Here we go again! Every election season we find a politician who pretends to be “one of us,” or part of “our community.” This year it’s David Storobin the Russian-born candidate for State Senate. Mr. Storobin is running against another Jew – Councilman Lew Fidler. Lew has been honest about his religious beliefs. He states unequivocally that he is a committed Jew who grew up Conservative and still is Conservative. Lew had a bar-mitzvah, he married a Jewish woman and his two grown sons have had bar-mitzvahs too. On yomtovim you can find him in his local conservative synagogue. He has spent his life committed to Jewish causes from the early 80s when he was a volunteer lawyer for the Crown Heights Jewish Community Counsel to his most recent work as a City Councilman fighting anti-Semitism in our community. What you see is what you get – a committed conservative Jew with deep ties and feelings for the Jewish community.
As for David Storobin nobody really knows much about him. Even me. And that’s saying a lot. Because of the work that I do, I have lots of Russian friends – secular and religious. So, I called around to my Russian friends and here’s what I learned. Storobin is 33 years old. He is single. Never married. He was born in the former USSR. He never practiced any religion at all until recently when he decided to join a local shul as he was beginning his political career. According to everyone I have asked Storobin is by his own accounts not even Shomer Shabbos! One of my friends was actually amused, “we are laughing here in Brighton Beach that Dimitry is now pretending to be Orthodox. Dimitry is someone who has always enjoyed going out on Friday night.” For those who may be confused, I was told by my friends that Dimitry is David’s original name before he changed it a few years ago to David Storobin. Apparently, David sounds more frum.
Which brings me to Hamodia. It seems that Hamodia won’t let the facts get in the way of their agenda. In week # 1 of this campaign, Hamodia propagated a lie – they claimed that Lew Fidler called David Storobin a neo-nazi. I have searched and searched and searched and found no evidence of this. In fact, just last week Lew Fidler told Hamodia that this never happened. That didn’t stop Hamodia from publishing their question as if it were fact. Last week, Hamodia decided to propagate lie # 2 that David Storobin would be the first Russian American elected to office in America. They put this in big bold letters on top of their interview of Storobin. Even Hamodia’s pathetic political staff must have met Alex Brook-Krasny. Alex is a Russian American Jew who made history when he was elected to the New York State Assembly – five years ago! Finally, this week Hamodia prints an article extolling people to defend the honor of David Storobin – an Orthodox Jew. Which begs the question: why is Hamodia pretending that David Storobin, aka Dimitry, is frum? As a loyal reader, I demand an answer!
I know that Hamodia would never publish this, so thank you YWN for keeping ’em honest.
Yaakov Gold
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26 Responses
As the saying goes, “Just follow the money.”
Storobin says he supports more money for the Yeshivas than does Fidler. “Money talks!”
Then there are those with one track minds who are focused on “toeiva”. Since Fidler came out for that, they are hot against him.
Lew Fidler is pro same sex marriage, which makes it difficult for me to vote for him..
I’ll probably stay home & not vote.
Yes, I also very very disappointed in the misleading Hamodia article. When I read it last night, I found it very distasteful. However, that doesn’t mean that Lew Fidler should be the candidate of the frum community. While it is certainly heart-warming to hear that Lew Fidler is traditional is his religious outlook, he is, however, not traditional in his view of marriage. He, in fact, voted and supported Toeva marriage. Being that this was a signature issue in the recent Turner-Weprin race, I would expect that it will play a big part in this race.
Yaakov – Thanks for shedding some light on the sudden emergence of this candidate. I was unaware of him until this campaign and did find it odd and inappropriate for him to be holding press conferences on the steps of a Brighton Beach shul.
We are voting for a State Senator not a Chief Rabbi of Brighton Beach.
“Hamodia propagated a lie – they claimed that Lew Fidler called David Storobin a neo-nazi. I have searched and searched and searched and found no evidence of this.”
Yaakov Gold. There is a statement in the gemara:
“כל מילתא דעבידא לאיגלויי לא משקרי”
“Anything that’s going to be found out, people don’t lie about”
Interestingly enough, if you do a google search for “Lew Fidler Neo nazi” and click on the 4th result (sheepshead bites blog), you will able to see a video where fidler clearly details the ties storobin has to racist and neo-nazi groups. You can lie about this easily on the internet because you don’t have to keep a straight face. Too bad that google is on the internet too.
Now that we see you have an agenda, and that you’re a pathological liar, please excuse yourself from posting anything over here, because we can assume that anything you say is false.
And YWN, now that this person has lost his Chezkat Kashrus, can you please refrain from posting his rambling rants?
A non-affiliated Jews is better than Conservative so-called “Judaism”. Lef Fidler’s “Conservative” religion is a false religion and far from Judaism.
I think He just to try to push as many “buttons” as He can, He is Jewish- plus (more plus if You some kind of Frum ), He is Russian- plus (because big Russian population live in this district). Thou He has a minuses: He is not married -minus,We do not Know about him a Lot-minus, no experience….In General on local election , i think will be more sense to vote for Republican or Conservative candidate .
It’s not fair to blame Hamodia. Their political director Yochanan Dunn is the one who wrote these articles. He is very close to Agudah. I believe they are promoting Storobin because of a deal they made with the Republicans.
Privately, everyone agrees that Storobin will lose, but it seems that publicly Dunn & Agudah are playing the “game” to keep the Republicans happy.
So, essentially we have a contest between two non-Shomer Shabbos Jews. In that case, something to be considered is what their political positions are – which are more in line with those of the Frum community? Some key issues are school vouchers and funding for programs that help the Yeshivos and Beis Ya’akovs, and social issues like same-gender marriage. Which candidate’s positions are closer to yours? Take a look and see, but I’m not sure that Lew Fiddler’s are. The so-called more “Liberal” forms of Judaism generally are not in favor of anything that weakens the Public School system, and are in favor of same-gender couple rights. While Storobin may not be a practicing Frum Jew, his positions on these issues are closer to those of the Frum community.
Just my $.02 – all are free to make their own judgment.
an Israeli Yid
Dear Uneeq,
There is a BIG DIFFERENCE between calling someone a Nazi and saying that David Storobin wrote things on a web site that has ties to Neo-Nazis – which is what Lew Fidler said.
While we in internet land have the right to twist words (especially in the comments section) Hamodia does not. As a newspaper they should have reported just the facts.
It is ridiculous that so many frum yidden have become one-issue voters, focusing on the gay issue, as if nothing else is important. Hamas and Iran are much bigger threats to our people than “toeiva marriage.”
As for Storobin, people can make teshuvah, and if he is now a true shul-goer, god for him. By focusing his campaign on only one emotional issue, it shows his inexperience and immaturity.
Most of this article is Lashon Hara, especially unsourced anonymous accusations like this.
“According to everyone I have asked Storobin is by his own accounts not even Shomer Shabbos! One of my friends was actually amused, “we are laughing here in Brighton Beach that Dimitry is now pretending to be Orthodox. Dimitry is someone who has always enjoyed going out on Friday night.”
I have to wonder why this was even printed.
Gold uses Russian as synonymous with irreligious which is troubling enough on its own.
Raboisai,
All we are suppose to do down here on this earth is whatever is in our hands to keep and maintain toirah.
in this case fidler is pro toeiva, stobin against.
we have to vote for strobin.
the rest is up to the one above.
Hamodia has an achrayus now to tell us who their rov is! I read the Op/Ed just now it was pure rechilus against Lew Fidler.
Who gave Yochonon Dunn a heter to print these lies against an elected official who has been working for the frum community for years?
Stop blaming Yochonon Dunn. Everybody knows that he has an agenda. The responsibility for Hamodia falls on one person: Ruth Lichtenstein. As the publisher of the newspaper, it was likely Ruth’s decision to publish this op-ed on the front page. So the question is why? Who is Ruth shilling for?
Once upon a time I also liked to be out on Friday nights. And my name was very different from what it is right now. Does this mean that I should pull my kids out of Bais Yakov and stop being seen in the shul?
While the question of why Hamodia keeps calling Storobin a Frum Jew is a good question, I believe it was answered quite correctly by # 8, Ferd. But the rest of the opinion about David being Dmitriy etc, is quite inappropriate. And besides, my dear friend Yakov, I am the one Russian Jew in the “know” that you did not call to ask.
Rabbosai, please speak to real leaders who know both halacha and have a broad perspective. I have found that few rabbanim will single out a candidate for a single a issue. If we were to ask almost ALL candidates about their views on abortion they would be different than our own. If we were to ask almost all candidates about if they find the bracha shelo asani isha offensive we would find their opinion to be different from our own.
Our values are torah values. We aren’t voting for a rav, we are voting for someone we can trust to be a good advocate for causes that impact our lives. Our votes in Brooklyn will not change the lifestyles or orientations of other people, nor will it change the status of same-gender relationships around NY. But our votes can and should get funding for community programs we desperately need, like Our Place, Masbia etc.
Don’t play into the media or career politician’s hands. Don’t be a single issue voter.
As a registered Republican, I disagree with the ideology of most Democratic politicians. I am not a single issue voter, but look at the entire package and take a look hard long look at what the candidate “has brought” to the table, and what they “will continue” to bring to the table. While I strongly disagree with Lew Fidler on some of his views, Toveia Marriages, etc, the bottomline is that Lew Fidler, overall, has a great record of support and service to the Jewish community. He hasn’t wavered from who he is, or his record. No “flip flopping” on hot button issues ! Very refreshing ! I proudly support Lew Fidler, who is a friend of the orthodox community.
Jdb, the toeiva marriage does affect the society we live in, we cannot make a Chillul HaShem by supporting a pro-abeiros fellow, we should prevent the Goyim from doing aveiros if we could. Do not go after the “betza”.
Admiitnothing, who said that being a single-issue voter is bad? The New York Times, Dayily News etc.? And according to you, what about voting just according to the money?
Newspapers that start with machlokes agendas end up not kosher- vehamyvn yvn
We frum jews need to focus on the Hashkofos hatorah. We MUST vote against Toavah marriage!!! This paper is for Torah Jewery!
“…As for David Storobin nobody really knows much about him. Even me…”
Well, that’s quite a damning admission!
However, even though I know very little about Storobin, it is sufficient for me that Horav hagaon Yisroel Belsky signed a letter, together with other prominent Flatbush Rabbonim, forbidding anyone from voting for Lew Fidler, because he supports the sodomization of our city, state, and country.
I trust Rav Belsky more than some unknown individual who chooses to post on a website, who for all I know, may be lying through his teeth.
The proclamation by Rav Belsky and the other Rabbonim is now being circulated in Flatbush.
somejew, Hamas and Iran only seem to be a threat, CH”V, *because of* the important issues like Toeva marriage. It’s a single issue vote known as defending our Torah values. By now, many people know that gemara that the only zechus the umos haOlam have is that they are not “koseiv kesuba bein ish liIsh”, which the umos are working hard to rapidly implement, Hashem Yishmireinu.
Purim is coming up, B”H. Haman seemed like a tremendous threat at the time. But Hashem made him a laughing-stock due to…Mordechai and Esther and nationwide teshuva. So the real threat was not Haman; he was merely a manifestation of the real threat. Iran and Hamas are no worse. On Pesach we read, “Shebichol Dor VaDor…ViHKB”H matzileinu miYadam”.
lashon hora lamed hei you belong in baby grade
HaKatan, we have no right telling a secular government to legilate along thel ines of the Gemara. The same way that the secular government has no right telling us how to live our lives, whom we should marry and how we should eat.
admitnothing says:
March 2, 2012 at 8:24 am
As A Republican Lew Fidler disagrees with everything Republicans stand for. David Has fought for Jewish issue even before he started to run for public office.
David Will Deliver for us. Lew Fidler did flip flop.
When he was first in office he raised tax, now he claims he doesn’t even tough he raised the hotel tax and sponsored that bill. He also Recently he raised the medallion tax for taxi cabs.
As an incumbent he has a track record. But is that fair. We had many incumbents in office Carl Kruger for example he delivered somewhat to the Jewish community. However he was corrupted.
Lew Fidler hasnt delivered what he wants to do in the State Senate, in the city council. Why will he be able to succeed now.
David Will represent us and fight for Jews to think he wouldnt is fooling your self. He is Jewish and in a sense more observant then Fidler.
David has see with his own eyes what Jewish subjection of anti-Semitism has caused. who better to fight for us then someone who has lived through it.
A Republican for Storobin.