Two people contacted me yesterday. With permission, I am posting their eyewitness accounts from Monday's Memorial Service at United Synagogue of Hoboken for the 11 innocents slaughtered at Pittsburgh's "Tree of Life" synagogue.
When we arrived at 7, Michael DeFusco was standing at the front door greeting people coming in at the door, then he was sitting in the balcony section - no yarmulke, and was on his phone the whole time (I see he posted a photo on Facebook), and he left after about 15 minutes. The vigil went to 8:30.
[xxxx] was downstairs near the lobby and overheard MDF (with an older woman with dark brown hair) convincing the police officers both inside and outside the building working security to vote yes on the runoffs.
[xxxx] heard one police officer in an OEM windbreaker reply back “nah, we don’t need runoffs, a win is a win.” Then another office said “if we have runoffs, before we know it will be voting on Christmas”.
I stayed until the end, and saw at least that Tiffanie, Jen, Ken Ferrante, and Annette Chaparro among other politicians stayed.
Normally I wouldn’t care what he does, but as an American Jew, with kids in Hebrew school every Saturday morning (and one of us usually in services), the events this week really shook me and I don’t appreciate him showing up, posting a photo showing that he was there on social media, leaving quickly, and then campaigning to police officers working security while the vigil went on upstairs.
Hoping that referendum doesn’t pass!
Here's the other:
"When I arrived, he was at the front door, acting as a self-appointed greeter, and asking people if he could take their coats.
Is he so ignorant or dismissive of Jewish customs that he didn’t bother to wear a yarmulke, despite all the other men covering their heads? Is he unable to respect the notices posted at the entrance to shul reminding people not to use phones in the sanctuary? Is he incapable of sitting still for the duration of a memorial service? (Several children younger than him stayed for the duration). And is he incapable of suspending his partisanship in a time of tragedy? These are all things I hope voters will consider the next time he asks for their vote.
It really troubles me that Mike deFusco appears to use any event as an opportunity for his own personal advancement. He was a guest at an event memorializing the worst attack on Jews in American history, and yet he couldn’t be bothered to show respect for the community and its religious customs."
In the words of Rabbi Scheinberg whom I contacted this morning: "the program (memorial service) and synagogue are non-partisan."
Tears don't have a political affiliation. Nor do broken hearts.
The full 90-minute Memorial Service is posted in (4) clips on the United Synagogue of Hoboken Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/HobokenSynagogue/
GA'S (PARTISAN) TWO CENTS:
Make no mistake, November 6, is about Trump: choose to repudiate or to validate his normalization of violence, hate and division.
As for local politics, Hoboken's got a mini-Trump. Our mini-Trump endorses fake news fliers/ video about "Democracy" coming to Hoboken elections, and lies that "runoffs would be in December but not in the "Holiday Season."
Christians call the run-up to Christmas the "Holiday Season" - which is the same week as Kwaanza. Hanukkah moves around the calendar.. generally falls in December, but sometimes end of November... Jews call that the "HOLIDAY SEASON."
In fact, it is generally acknowledged that the "HOLIDAY SEASON" begins on Thanksgiving and ends on New Year's Day.
As for his disrespectful behavior toward the Jewish community at the Memorial- no yarmalke, texting throughout the service, face-booking, then leaving early to campaign outside the synagogue...
Incredible.
I ask you all to vote "NO" to bringing back run-offs on the Municipal Ballot question, if only to repudiate the Trumpian conduct of Michael DeFusco.
GA note: in accordance with recent attacks on my Judiasm, I expect the Roman Brice site will respond with attack on my credentials as a Jew again in "anonymous" comments, based on a failed 2010 political operation by Beth Mason. When you see that attack, consider it Antisemitism; an attack on a Jew's belief system.. Which shows you how far he and his ilk have fallen.
"And is he incapable of suspending his partisanship in a time of tragedy?"
ReplyDeletewhen people show you who they are, believe them.
MDF is an opportunist of the absolute worst kind. He takes advantage of tragedy, leverages his sexual orientation, tries to take credit for accomplishments he has no reason or rationale to pin his name to - all for personal political gain. And when he can't attach himself onto a cause like a parasite, he whines and drones about the injustices of not being included or tries to divert the focus onto his manufactured (but vibrant) conspiracy theories or hair-brained alternatives.
ReplyDeleteThis is repulsive. Sure, it's arguably a political act for any politician to show up and act respectful at an event like this- you can't know whether they would have shown up if they were not a politician, and by showing up and behaving themselves, they arguably do help themselves politically.
ReplyDeleteBut to show up and act like they don't even care- it's almost a sign of mental illness, because it's not only disrespectful, it's so short-sighted and self-harming. An inability to care or even pretend to care about anyone but yourself. All he had to do is go in, sit still, and be quiet for the duration. It shouldn't have been hard for a remotely normal adult. The behavior described in this story is Trump-like. It's all about him and what he wants, he doesn't really care about anyone else, and he doesn't even have enough self-control and maturity to pretend otherwise.
Aside from the politics of this, I'm genuinely angered and disappointed. I didn't like MDF before this, but I still would have expected better. He clearly really doesn't care about what happened.
Narcissism.
DeleteThis is who the rabbi thanked. Notice who's missing. Councilman DeFusco stayed long enough to post on Facebook, so I guess the rabbi didn't see him. Unless he did see him- texting and leaving after 10 minutes.
ReplyDelete"We are so grateful for the presence and words including special guests and speakers Mayor Ravi Bhalla; Police Chief Ken Ferrante; Marni Kriegel of Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey's Hudson County Advisory Council; Rev. Birgit Solano of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Weehawken; Rabbi Naomi Kalish of New York Presbyterian Hospital; Rabbi Moshe Schapiro and Shmully Levitin of Chabad of Hoboken; Rev. John Mack of Redeemer Lutheran Church in Jersey City; Fr. Gene Squeo of the Interfaith Brotherhood/Sisterhood Association of Hudson County; Imam Mohamed Moussa of the Islamic Center of North Hudson and the Tri-State Imams Council.
We are grateful that civic officials attended including Assemblyman Raj Mukherjee, Assemblywoman Annette Chaparro, Councilwoman Jennifer Giattino, Councilwoman Tiffanie Fischer, and former Mayor Dawn Zimmer. So many clergypeople attended, including (in addition to those mentioned above) Pastor Mona Fitch-Elliott, Pastor Gary LeCroy, Sem. Angel Figueroa, Rev. Lisa Bellan-Boyer, Rev. Will Henkel, Rev. Jill Singleton, Rev. Marjorie Boyden-Edmonds."
It's amazing how grateful we are to announce Jen and Tiffanie attended but Mike was repulsive. What's repulsive is that you mention them in the same breath as Dawn and Ravi when these two women backstabbed both these Mayors when we all know Dawn Zimmer gave them their political careers. It takes one maybe two weeks for this city to forget who is the backstabber. Really are we so GRATEFUL. Was it the last few months that Jen ,Tiffanie and Rubin were instrumental with Mike to pretty much ruin everything and anything Ravi was attempting to do. Amazing
ReplyDeleteNot all of us are grateful. Some of us have long memories, feel betrayed and have a severe distaste in their mouths.
DeleteI don't think it's lost on a great number of Hoboken residents that Jennifer Giattino and Tiffanie Fisher (and Mike DeFusco) rode on Mayor Zimmer's accomplishments and successes to their current political success. It's not lost on residents that Mayor Bhalla tried to have all parties work together as soon as he took office, announcing new civic posts for all of his political rivals and their support staff to help the residents of Hoboken and help narrow the focus on initiatives and directives.
It's not lost that these three stooges then directed their venom, self-righteousness and political maneuvering to distance themselves from the Mayor's goodwill attempts at unity and solidarity for the good of Hoboken residents and then attempt to defeat the administrations initiatives systemically by allying with those political opponents they so earnestly fought against from their political beginnings.
No, I think their exploits are rather infamous at this point.
Karen, you're honest and wear your heart on your sleeve. You say what you believe in and aren't afraid of voicing when you disagree with others on the direction of the city. You have faithfully assisted others in their times of need.
DeleteI didn't vote for you, but if you had won, I think you'd have made a good civic leader.
Thank you and yes...its too bad that the current administration did not follow the lead I gave the city on the importance of Night Mayor to protect the City's Nightlife which is the backbone of this city. NYC has it in place even though a video I made way before NYC decided to and implement. Instead we have bars and their licenses running amuck and do whatever they feel and still the pick and choose admin is in place. Seems to me the more things change, the more they stay the same.
DeleteKaren,as Jew and a longtime member of USH, I very much appreciate that Tiffanie and Jen came to the vigil and stayed through the end. That's irrespective of my opinion of their behavior in other contexts. They were the only elected officials who did that.
DeleteIt is also perfectly fair to contrast their choice to attend and stay to the choices made by those who did not attend, and those who attended but left shortly after the service started.
I can respect the fact people came and stayed. I can also understand the fact that some did not come (not everyone has flexibility to attend). What I cannot ever respect or understand is showing up, waving the flag saying "I attended" and then going outside as soon as it is noticed you showed up and start playing politics. There is a time and place for politics and outside a service like this is not that place.
DeleteTo correct my previous post, there were other elected officials like Annette Chapparo and I believe Raj Mukarjee who stayed throughout. I was referring solely to Hoboken City government officials.
DeleteGrindr ping?
ReplyDelete