EDITORIAL

Dear Readers,

You may have seen the videos. A Brooklyn candidate for New York City Council has released them, and they contain a message that may be chillingly familiar to those of us who marked Yom Hashoah on our calendars recently. His platform? To “get the greedy Jewish landlords out of Brooklyn.” According to his wild claims, these “greedy landlords” own more than 80 percent of New York’s 7^th District property and are causing “ethnic cleansing” of other minorities by raising rents and making housing unaffordable. Yes, my friends, this is all happening here in New York City. While this is a bizarre and atypical situation here in dear old NYC, and we truly are fortunate to live in this great city where people of all cultures and ethnicities are openly accepted and embraced, there is something to remember. Anti-semitism is a form of hatred. And hate breeds hate. So candidates who are opposed to any one group, or even a sector of that group, are creating an environment in which hateful sentiment spreads quickly, one that causes a ripple effect that runs counter to the values and beliefs we uphold as citizens of the greatest country in the world. It is for this reason that although we dismiss this candidate’s ludicrous claims as the ranting of a madman, it is important to decry them and make it clear that we have no room for hateful feelings towards anyone in our communities, in our city, and in our country.

Turning to more positive news, this month’s edition features a very special elder care section, with helpful information for caregivers, some legal advice, and a close look at a hospital within our community that offers top-notch care. We are fortunate to live in a generation in which we have so many resources at our fingertips, and I do hope that you will take the time to look through the many services and programs offered by our advertisers that can benefit the senior members of our community. We all have parents, grandparents, or other relatives whose care is of utmost importance to us, and I hope that you will find the information we offer beneficial to you.

Finally, I would like to remind you once again that the JCC is offering free computer courses during the months of May and June in QuickBooks, Excel and Microsoft Word. Please log onto our website for the dates so you can sign up and better your skills

Wishing you a wonderful Shavuos.
Warm regards,
Shea Rubenstein
Shea@thejewishecho.com