Only Republicans Can Save NYC
Re: the letter from Rebecca Chesner, “Only Sliwa Can Save N.Y.C.” (Letters, July 25):
There seems to be a lot of debate in the Orthodox Jewish community about who is the best option for New York City mayor to prevent the election of radical, antisemitic socialist Zohran Mamdani.
Andrew Cuomo, who just lost in the primary, does not deserve consideration. As governor, Cuomo signed many radical left-wing laws such as bail reform, raising the age for prosecution as an adult, criminal discovery reform, legalization of recreational marijuana, and changes to rent-stabilization. All this resulted in increased crime, recidivism, the smell of drugs in the air, and the destruction of asset values. He was responsible for the deaths of many senior citizens during the pandemic because of his bad decision to have infected patients admitted into nursing homes. He once mocked President Trump by saying that America was never that great. He is also a quitter.
Current NYC Mayor Eric Adams is a better choice than Cuomo, but not the best choice. Although he was largely silent as antisemitic mobs roamed NYC, gave taxpayer-funded credit cards to illegal migrants, and referred to himself as the Biden of Brooklyn, he has improved since the election of President Trump. He was elected mayor as a Democrat, but now seems aware of how radical the party has become.
The best choice for NYC mayor is the Republican nominee, Curtis Sliwa. He is a loud voice in NYC fighting the lies of the anti-Israel mob. (Watch his speech at Cooper Union.) He has a long record of advocating for the Jewish community, including protecting Crown Heights with the Guardian Angels following the 1991 riots and encouraging Jewish activism at a rally for Israel in Eisenhower Park in 2002.
Democrats have a supermajority in the NYC Council, control the vast majority of elected offices, and continue to pass radical, socialist, and woke left-wing legislation while ignoring antisemitism. The flawed strategy of people registering as Democrats to vote in the primary, which didn’t work this year, has resulted in more registered Democrats and the continued empowerment of the radical left.
In order to save NYC, we need a competitive Republican Party. We need to vote for Republicans for mayor, city council, and all elected offices. Republican policies of individual freedom, free enterprise, limited government, and traditional values are more in line with Torah law. If more people register and vote Republican, then donors will invest more in Republican candidates, thereby improving their chances of winning and saving NYC.
Moshe Tassalman
Via E-mail
Much Ado About Montefiore
I enjoyed reading Saul Singer’s interesting two-part series about Sir Moses Montefiore.
A few important notes in response to the second part (“Moses Montefiore’s One Hundredth Birthday,” July 18) to clarify some historical facts:
- Singer states that Montefiore “established the Yemin Moshe quarter.” Yemin Moshe was actually established in 1891 some six years after Montefiore’s death in 1885, on land he had purchased, and it was named in his honor.
- Twice in the article, Montefiore’s religious observance is mentioned: that he was “scrupulously observant of his faith” and “a passionately devoted Orthodox Jew.”
His wife, Judith, accompanied him on some of his seven trips to the land of Israel. She wrote a detailed journal of their travels. Without going into specifics, from various sections in said journal it’s quite clear that his religious observance wasn’t as stated by Singer.
- As for the well-known Israeli song about Montefiore, the article states: “In his album Ani Yerushalmi, Israeli singer Yehoram Gaon ends his “Shir Montefiore” (The Song of Montefiore)…” In fact, the song was not written or even composed by Gaon. It was first used in a movie he directed in 1971 and appeared later in an album he produced in 2007. The words of the song were actually written by Chaim Hefer and the music composed by Duby Zeltzer. Lastly, the song isn’t called “Shir Montefiore” as stated by Singer, but “HaSar Montefiore,” meaning “Sir Montefiore,” a title officially bestowed upon him. He was knighted by Queen Victoria and received a baronetcy.
Naftali Smulowitz
Moshav Aderet, Israel
A Broader Picture of the Off-The-Derech Phenomenon
I always enjoy reading Avi Ciment’s articles, as he often points out some of the shortcomings of the Modern Orthodox community which the community prefers to ignore. Indeed, in his latest article (“The Modox Conundrum Goes International,” Aug. 8), he outlines a major problem: the fact that a sizable percentage of our Modern Orthodox youngsters both here and in Israel are leaving the fold once they become college age.
I do take exception to a few things that Ciment is suggesting in the article, though. He says that he spoke to a 21-year-old graduate of a Modern Orthodox high school who claims that only 5% of the students in her class are still Shomer Shabbat. To apply that percentage to the broader Modern Orthodox community based on one person’s report is simply not fair. Recent studies that have used a much larger sample size, including a 2025 study by the Orthodox Union, place that figure at 50%-75% of students who remain Shomer Shabbat once they are college age (or put another way, 25-50% who leave the fold). That’s still a percentage that should concern us all – but it does not say anything close to what Ciment suggests.
The second thing I want to address is Ciment’s implication that the more right-wing elements of Orthodoxy don’t have a problem with their youngsters going off the derech. Perhaps Ciment is unaware of the fact that there are several organizations serving the charedi community, both here and in Israel, including Kesher Nafshi, Amudim, MASK, Merkaz Kesher, and Lev L’Achim, which provide support for the growing number of Orthodox families whose children have left observance. In addition, Footsteps and Project Makom serve hundreds of haredi individuals who are no longer Shomer Shabbat and are looking for a new way to integrate into society.
Sadly, the problem of youngsters going off the derech is affecting all branches of Orthodoxy – and is not just exclusive to the Modern Orthodox community.
Michael Feldstein
Stamford, Conn.
