New York – Less than two weeks before he is due to be sentenced on corruption charges, Sheldon Silver’s wife is asking a federal judge to go easy on her husband, citing his recent battle with prostate cancer.
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“It terrifies me that his father and brother both died from the same kind of cancer Shelly was diagnosed with,” wrote Rosa Silver in a letter written several weeks ago. According to the Daily News, the letter was made public this week and emphasized the 72 year old Silver’s many accomplishments on behalf of the people of the State of New York.
Mrs. Silver asked Judge Valerie Caproni for leniency while prosecutors are asking for a sentence of more than 14 years in a federal penitentiary.
Several prominent rabbis have also gone to bat for Silver, as reported by The Forward, citing his long record of community service.
The Novominsker Rebbe, Rabbi Yaakov Perlow, acknowledged Silver’s misdeeds while requesting a lesser sentence.
“I would respectfully urge that you focus on the entirety of Mr. Silver’s career, not just his unfortunate deviations from legal strictures,” wrote Rabbi Perlow.
Rabbi Menachem Genack, CEO of the Orthodox Union, wrote a letter on Silver’s behalf, citing an instance of Silver reaching out to an insurance company to advocate for a sick person who needed help covering their medical expenses. That letter, which described Silver as a “good person” was written by Rabbi Genack on the stationery of his synagogue, Congregation Shomrei Emunah of Teaneck, and not that of the OU.
Other who wrote letters to Judge Caproni on Silver’s behalf include former New York City mayor David Dinkins, United Federation of Teachers president Randi Weingarten, Silver’s former chief of staff Judy Rapfogel, and executive vice chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations Malcolm Hoenlein.
“In the four decades of our association, Mr. Silver volunteered his assistance, participation and support for many important civil and human rights, for advancing intergroup relations, and aiding charitable and communal undertakings,” Hoenlein wrote. “He did so without seeking public recognition.”
In a letter of his own written to Judge Caproni, Silver admitted that he failed the people of New York, but asked her to consider his years of public service and to consider his “lifetime of hard work and many good deeds.
Silver will be sentenced in federal court on May 3rd in Manhattan federal court.
Rabbis should stay out if this….they knew about his huge ego and fraud and should have tried to make him atone
Prostate cancer can be treated in prison. The government should allow him and his son in law to share a cell.
If my husband had several Mistresses and shamed me, I would not ask for leniency. He broke his marriage vows too many times.
Bye bye
He is seventy-two years old, does he get a pass because of hi age? He will die in jail.
Rabbi Genack’s shul is in Englewood, not Teaneck.
Typical begging for rachmanis when criminals are caught. They either cloak themselves in religion and/or cite their “accomplishmnets.” Silver is a shanda and should serve considerable time.
Rosa enjoyed the millions he stole and should have thought about his prostate and age back then. Did you really need those 5 thousand dollar purses or designer jewelry?
When he was doing crime he wasn’t thinking of the time, now that he’s doing the time he can think about the crime
I cannot believe the “sineh” VIN posters have towards Shelly! He was definitely helpful to the frum community and to the Klal. If the temptation to make a few dollars was too much, who knows how they would be able to withstand such a “nesoyin”? He did not live “large”, he kept a low profile, and he wasn’t a shvitzer. It seems to me that people are just unhappy, jealous, and petty, and enjoy seeing others being cut down. Pathetic.
Reading The Vitriol In previous comments I am both saddened and appalled. I get it, he lined his pockets, but why do the readers of this blog feel enriched by pleading for him to suffer. You will be unsatisfied and disappointed if he receives anything less than the maximum. Why? What happened to Rachmanim bnai Rachmanim.
#8 and #9 leave your rachmunus to the people he harmed TUITION paying parents who suffer due to his OBVIOUS support of UFT whereas their TOEIVA president Randi Weingarten even wrote a letter on his behalf. Shelly is as corrupt as they come.
If they let out a pan am bomber early for health reasons they can let him off easy too.
I never felt that Sheldon really cared about new Yorkers. I don’t think he did much for the Jews That being said what does it help me if he suffers. more of my taxpayer money will be spent to care for him in prison. I hope he gets a light sentence ( although he should be forced to sell all his properties to pay the city back)
I remember years ago when a Ner Yisroel yeshiva student was victimized by a corrupt police officer – it was sheldon silver who helped out that family. That yeshiva student later went on to be a principal in a top school. How quickly we forget the people who helped us, even if they did do wrong..
He did do wrong and he did let things go to his head, but he helped tons of people.
No hakaras hatov
The only difference between him and de Blasio is that de Blasio is out of jail, and Shelly will soon be in – just like every other politician including Hillary.
A buncha ganuvim
Most hateful bloggers on this site are not rachmonim benai rachmonim, because they are not emesdike yidden. Check ur yichus. Rachmones is in our DNA, if u don’t have it….. U r not a yid!!!!
TO all the commentators above-
i say, the way you Judge others is the way others will judge you, and the way GOD will judge you.
i do not know shelly and never benefited from him, the law can find wrong with any of us. unfortunately they are given the tools to do so.its how they advance their career.
if every person who had a mistress or affair went to jail many more people would be there.
did he steal from you?
did he hurt you?
he abused power.
i ask, you don’t abuse power?
you do everything right 100% of the time.
why should a judge not focus on the GOOD- why only on the mistakes.
is that how you want yourself JUDGED.
burn the chometz out of your heart.
To number 14. Yes he absolutely committed a chillul hashem, and chillul Hashem is so severe that even after teshuva, only death affords Mechila. But as much as we need to avoid Chillul Hashem and to prevent it at all costs, that does not convey upon us the right to wish ill upon him after the fact. Even Bais Din, can not punish an individual for it. It’s Bain Adam Lamakom. You however have a chiyuv of Bain Adam Lachavairo. I hate what he did, and I hate the result. I don’t hate him nor do I relish the future pain he will be going through. Neither should you.
I have friends among the goyim and they don’t view Yidden any worse for Silver than they view the Greeks because of Skelos. Everyone knows ALL NY politicians are dirty to a degree, otherwise they would get honest jobs. As for the medical nonsense…there are prison doctors who will be able to look after Shelly as he spends his remaining years “vacationing” on the south shores of the St Lawrence River.
As upset as we all are at the public attention and hillul Hashem, I can’t celebrate anyone’s suffering. He is certainly no danger to anyone anymore.
So many judges! To all those who have part-time jobs as anonymous judges on-line, I wish upon you some judgements just like your own. Then maybe you’ll develop a live and let live attitude. I wish Shelly well, simply because he’s a jew in a tough spot. Why should I care about the rest? I’m not a judge, and it’s not my business.