Brooklyn, NY – Saying “We believe in the concept of one borough,” Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams kicked off a press conference at 3 P.M. today at Boro Hall with dozens of other elected officials, including New York City Public Advocate Letitia James and many Jewish community leaders, to publicly condemn the New York Post for its hateful front cover featuring Menachem Stark’s photo and the headline, “Who didn’t want him dead?”
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Mr. “Max” Stark, a 39-year-old business man from Williamsburg, was kidnapped as he left his office this past Thursday night. His body was subsequently found wrapped in carpet, burned, and stuffed in a dumpster.
Speaking emphatically and passionately, Public Advocate James took the New York Post to task for its editorial yesterday calling for the abolishment of the Office of the Public Advocate. “Well, let me tell you why today we need a Public Advocate. Because today, the New York Post reached an all-time low. Today, you’ve given license to murder.
Today, you have condemned someone without the facts. Today, you minimized and made insignificant life. I know nothing about this gentleman, but I know that he was a human being and clearly, no one should act as judge and jury, and clearly not the New York Post. . . .”
To loud, sustained applause, James went on to say, “And every government official should refrain from advertising in the New York Post. Every government official should withdraw any governmental notice from the New York Post. And everyone should condemn the New York Post.”
Councilman David Greenfield remarked, “I think as New Yorkers – we’re a jaded bunch – we’ve seen a lot. Certainly, we expect insults, we expect curiosity, and we expect many bizarre things on the cover of our tabloids. But the one thing that we do not expect is to literally kick someone while they’re down and to condone the murder of an innocent victim. And that’s exactly what occurred in today’s New York Post.”
In his comments, Councilman Chaim Deutsch called on the Anti-Defamation League “to protest this malicious libel” against Menachem Stark and the Jewish community saying, “There is no press conference, there are no press releases or tweets that can demonstrate our outrage, and when I say our outrage, it means the outrage of every single New Yorker…and I ask the New York Post do you have no decency?”
Councilman Steven Levin pushed for the New York Post to apologize to the Stark family, the Jewish community, and to all New Yorkers. “We are very saddened, all of us, to be here today. We are here because the New York Post, which has a circulation in the millions, today, defamed a man, defamed a community, maliciously attacked a community and a family – a family that is in mourning, a community that is in mourning.”
He continued, “What they have done is out of pure greed, hatred, and disregard for human life. It has been done of out of disregard for human decency and it is all of our responsibility collectively as a city and as a society to say that we will not abide, we will not stand by and allow a publication known for low standards, reviled for their low standards, to bully our community and to bully our city and to sully the name of victims and innocent people…the New York Post must apologize to the family and to the community and to apologize to everyone for what they have done here…”
Many speakers at today’s press conference expressed hope that the public outcry and protests would force the New York Post to retract its coverage and issue an apology in tomorrow’s edition.
Other Elected officials in attendance included, Assembly Member Joe Lentol, Council Members Laurie Cumbo, and Mark Treyger as well as Rockland County Legislature Majority Leader Aaron Weider.
Jewish community leaders in attendance included Chair Yidel Perlstein of Community Board 12, Rabbi David Niederman of the UJO of Williamsburg, Rabbi Yeruchim Silber of the Boro Park Jewish Community Council (JCC), Shea Rubinstein of the JCC of Marine Park, Rabbi Moshe Indig of the JCC of Williamsburg, Rabbi Chanina Sperlin of the Crown Heights JCC, Meny Hoffman of Bonai Olam, Jacob Itzkowitz of the Williamsburg Shomrim, Yanki Daskel of the Boro Park Shomrim, Rabbi Abe Friedman of Williamsburg and Rabbi Joel Eisdofer of Boro Park.
They announced a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the murder of Stark.
This episode should serve us as a very clear reality check, hence although we might think that we are well connected and we have “them all in the pocket” we are not loved by anyone and we need to yearn and make a effort to establish a greater Torah Jewishness in the place where we belong, eretz yisrael.
Urgent plea to concerned fellow Yidden:
Tomorrow morning go out to your local newsstand and convenience store buy as many as they would sell you the Der Sturmer aka NY Post and burn them or throw it in the dumpster where it belongs.Lets do this on a daily basis and they will get the message enough of this vile piece of toilet paper.
So glad this took place. How many people were in attendance?
The NY Post is getting too much attention and Public Relations = Advertisement, resulting from their disgusting and disgraceful front page. At this point passively ignoring them is the best medicine.
In addition to boycotting the post we need to boycott the advertisers… only then will they get the message.
Also the world wide jewish community’s are mourning this tragedy. Just to let you know on top of all the damage the nyp did, their antihuman article was copied also outside the usa, like the dailymail in the uk.
We don’t buy their paper that we can boycott them. We have to boycott their advertisers. We have to contact their advertisers and tell them if they continue to support the NY Post they are agreeing with their article. We will not support such companies. We will not patronize any company or store that advertises with them. You would be surprised on how fast they will take action.
Someone please post a list of stores and companies that advertise in the NY Post and we will start our boycott with THEM!
I didn’t notice the Mayor .Maybe he was taking a vacation after Friday’s storm .
Kol Hakavod to Mr Adams et al .Why does it take a non Jew to condemn this paper? Where is the ADL, JCRC, and Presidents Conference? Silence! What a waste of precious Jewish money. Foxman will not take a stand unless he gets his bloated body and even more bloated ego in the pic. Shame on all of them.
The fact is say what you want about the NY Times, it never stoops so low as the Post to condemn Orthodox Jews.
I see that Public Advocate Letitia James is dressed in a way that is very respectful of our community. Her sensitivity deserves recognition. !!! And BP Adams deserves recognition for holding the gathering. When I saw the paper this morning, I was saddened but thought, “that’s The Post.” In fact, I expect no less from them. This response is heartening.
Were is are NEW MAYOR??
The Post merely quoted what the police say. I have a lot of respect for the Post because they won’t back down. Frum are not the only people who buy or read this newspaper and you are giving the Post a whole lot of attention now. Readership and advertising will increase tenfold because advertisers know that people are really reading and quoting this newspaper. I never bothered to read this newspaper before, but now that I realize they aren’t worried about threats, I will subscribe online. For every one who boycotts, two more will subscribe. That’s capitalism. 🙂
if this is the post’s view, hopefully they wont glorify the killers…and then DA will prosecute the murderers. its a slow process
I just hope that the next time the post does an insensitive headline about someone not a yid the same people screaming here will scream again and get together with gentiles to condemn it like they did here.
now that would truly be a ness