Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY – Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign descended on Brooklyn, ahead of today's crucial primary, to turn out the Jewish vote. But before they could take to the streets, accompanied by some of the leading figures in the haredi community, they had to modify their approach to appeal to the ultra-Orthodox constituency.
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First, female campaign staffers had to be sent to the back of the line of marchers so that there would not be any untoward mixing of the sexes. And then volunteers wearing Hebrew Hillary pins removed the blue Stars of David stuck on their signs, lest they be confused with Israeli flags, a definite no-no in the anti-Zionist Satmar enclave.
New York politicians and Satmar leaders then walked through the streets of the Williamsburg neighborhood urging residents to back Clinton.
"Her track record shows that she has been very good to the Jewish community and that's why we support her," said Rabbi David Niederman, president of the United Jewish Organizations of Williamsburg.
He listed her work providing help to large families with special needs and funding to protect Jewish institutions following September 11 among other issues that gained her the community's favor.
Also in a recent endorsement in Der Blatt, a newspaper representing about half of the split Satmar community, also mentioned her support in preserving Jewish cemeteries in Europe and securing aid for the community.
But many Williamsburg residents indicated that they were unaware of the Satmar leaders' endorsement of Clinton. Several also evinced skepticism about the candidate.
One haredi woman said that she would vote for "whomever I'm told to vote for," but another woman said she wouldn't support Clinton under any condition, citing her displeasure with the Clinton White House of the 1990s. [JPost]
The pictures of her kissing Suah Arafat are HERE
As part of the “slight” modification, She could pull from her files the picture where she kisses suha ara(b)fat. YMS”H.
Has everyone forgotten that President Clinton pardoned the guys from New Square, reduced the time they had to serve in jail? How about repaying them with good, instead of irrationally bashing Mrs. Clinton?
Is she the one who said before that she intendt to serve out hew ENTIRE term as senator???
Those foolish enough to vote for her are doing a TERRIBLE chilul HaShem. Showing as if Yidden faver monotary gains over moral issues.
NO. they don’t represent Yidden all over. The majority of us are a smarter people who thinks things through.
I think that the only reason that Hillary Clinton is running for president is because she and bill had a plan first,she will become the senator from New York then she’ll run for president and make sure that she will have no slip ups such as she did when she kissed suah arafat and do all the nice things in order that she will not antagonize anybody but when she becomes president then she could
do what she really wants to and not be afraid of every movement that she does
The Jews of Willimsburg DO NOT represent the views of most Charedi Yidden. Because they hold that Israel should give to the arabs all pre- 6 day war land. and they wouldn’t even mind that the ENTIRE land of Israel should be under Arab control. Rachmono Lizland
The reason for this Clinton “push” in our community is very simple. Every presidential candidate has developed relationships with some members of the community and those members of our community who have the relationships will promote their candidate whether they’re the best or the worst for the community – just becuase they will personally capitalize on their relationships if their candidate is elected. Even Jesse Jackson will have a crew from our community praising his support of the community’s needs. In this election, Hillary has more ties to people in the community than the other candidates just because she has been a New York senator for several years. Obviously that doesn’t make her the best candidate, but that makes her the candidate with the most connections in the New York jewish community (now that Giuliani is out of the running).
The face of the matter is that Clinton is nothing more than a shrewd opportunist who will say and do whatever is necessary to best position herself. (Obama is not much different.) As a NY senator, that meant supporting Israel, supporting our community’s needs and making inroads with influential members of our community. But who knows what will be opportune for her once she’s elected president – she certainly won’t tow the same line as when she was a NY senator relying on the NY Jewish community’s support.
Hillary will always be a shrewd opportunist – maybe the question to ask is what her Jewish/Israel attitude was back in Arkansas (and while she was first lady) when she wasn’t looking for support from the NY Jewish community.
Universal Health care and more hand outs to the poor. That is why she is being supported by many in our community. Instead of voting for free market they are choosing to vote for ahnd outs. What can they give me.
For all of you who are against clinton, I understand your concern but I personally think they are baseless. That being said I couldnt care less who you vote for in the general election, if you are a registered democrat and you live in NY you should be voting for clinton.
No matter how bad you think she is its better to have a possibility of her being president then obama, if obama somehow manages to become president were in trouble.
So vote for the republican in the general election but make sure that obama is not a possibility.
Has Niederman and UJO lost their minds?!?!?! If it is true that they are supporting her, on what basis are they doing so? She is a machsheifa, her husband is a shtik drek! Have any of the rabbunim or dayunim been asked a shaila to get some hadruchuh on this? what a beesha vicherpu!!!
i have no problem with a women president, but its not clinton, first she has no experence, she has not been senator for a very long time that is her only experence, being the first lady doesnt count
Maybe they should actually think for themselves about who they want to vote for, or hey, even about registering Republican! What a scandal!
Orthodox Brooklyn councilman, Simcha Felder, has saidthat he would be voting for Obama in “protest” of the racially-tinged tactics employed by the Clinton campaign in South Carolina last month.
Orthodox Councilman Dov Hikind, a longtime friend of Clinton’s, said that he would not be taking time to return from Albany to cast a vote in the primary on her behalf.
“I’m not that enthusiastic to rush back to vote for one or the other,” said Hikind. “With Clinton, it’s the old story. What does she really believe in? She is measuring how the wind is blowing.
He also said that many in the Orthodox community had not forgotten Clinton’s kissing Suha Arafat while she was first lady. “They can’t get over the kiss, which is ridiculous in my view.”