Borough Park, NY – A Brooklyn teen is hoping to become the City Council’s youngest member ever – but the adults are fighting tooth and nail to keep him off the ballot.
Subscribe to our Daily Roundup Email
Abraham Tischler, 18, is running for the Borough Park Council seat left vacant when Simcha Felder took a job with city Controller John Liu.
His platform is teen friendly – he wants to save free student MetroCards; but he also is vowing to fight to keep city firehouses open and crack down on bogus parking tickets.
The Touro College sophomore says his inexperience is actually a plus. So far, he has spent just $560 – for posters and flyers.
“I owe no one favors,” he said.
Still, at least one of the adults running against him in the 44th Council District worried enough to take him to court.
David Greenfield, 31, the executive vice president of the Sephardic Community Federation, is suing Tischler and says the teen’s petitions have forged and duplicated signatures.
Tischler insists there is nothing wrong with his petitions.
After all, his mom and dad helped him gather the 1,415 signatures he eventually submitted – nearly double the required 765. Anything that looked fishy, Tischler said, was tossed.
“They wouldn’t knock me off if they didn’t think I was a real challenge,” Tischler said. “Let the people decide who they want to be their councilman.”
Greenfield, a former chief of staff for Assemblyman Dov Hikind, has Mayor Bloomberg’s backing and is one of the frontrunners. So is longtime community board lead Joe Lazar, who has Public Advocate Bill de Blasio’s backing. But it’s Greenfield, who has raised $131,000 for the race, who is pressing a lawsuit.
“We don’t know anything about the guy,” said his spokesman, Eric Kuo. The campaign is also concerned, he said, because Tischler isn’t participating in the city campaign financing system.
“He could drop half a million dollars of family money in the campaign tomorrow,” Kuo said.
Ridiculous, said the teen’s dad, who has capped spending for his son’s campaign at $1,000.
“David Greenfield, with all his money, with all his power, is trying to get an 18-year-old kid off the ballot because he’s scared,” said Harold Tischler, 46, a construction contractor.
“Give him a shot.”
I think its a strategic move, and a wise one. If Tischler is off the ballot, Greenfeld will win. You are, Greenfeld is stronger than Lazar everywhere besides Borough Park, where he’s behind in a couple of hundred votes. Disqualify Tischler-you got yourself a win!
I am shocked at you “David Greenfield”. Shame on you, who r u afraid of? Why don’t just promise the world and everyone will vote for U. What makes you be more mature then the 18 year old kid? Why not give him a chance? Shame on you for the lawsuit. Imagine loosing the election + the lawsuit this will make you a looser. Just let it run and you will WIN we r all for u.
Greenfield is not scared of the money. These special elections are called by only scores of votes. A vote for Tischler (no matter how ridiculous that would be) is one taken away from Greefield.
In the end, I don’t know what he is worried about. Tischler is a joke.
This is simple. Greenfield knows that he doesn’t have enough votes to win this thing. He is trying to save face and walk away with as many votes as he can. Greenfield is trying to paint himself the underdog and get the sympathy vote, but people see him as too pompous, plus he has WAY too much money; plus taking a 19 year old kid to court isn’t going tob help that image. I personally don’t think Tischler’s three votes are going to go to Greenfield anyhow.
He did the same thing to Jonathan Judge. Do I sense ACORN in the race?
Zissy Solomon
There is nothing strategic about this move… If Greenfield is stronger everywhere else, which he isn’t, one would reason to say that he would want Tischler ON the ballot because that’s where Tischler is from to pull votes from Joe….
This is an act of despair because Greenfield sees which way this election is going and needs all the votes he can get against Joe. That’s why he’s also in court with both Judge and Rice.
“David Greenfield, with all his money, with all his power, is trying to get an 18-year-old kid off the ballot because he’s scared,” said Harold Tischler, 46, a construction contractor.
What a turn off. This is the kind of bullying behavior BP will be in for, if this guy gets elected.
I guess doing the legal way through the court system is a problem.
but doing it the mafia way as it was with R’ Nachmen Caller is ok.
Hypocrosy at its best
Caller stepped down on his own volition and is now a strong and active supporter of Lazar… Ill bet Tischler will also support Lazar.
This is hilarious. Just for the fun of it I’m voting for Tischler. Could you imagine if he actually won?
Its actually really funny. Greenfield is trying to portray himself as the outsider in this race, but he’s far from the outsider, as he is the establishment candidate of the Syrian Jewish Community, of the corrupt Democratic clubhouses of the Brooklyn Democratic Party, and of the Mike Long Conservative Party. This upstart 18 year old kid comes along and is getting some press for running a shoestring campaign, and he got good press for his performance in the debate last week.
You see Greenfield knows, that there are only so many votes he can get out of BP, and he has to run up his vote total in the other areas, but if there are other people who are splitting the vote, it only hurts him, cause in reality, nobody knows who anybody is.
And especially with the orthodox jewish community, he can’t run cable television ads, cause they are not effective and a waste of money with this demographic.
But, if someone were to attack Greenfield for his support of killing the Markey bill, and really hit him on that, it would probably be his undoing, because the community outside of Boro Park would not take kindly to that, and they would probably vote for the 18 year old.
if tischler does win, will he continue going to school at the same time as serving the city council?
Good luck to you Mr. Tischler, I hope that you continue to persue your ambition. You have made a statement which should resonate in the ears of thousands of voters, “You owe nothing to anyone” If our elected officials could say that and keep that promise to their constiuancy we would have a better government. While I am not a voter in your area I support your effort and hope that your voters will realise that what you offer is a “Fresh View”. Please tell me where I can send a donation to your campaign fund. Please always be mindfull of Torah values and the principals this great country of ours was founded on. We are not a Socialist country, and one should always have in mind that we must protect and support those less fortunate, but not to the extent that we remove the wonderful ethic of self improvement. Education & Avodhas HaShem is the key to success.
“Adult” as opposed to?
Abraham Tischler get yourself a good pro bono attorney. Many attorney’s will be proud to assit you. Don’t be discuraged by someone sour. Get going, Tis
chler!
MR. D Greenfeld
advise, as long as you are doing the right thing, dont worry what people say, just keep on going, you will be OK
Is Greenfield ALLOWED to take Tischler to court without going to Bais Din?? I think NOT! Halocha doesnt apply to Democrats?????
Based on that….. Greenfield could be classified a ROSHA and should be put in Cherim!
david greenfeld if this teen aged runner scares you then u are in big trouble and might as well back out now
Greenfield is trying to knock out any possible candidates. This is what Borack Obama did to win his Illinois State Senate seat. He took everyone else to court. These are Lopez/ACORN style tactics. Greenfield is dead scared of Judge, because he knows that people are sick of being told who to vote for, and “Vote for Mosdos” is over. Judge has what it takes to get rid of the Lopez machine, and believe me, that will bring us Simcha. We all need Simcha, We all need Judge.
P.S. A yiddishe candidate is not always the best thing, look at Passaic,NJ. 3 out of 4 councilman are Jewish, and they wont cancel alternate side parking on Rosh Hashanah.
this just shows me what type of candidate and potential councilmen greenfeld is and it scares me, just for this tishler is getting my vote, enough of this b.s. . tishler all the way
Is this a Purim joke?
Is David is doing the dirty work for Joe Lazar? Tishler will olny take away votes from Lazar and split Boro Park and that will make David a winner. I just don’t get it what David is up to.
My advise to Lazar: Stay out of it cause I only see you gaining by the dirty work David is doing.
Good Luck everyone, I can’t wait to see the results on March 24.
this is a huge mistake for greenfield. makes him look petty and immature. big black x mark for greenfield and major publicity for the kid.
Dumbd move david, really DUMB move
Pretty shocking that Greenfield would take an 18 year old to court over frivolity… I guess it’s a good thing his true colors came out now instead of later, now the people have a reason not to vote for him.
It really pains me to see the same dirty politics played in our circles too.
Remember topsy turvey day in camp??? Yes, we need someone experienced…but not a bully!!! My suggestion is that someone else with experience and not a bal gayvoh run..
I’m unimpressed that Greenfield went to court. He was 18 not too long ago himself. He should stand behind his record and platform and nothing else.
David, you just lost my vote!!
I don’t like the fact the our so called politicians/rabbaim/leaders in our community think that everyone likes their decisions and choices and will do whatever they tell us (read bully) to do.
WE CAN THINK ON OUR OWN AND DECIDE FOE OURSELVES AS TO WHAT IS GOOD AND BEST FOR US!!
I think this is extremely undemocratic. Jonathan Judge, Greenfield and Tischler should be busy debating with the voters not fighting in court.
How come judge didn’t bring up at the debate the fact that greenfield is challenging him in court?
HE is too toung to make these desitions, he should wait till he gets a little older
WOW, Mr. Greenfield is already taking lessons from Vito Lopez who also advised Steve Levin to challenge petitions filed by Joanne Simon both were running in the 33rd District City Council race last year in Williamsburg and dropped later, also challanging Councilwomen Diana Reyna’s petitions who Lopez opposed, Reyna won big time.
BUT, for Greenfield to challenge Ticshler another Jewish candidate is exactly what Greenfield is in nature, Greenfield and Lopez have the same blood, cross me and I will run you over.
I can already hear the news after the election, “the losers, Greenfield, Lopez, Bloomberg etc;
BTW- in the last part of Vinnews about the debate, did any of you notice that Greenfield remembered every dollar that he got from Albany, but when it came to a closing statement, he had to read a prepared text just like O’bama reading of a TelePrompTer.
It’s called telling people what they want to hear, not a single word is clear and he leaves us with fear.
Vote for tischler not greenfield, this may be a really smart move
i think tischler should never have been on the ballot in the first place…but i completely disapprove of the way greenfield got him off it
shame on you is that a jewish thing to do?
Tischler is the youngest candidate ever. How many people throw away their teenage lives to help out this community? Mr. Tischler isnt a corrupt politician like greenfield. Everything coming out of greenfield mouth is a lie, he doesnt care about the peoples voices to be heard by trying to win by default. Taking an 18 year old to court is just ridiculous nd immature!! Greenfield never had a chance to begin with. Go support the syrian community we dont need you here
it is evident that a challenge was raised by both lazar and greenfield
http://www.vinnews.com/50474/2010/03/02/brooklyn-ny-abraham-tischler-taken-off-the-ballot-in-44th-city-council-race
I agree with them, aside from our teens learning to listen to the rules, what we dont need is to have frum elected officials who dont respect the rules.
the article cited above now leaves us to decide if after the finding of indepedent third parties, the blame is on the candidate, his family and cadre of volunteers in a 500 dollar campaign, or 800 lying boro parkers as the candidates father seems to be claiming