How dare anyone question the Rabbonim and askanim in Far Rockaway in a public forum without first checking the facts? The unanimous support Phil enjoys in Far Rockaway is far more than a community blindly supporting a frum candidate as implied by your article.
Phil Goldfeder was born and raised in Far Rockaway and attended community Yeshivos, Darchei Torah and Yeshiva of Far Rockaway. As such the Rabbonim and Roshe Yeshiva have a lifetime of personal knowledge regarding the deep commitment of Yeruchem Goldfeder to his community and to his religious values.
Phil Goldfeder sends his children to community Yeshivos. He struggles to pay tuition just like the rest of us. His ideas about tuition relief are valid and achievable. He knows for instance that in New York State a voucher program would be unconstitutional because of the Blaine amendment. He proposes to support tuition tax credits and proposes to increase funding to programs already in existence like Mandated Services.
Phil Goldfeder does NOT support the toeivah bill. Unlike David Weprin, he has not received any endorsement from any toeivah group. He is on record as stating that had he been in Albany he would have voted against any legislation that endorsed same gender marriage.
Phil’s opponent lives in the gated community of Breezy Point. She has made absolutely no effort to speak with any Rov or community leader in Far Rockaway. We in Far Rockaway fear that if she wins she will shut our community off from the access to government we have enjoyed for years under Audrey Pheffer. Access does not just mean money. Access means help for the many members of the community who have called upon our Assemblywoman in the past to help with issues like housing, health care, aid for senior citizens and parks.
Phil’s opponent is unafraid of using to dirty tricks to confuse our electorate. This past Shabbos every home in Far Rockaway received calls ( without a spoken message) from a number that seemed to be from Goldfeder. Calls back to the number after Shabbos revealed that the number was bogus. Clearly the opponent was trying to make our candidate look bad.
Our community stands united in our support for Phil (Yeruchem) Goldfeder. He is one of us, davens in our shuls and sends to our schools. We have known him his entire life. Who else but Phil understand the unique needs of our neighborhood.
Phil has already shown that he can deliver when needed. During the winter storm last year, it was he who cut all government red tape and enabled Brach’s to deliver kosher food to stranded ElAl passengers. It was Phil who advocated for our community institutions when Homeland Security grants were being allocated.
Outsiders have the luxury of making comments without knowing the facts and without knowing or realizing the consequences of their actions. Chas V’SHalom if the letter-writer succeeds in confusing our electorate, we will be left in Far Rockaway without any community advocate in government.
Comparing Weprin with Goldfeder is an avlah that will be hard for us in Far Rockaway to forgive. We ask that outsiders remain outside and leave matters of our community to those of us who live here.
Richard Altabe – Far Rockaway, NY
NOTE: The views expressed here are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of YWN.
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28 Responses
It should be noted that Mr. Altabe is the well respected former principal of Darchei and someone whose opinion should be highly regarded.
Richard are you on Goldfeders payroll? This is American and anyone can say whatever they want anytime they want – IT IS CALLED FREE SPEECH. If vouchers are not approved and soon every yeshiva in the country will be in the worst financial shapein their history and will start shutting their doors. Everyone in Far Rockaway should worry about their children and grandchildren’s future and not worry about who went to yeshiva but who will help out city and country. If you don’t watch it everyone in far rockaway will be living in a gated community – gates on every door and window and living in fear.
Morty Katz = Jane Deacy?
Mr. Altabe,
Phil Goldfeder is not running to be on the town council of Far Rockaway. He is running to be in the New York State Assembly. As such it is fair to ask questions like the one you didn’t respond to: WHY DID PHIL PUBLICLY REFUSE TO OPPOSE GAY MARRIAGE?
Does the Far Rockaway Jewish community have a different view on same-gender marriage then the rest of klal yisroel?
Also, why does Phil accept support from the anti-yeshiva UFT and ultra-liberal WFP?
Please answer these questions. Thank you.
Morty,
Because we are given the right to free speech doesnt make it responsible speech. I would also hope that those espousing religiously based moral stances on issues would not forget that there are religiously based standards governing speech as well. The posturing in the original letter were unfair and untrue and have potentially devastating ramifications for an entire community.
This editorial is very misleading and untruthful regarding school vouchers (blaine ammendment). The United States Supreme Court ruled in 2002 a voucher program is constitutional if it meets 5 basic criteria, which any voucher program would be modeled around.
All these years I never knew that Phil’s name is Yeruchem. David’s name was always David. Maybe it’s not important to most people but to me it speaks volumes.
Ferd your moniker says it all.
Yeruchim has gone on public record stating he would have voted against any same gender marrige bill.
The fact that YWN would post anything questioning Yeruchums endorsement by Rabbonim and askonim that have known him for years is reckless and dangerous.
As for Marty katz, what yerichum can do for the rockaways vis-a-vis funds for yeshivas will beser hashem serve as a model and precedent for other areas and have positive repricussions wherever yeshivas are found.
All I know is send a message to Washington….VOTE REPUBLICAN!!! VOTE REPUBLICAN!!!! I’m sure Goldfeder is a nice guy, and he looks good for our community. But if we don’t show Washington and all of the politicans behind Obama that we have had enough, nothing will change.
red or blue – do some more research…
That case deals with the federal obstacles.
OH’s Blaine amendment is not the same as NY’s.
That being said, I do think it lays good groundwork for challenging NY’s Blaine amendment and it is certainly a fight that is ripe now while we still have a Supreme Court with a majority likely to vote “our” way.
VOTE PHIL GOLDFEDER FOR ASSEMBLY and
VOTE BOB TURNER FOR CONGRESS
****NEWSFLASH****
Goldfeder just about lost the race anyways. The GOP are fired up due to the Turner campaign, and will be out in droves voting tomorrow. This spells defeat for Turner automatically.
These letters won’t have any impact on him losing.
mommaknow:
every single Rosh Yeshiva, Rov and askin in the Far Rockaway/Five towns say to vote for Phil Goldfeder.
Do you feel that you are big enough to argue ?
funny homeless all theses years I didn’t know he used Phili remember him as yeruchim, although when he was learning in Eretz Yisroel i think he emphisized his middle name Fishel…
Achsid I hope lman acheinu bnei yisroel you are wrong
I just got off the phone with Phil (Yeruchum)Goldfeder. Even though this issue of Toeva marriage should NOT be a current issue, since it is now the law of the state, he actually answered the question posed to him honestly; it was a vote in the PAST! Please, please vote on Tuesday, and finally get the Far Rockaway community a Frum assemblyman, one who is supported by EVERY Rov and Rosh Yeshiva in the neighborhood, bar none! VOTE GOLDFEDER!
As a long time Far Rockaway resident, I can tell you first hand that Yeruchem (Phil) Goldfeder is A ISH YASHAR, and a unbelievable ASKAN. He has been involved in EVERY organization in the 5T. Ask Hatzaoloh, Chaverim, Achiezer, TAG, Darchei, Bnos Bais Yaakov, etc. He grew up in FR,he knows what the COMMUNITY needs. His opponent is from Breezy Point – an enclave OF IRISH ANTI SEMITES.
“Rabbi” Hirsh – EVERY ROV IN FR, EVERY HEAD OF A MOSAD, EVERY COMMUNITY ASKAN HAS DELARED TO VOTE FOR YERUCHEM GOLDFEDER. WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE TO GO AGAINST THEM?
Beleive me, the WPF + the UFT don’t love Goldfeder, but they HATE Dearcy – thats why they are supporting him.
If Goldfeder loses because of idiots lie “Rabbi” (it hurts to use the title for him)Hirsh -IT WILL TAKE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS FROM YIDDISHE MOUTHS!!!
every single Rosh Yeshiva, Rov and askin in the Far Rockaway/Five towns say to vote for Phil Goldfeder.
Do you feel that you are big enough to argue ?
Far Rockaway is not New Square or Kiryas Yoel.We are capable of making our own decisions as to whom to vote for.
Red:
Are you saying that only in New Square and Kiryas Yoel they have to listen to Gedolim. Shame on you. Every one of us should listen to the Rabbanim.
If Goldfedder and the askonim would simply come out and say that as a Democrat, Phil was forced to not oppose gay marriage and be against vouchers, but in exchange for that he will get funding for the yeshivas, I personally could live with that. Where I have a problem is that Phil seems to say one thing when he talking to the general community and another when he is talking to the Frum. In the candidate forum in the local non Jewish paper, Phil said he was anti voucher, that he would not work to change the gay marriage law and was not sure how he would have voted had he been asked to vote on it. On the other hand, when he is speaking to Frum people he says that he 100% would have voted no and will do everything to lower tuition. We all understand that politics is a dirty game, but there is a large potential for a Chilul Hashem when it is a Frum candidate doing the double talk.
I am quite APPALLED that the bottom feeders of the “frum” world have stooped so low. For Jews who have absolutely no ties to the Far Rockaway community to spread OUTRIGHT lies about an upstanding servant of klal yisroel for no gain whatsoever to themselves is THE DEFINITION OF MESIRA!!!
I am a close friend of Yeruchum’s and I cannot point to too many of my friends or acquaintances who have a bigger heart or more yashrusdike values than him. He has devoted his life to helping people and now he has a chance to change the lives of an ENTIRE frum community for the better – WHAT GALL IT TAKES FOR SOMEONE WHO HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS COMMUNITY TO GET IN THE WAY OF THAT????
Phil has the unequivocal support of Rabbanim, Askanim, Talmidei Chachamim, Political Activists and EVERY member of the community who has watched him grow into the outstanding person he is. This is not a forum for bored, angry people with their own agendas to voice their venemous lies. You are playing with the lives of real people, men, women and children who rely and Phil’s support and live-saving help, day to day (THAT IS NOT AN EXAGGERATION!)
I IMPLORE those of you who are involved in this dangerous and destructive undertaking to PLEASE STOP, for the sake of the lives of your fellow yidin, and for the sake of DAAS TORAH. And those of you who are members of our precious community to IGNORE THE ABSOLUTE LIES – and for your own good and the good of the Far Rockaway community – GET OUT AND VOTE FOR OUR OWN YERUCHUM GOLDFEDER. STOP THE MESIRA!!! HASHEM IS NOT PROUD OF THIS!!!
First of all L’ev Malachim Beyad Hashem. Hashem is in charge here people. He is the one we serve. And Yeruchem is an upstanding yid, with a beautiful and G-d fearing family. And that same Hashem that he serves will NOT be pleased with all the unnecessary name calling, Loshon Hara, rather Motzi Sheim Ra that is being perpetuated in this forum. Ask anyone in Far Rockaway, close friend or not to Yeruchem or his family, and they will tell you what a yashar and tamim person he is. I am SICKENED by this fighting we are doing with each other. When the real person who should be fought against is Jane Deacy and her campaign, who are obviously hiding under false, Jewish sounding user names. People, don’t you see the manipulation here????? She feels threatened now and wants this race to unravel by throwing uncertainty our way.Don’t let her win. Vote, Vote, Vote Phil Goldfeder!
I don’t normally comment on online articles but this is an emergency exception! Anyone with half a brain can see that this is an 11th hour attempt by his bottom feeder opponent Jane Deacy to sway the votes. And you’re all falling for it!!Those of us in Far Rockaway who have the priviledge of knowing Phil Goldfeder know him to be a special neshomah and a REAL mentch! He will do wonders for us all.The same cannot be said for his VERY anti-semetic opponent! Anyone remember Mayor David Dinkins?? That turned out well for Crown Heights didn’t it?? ALL of these accusations are based on complete LIES!! We are aware of whats at stake here and are doing our best to make sure the RIGHT candidate wins!! Morty Katz you need to stop what you are smoking and take up a hobby. You know nothing about anything and are making a dangerous situation much worse!!!! VOTE PHIL GOLDFEDER!!!!!!!!
Moderator??? Please moderate!! this is a serious situation!!
I don’t really have much to add that has not been said (in one form or another) already, but it seriously boggles my mind how any supposedly frum jew can (i) start taking potshots at another frum jew and (ii) do so when the impact could harm an entire community – b/c, bottom line, if Phil does not win this election, the entire FR community will essentially get shut out of state funding. It really is that simple.
What is even more egregious is that this commenter clearly doesn’t know any of the facts on the ground, making him at best a dangerous ignoramus and, at worst, someone who is intentionally trying to harm an ehrliche yid and an entire community.
What absolute and utterly shameful behavior.
20 what did I or anyone else say that is a lie or Mesirah? I am a FR resident who is undecided who to vote for, while I have a great deal of respect for many individuals and mosdot who support Goldfedder, i have a real issue with the fact that he and people who speak for him seem to contradict themselves. I do not see how that makes me a moser or a bottom feeder.
Here is a video from a debate last week where Jane Deacy says she opposes gay marriage and Phil Goldfeder refuses the question. Phil is a fraud in community.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_DCLUvDHvc
i know phil personally and you right its not just farrockaway he is always ready to help any YID in need i was personally involved in several cases that he got involved and went out of hes way to help out if u dont know the facts about him stay out of it ALL COMMUNITY LEADERS AND RABBIS AND ROSH YESHIVAS want him in office and there is a reason for it we all know with him in office klal yisroel has a advocat in albany LETS ALL STAND BEHIND HIM AND MAKE SURE EVERY REGISTERD VOTER IN THE DISTRICT SHOULD GO OUT AND VOTE FOR PHIL GOLDFEDER A TRUE FREIND TO THE ENTIRE JEWISH COMMUNITY AND FAR ROCKAWAY AS A WHOLE
please re-post this on page one it is imperative that Yeruchim get elected!