented” students – then the tragedy would not have occurred.
Otherwise, why would you deem it necessary to even mention it in the news item?
Shabbat Shalom.
He responded:
I understand your reasoning.
The death of the young man is tragic, as is the serious injuries to the second young man.
The house is a f actual part of the incident and an issue with the county and town officials/inspectors.
People will draw their own inferences.
Question: Should these schools that don’t meet zoning be allowed to operate? The school got a temporary c/o, I assume, with promise to get approvals in Ramapo.
Thank you for your comments,
Steve
I wrote back:
Steven, I totally agree that schools that are not zoned properly should not be allowed to operate.
Having said that, granted that the house is “a factual part of the incident” is the fact that it may or may not be operating legally also a “factual part of the incident’?
You and I know that when people read through the article they will come to that same conclusion: “Aha! Had that school not been there, then perhaps this would not have happened…”
As you know, subtle nuances in news articles, which is part of journalistic art, have a way of de viating the reader from the primary news item.
I am afraid you may have succeeded with your news piece.
It takes away from the tragedy.
Period.
#4: While the article could and should have been written differently it did not hide the fact that the driver was a police officer. However, that is also not a factor in the accident and it was reported on. All the “facts” surrounding the “dormitory” are irrelevant to the article as if it was a private house the bochurim would have been allowed to stand in that spot.
Wow, it seems that Coffee Addict up above is nothing more than Drug Addict.
How anyone can see the side of the story where they bring all the unnecessary dirt as legitimate, is utterly baffling.
I am thinking Coffee Addict probably is not even a yid!!!
One boy is R’L dead, and another is severely injured. The prior violations of a building hardly matter in the current event. The Ramapo/Rockland County political machine has been thrashing Jews over the proverbial coals for decades. If there were or are violations on buildings owned by Jews, so sorry, Rockland County. I’m positive that these violations will be fixed. One of your civil servants killed a child and maimed another, that fact should be the focus of your article. May we hear better news in the future.
What a sad day for all!
As far as what Coffee Addict mentioned, that 202 is not zoned for a school, is not true. There is a girl’s high school, Bais Yaakov of Ramapo, very close by on 202 and it’s been there for years.
A boy is dead! An almana got a call last night that her son is no longer among the living.
When I see people’s cruel and insensitive comments I just can’t believe it.
So far I fail to understand what the police officer did, I was told he crossed a double line to pass a car. Anyone know? Refuah Shelayma to the other boy who is in the hospital.
to Mark Levin:
Based on your previous comments here and other news items, it is apparent to me that you are a Satmar Chasid. I am saying this because I find it appalling that you guys feel you have the right to say things like “I am thinking Coffee Addict probably is not even a yid!!!”.
I may not agree with him, but never would I say something so despicable. Hitler YM”S didnt care if one was a chasid or not. Are you better than Hitler? The Yomim Noraim are coming. Take a good look at yourself. Ask for mechila.
And you can tell the same to your friend AlterG, who does the same thing. Anyone not conforming to satmar is automatically “not a yid”. Shame on you.
Thank you boys work,
I’m a yid, but that doesn’t turn me into an African American!
African Americans gave this notion that “it’s not my fault, it’s the police officer’s fault hence they learn nothing and the same thing happens again
When a situation happens you can learn from it and change yourself or expect the other person to change
And as I see over here it’s either “I’m right” or “you’re a drug addict that is a goy!”
Very mature, people
This story is not clear whatsoever. If there is a structural or other serious issue with the building, why was a Temporary C of O issued? If the building poses a danger, it should never have opened. If the violation is minor, then it has no relevance to the tragic events of last night. Rockland County needs to tighten its controls on what constitutes a physical danger and if so, impose strict deadlines for correcting the deficiencies or shut the place down.
Nona T.: You wrote “One of your civil servants killed a child and maimed another, that fact should be the focus of your article.”
This off duty police officer (not from the local police department) was involved in an accident with his personal vehicle. Even if the accident was his fault (not yet proven), he did not “kill” anyone. That word has the connotation of a deliberate act. For years our community has defended Yosef Lifsh whenever anyone says that he “killed” Gavin Cato (1991).
Sad story, I would challenge @coffee addict on his jewishness, jews don’t have such a low IQ, ur comments are usually despicable and ignorant.
This is pseudo-professional journalism. A news medium or an editor with any sensitivity to professional standards would nix this article and might demote or fire the so-called “reporter”. This paper is apparently a rag.
ok,I pray here and the building has been through so much work and they do have a permanent C of O. Also, the building is so far away from the street, no mater how fast a car is coming, it would never make it near the building so not sure why any building code would even make any difference. so @coffee, maybe go do something worthy with yourself… you clearly have issues. Good Day!
Coffee addict is what’s wrong with today’s people, they have been brain washed by the media in how to think.
An evil way of thinking!!!!
Kapital Kuf Tes 109
See what Dovid Hamele h said about these people!!!