Rockland County, NY – A Spring Valley children’s play center got a surprise visit yesterday from Rockland County Executive Ed Day who dropped in to express his support for the business’s Chasidic owner who reported being threatened and harassed after expressing his pro-vaccination views in a CNN interview.
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Day said that he seen a News 12 story (http://bit.ly/2VYoYRl) reporting that Shimon Singer, owner of Turtle Boo, received hundreds of angry phone calls after participating in a CNN story about the measles outbreak in Rockland County.
Singer told CNN that he was afraid to take his infant daughter out because of the measles outbreak, which was also causing a decline in his business, with parents afraid to take their children to public places for fear of being exposed to the highly contagious virus.
The calls have been in both English and Yiddish and Singer and his wife have also been subjected to a barrage of hostile emails prompted by an email blast encouraging people to browbeat the Singers. Singer said that the email read, “If you know him or her, call them up and say how disgusting and unethical this interview is, especially as a Jewish family.”
Day told VIN News that while he believes that those who oppose vaccinations are entitled to their beliefs, he found it extremely disturbing that someone could be harassed for expressing their opinions in a news interview.
“With my background, I take a dim view of people being bullied and an even dimmer view of doing it in such a cowardly manner,” said Day, a former law enforcement officer.
Day paid a Tuesday visit to Turtle Boo, noting that he wanted to extend a face to face show of solidarity.
“To engage in that kind of behavior was wrong beyond belief,” said Day. “I wanted to let them know that they are not alone and that they have the full support of my office.”
Caleb Von Schloer of Turtle Boo said that he recognized the county executive when he came in to the facility. While he appreciated Day’s visit, Von Schloer said that local businesses have been hard hit by the countywide state of emergency called by Day, with customers cancelling planned birthday parties at Turtle Boo and choosing to stay home because of the measles outbreak.
Monsey has been particularly hard hit in the measles outbreak, with the pro-immunization and anti-vax communities finding themselves frequently at odds. Hundreds of women attended a symposium featuring prominent anti-vaxxers sponsored by an unknown group on May 15th at the Atrium Plaza as previously reported on VIN News (http://bit.ly/2VYkTws). A pro-vaccination event endorsed by Chai Lifeline, Hatzolah of Rockland County and Bikur Cholim of Rockland County is scheduled to take place at the same hall on June 3rd.
Day’s visit to Turtle Boo took place on the same day that he announced Rockland County’s third consecutive state of emergency which will remain in effect through June 24th. To date, 43 individuals and 24 schools have been found to be in violation of two Department of Health orders that are part of the state of emergency but the county has yet to issue any fines which could add up to as much as $2,000 per day for each violation.
4,624 people have been vaccinated since the first state of emergency was announced on March 26th but the number of reported cases of measles in Rockland continues to rise, reaching 254 as of May 28th.
You misspelled my name LOL
Couldn’t agree more. Kudos to all these politicians.
I hope more business owners speak up.
If your anti-vax stay home…. and stop being selfish on nonsense conspiracy theories.
Well done Mr Singer. I’m sorry you have to put up with the meshugoim. I hope you have a vaccination only policy at your business. In fact all doctors and medical practices should insist on it and not serve those who willingly do not vaccinate. Enough of this stupidity. I know people in Monsey who are blindly following conspiracy theories, buying all kinds of herbal remedies instead of going to a doctor when they need to. Everyone must stop dancing around these misguided people, catering to their misguided deeds and step up to the plate like Mr Singer.
Years ago when my son had chicken pox the pediatrician didn’t want me to bring him into the office. She came outside to look at him. He had a very tough case. Every 2 weeks I had another child that came down with it. Now there’s a vaccine for it. If only I had that availability. The same can be said for polio victims. Vaccinations save lives. These anti-vaxxers should not call hatzala to their homes if they need their services. They are very selfish and inconsiderate
Everyone that is for vaccination should go support this business. It is a great fun place for kids. Show your concern and support by patronizing Mr. Singer and Turtle Boo.
Same thing in Lakewood – this fast food put up an Israeli flag and was harassed over it. Those that are against these mishagsin, supported him and since then his business is booming. Kol Hakovid to everyone that took a stance.
Your hate to fellow Yidden is literally sinas chinum. Have you tried to put yourself in their shoes? Do you know what they know? You may call it nonsense out of ignorance. It’s hard to hear it. It seems so simple to blame it all on those that don’t vaccinate. Show me any scientific proof that they are the ones causing and carrying the diseases.
This whole fiasco is out of hand. Those that have been vaccinated and got the measles anyway are given a free pass while the unvaccinated healthy children are at fault. How does this make any sense? We know what is going on inside… They are told it’s not the measles after they reveal they are vaccinated and then they go around infecting others till they land in the hospital that confirms it. Blaming our community is the same for blaming us for the black plague. The saddest part is that Yidden are falling for it too and join the hate of the goyim.
Is anyone following what is going on with Monsanto Roundup company?
If we can’t get the vaccine industry to court, how do you know what their internal documents and emails look like? The anti-vaxxers have legitimate claims that our govt must address for the safety of all of us.
We are so overwhelmed by fear and high emotions that no one is acting for our benefit.
Fighting, oppressing, and forcing people never worked. It’s a revolution in the making…
If anyone has time to comment here, please take the time to listen to Plotkin’s deposition. You think all doctors and scientists are so stupid? Find out the pressure and fear they need to live with. If you think that all nonvaxxers are just a bunch of silly women, you will be surprised to find out otherwise.
Selfish? How selfish is it to force others to go through medical intervention when you have no clue their situation, so YOU can live in a disease free fantasy world. If you are Vaccinated, what is your fear? It doesn’t work for all? Let the manufacturers make a better one! It is scary to see how Yidden could even suggest yiddishe kinder not to be allowed into our mosdos. Somehow we made it through for many years. Something happened now and we don’t have all the answers. Just so you know, in Disney, 38% was vaccine induced. Why don’t we have the info here? Because they can do what they want with our community?
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What a shame I was not there, I would have spit at Ed Day, the man never showed at any place in Monsey or SV in the six years he was in office
Seems like mob action.
I call them frillbillies, frum hillbillies. Just pure amharatzim. I am not saying everyone needs to go to college but at least try to educate yourself so as to not Chas ve shalom endanger your children’s lives and the lives of those who interact with your family. This is not a shallow, this is pure sakanah to not vaccinate and you should not be allowed to attend school shul or any other public venue unless vaccinated. You are a horribly selfish person if you do to endanger complete strangers
If someone disagrees with Mr. Singer, as stupid as it may be, it’s legal, perhaps even tolerable al pi halacha. But I haven’t been able to find halachic support for harassment. Not the threatening emails, not the phone calls or other messages. I would love to see the perpetrators of this harassment punished. Probably not doable via the courts or our batei din. But HKB”H has His ways.