Williamsburg, NY – Andrew Cuomo paid a visit to Jewish leaders today, and found himself in the thick of Brooklyn’s political divide.
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According to sources, he visited with four Hasidic rabbis, and at three of the meetings he was met by Brooklyn Democratic Party boss Vito Lopez and Steve Levin, his former chief-of-staff who now serves on the City Council. At the fourth meeting, with Rabbi Aaron Teitelbaum, Lopez was not present, but Lincoln Restler, a reformer who just won a district leader seat over a Lopez backed candidate, was. According to sources, Restler had tried to attend a meeting with a Pupa rabbi, but was asked to leave before Lopez arrived.
The Pupa sect were big supporters of Mario Cuomo when he was in office. There is a schism in the Williamsburg Hasidic community between those who follow Rabbi Aaron Teitelbaum and those who follow Rabbi Zalman Teitelbaum, and Lopez has shredly courted the followed of Rabbi Zalman—who are more numerous in Williamsburg—to increase his political power in the wake of the ongoing gentrification of his home base which has driven many of his supporters away.
Cuomo also met with Zalman, and according to sources, little of substance was discussed at the meetings, although Cuomo did discuss a program that woud give more aid to religious schools.
It is also worth noting that a few weeks ago Cuomo said that his office was looking in to the finances of Lopez’s sprawling non-profit empire, Ridgewood-Bushwick senior center, which is the target of several federal and city inquiries.
How do you spell opportunist? C U O M O.
Do you think anyone in Flatbush, Crown Heights, or other deserving communities will see any benefit? If he gets in (which is in serious doubt) the only ones to get anything will be the usual suspects: Kiryat Joel, Monroe & other Satmar communities. The rest of us count for nothing.
Let us suggest here how the Rabbonim might spin supporting Cuomo, a major gay rights advocate, because he will help advance Torah Values. I am sure that our suggestions will be most welcome.
Why do we need to identify with Lopez when he’s under so many criminal investigations?
Why does UJO need to be under the microscope with ALL Yidishe Communities?
This doesn’t sound very smart in my eyes.
All the rabbonim should support Cuomo since to support the dreche Paladino who curses, has fathered a mamzer, circulates vile pornography,etc. would be a chilul hashem.
“The Pupa sect were big supporters of Mario Cuomo when he was in office.”
I was only a little kid back then — all of 8 years old — but I do remember that Pupa was the only Chassidus that openly endorsed Pataki — this was well-documented back then — thereby snubbing Cuomo the father. So I don’t know where this writer gets his info from…
The Pupa Rebbe, shlita, is the most politically sophisticated of all the chassideshe rabbonim (and certainly more so than either of the Satmer brothers who are cluesless on political issues). If the Pupa supports cuomo, it should be good enough for the rest of us.
he knows paladino is getting to them
this is why we cant vote for democrats they take our hard earned money and give it to others rebbes should stay of of politics it just breads anti semitism that all we want is money promised. kJ on the other hand has real issues with water and sewage problems they should vote for the one who will let them build with their own private money the treatment centers they need to continue growing.
Love the independent thoughts of our chasidesh bretheren. Vote with the Rebee. How embarrasing.
Here we go again hasidim endorsing the liberal, even though they are full of sheker, and anti torah. Just so they will take the money from some one else and pay you bills. You should be ashamed!
You New Yorkers have some choice. Bad or worse. Good luck. Cuomo would be way too liberal for me. At least with Paladino you know the dreck you’re getting, it’s not covered by a fancy suit, sweet talk, and empty promises. I’d say whoever Obama supports , vote the other guy.
#5 ,
Technically I don’t think a non-Jewish child-out-of-wedlock is a mamzer. But it certainly does not reflect the kind of values we are supposed to promote. Not are his pornography or his language or his vile attacks on a Jewish politician. In addition, many of his advisors are more ethically challenged than some of the people in Albany he complains about. The Republicans used to bill themselves as the traditional values party. That seems to have ended.
The Pupa, may he live and be well, is Clueless. Period!
Reply to #15
How dare you insult a gadol hador, Maran HaRav Yaakov Chizkiah Greenwald, Shlita of Pupa. You should run immediately and beg the rav’s mechillah.
This was a huge mistake to walk around with lopez in such a critical time.
The media is waiting for this to happen, they will screw cuomo all the way for this.
Wait and see, fox already wrote about it, wait for tomorrow in the news….
Poster # 12 (Liberals are nuts); the reason the Chassidic Rebbis (and their followers) are (hopefully) voting for Cuomo in the upcoming elections is, because to vote this other, imbalanced, stupid and probably anti-Semitic guy in will be a disaster. He’s a certified nut-case. For his vile rhetoric and other sophomoric stuff alone he deserves to be checked out by a Psychiatrist. Let alone Governor of a state like New York.
Good, happy to see our politicans in talk with our community rebbes!!
What iss this archaic minstrel promising the Jews today? Hasn’t he done enough while at HUD, he wants to more3 damage to our Country, and NY?
When will the Rabbis wake up and realize this prize is a booby prize who will promise anything deliver nothing, and creat more havoc in Albany, than he will cure. LIBERAL, UBERALLES.
Oy Cuomo! He thinks the Yidden are useful idiots. Voting for either of these terrible candidates is very sad. Paladino is an old fashioned bigot. Cuomo is a horse-trader who will do NOTHING for us, or anyone outside of his political calculus.
its a shame, at least we now see who our rabonim are