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Chutzpadik Chuck’s not our ‘shomer’ JonaThan S. ToBIn
JnS Editor-in-Chief
Boys join Lemmer at YIW dinner
Shulem Lemmer was accompanied by three of Rabbi Shay and Rebbetzin Rina Schachter’s children, as he performed during last week’s dinner marking the Young Israel of Woodmere’s 64th anniversary, at Marina Del Rey in Throgs Neck. Ira Thomas
LIer is 10K Birthright volunteer
Long Islander Madison Stock is the 10,000th participant in the Birthright Israel volunteer program. The 22-year-old from Woodbury has extended her visit to Israel after completing work on agricultural projects in Moshav Gamzu, Moshav Zeitan, Moshav Beit Yitzchak, Moshav Gan Haim and Hinanit. Stock participated in the 10-day Birthright Israel trip last summer, fell in love with the country, and decided to return as a volunteer. In the US, she works in event planning and the restaurant business. Read how Birthright impacts the children of participants, on page 8.
A
lan Dershowitz may have written a book titled “Chutzpah,” but if anyone’s picture deserves to be in the dictionary alongside that idiomatic Yiddish word, it’s that of Sen. Chuck Schumer. There is fierce competition for such a dubious honor among politicians. But when it comes to the most shameless opportunist, most disingenuous and most willing to betray the principles he never stops telling us he is dedicated to defending, the Senate Minority Leader wins the argument hands down. Any doubt about that was erased when it was announced that he was writing a book about antisemitism, due to be released this week. But his office just canceled the senator’s book tour, which would have taken him to stops at prestigious Jewish venues in Atlanta, Washington, Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York and California. The reason cited was “security concerns.” That really seals the deal. At a time when Jews are facing an unprecedented surge in hate directed against them, that a Jewish leader who is protected around the clock by Capitol Police — and who claims to be a leader of his community, as well as the self-styled shomer or “guardian” of Israel — would choose to hide rather than face his critics says all there is to know about him, his book and exactly why we don’t need to hear a word from him on the subject. he shomer title is a piece of dishonest shtick that Schumer has been using his entire adult life, all spent in political office. It’s an attempt to cash in on the fact that his name sounds like the Hebrew word for “guardian” or “watchman.” In truth, its meaning derives from a German word that meant “shoemaker” or a good-for-nothing vagabond. That wouldn’t matter if the 74-year-old
T
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer in Statuary Hall at the US Capitol on March 14. Tasos Katopodis, Getty Images via JNS
had acted as the shomer of the Jewish community or a valiant supporter of Israel during his 44 years serving in Washington, the last 26 in the Senate. When running for re-election or speaking to Jewish groups, he puts on a show whose purpose is to portray himself as an ordinary guy from Brooklyn determined to look out for other Jews and the most devoted friend of Israel in Congress. The truth has always been different. Schumer is — like many in his profession and much of humanity — solely interested in his own interests and professional advanceSee Chutzpadik Chuck on page 10
t The Jewish Star will no publish next week. ב We will return עזרת השם on Wednesday, April 5, ue. with our pre-Pesach iss