I’ve never met Steven Markowitz, I’ve never spoke to him. And obviously, I can’t know the truth about who wrote the e-mail depicted in your last July 5 newspaper. But, it sounds insane for me that the four-term chairman of the very respected Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center of Nassau County is accused of anti-Semitism. Ironically, Jeffrey Wiesenfeld who accuses him, tries to strip this center of donations, which is usually the prerogative of anti-Semites. Additionally, Wiesenfeld accuses the James Wu campaign of anti-Semitism.
My biggest concern is the fact that the Great Neck News publishes such accusations without any substantial proof. The front-page part of the article offers six sentences/paragraphs with accusations. In these six sentences the verb “allege” was used four times, the verb “suggest” and verb “accuse” each one time. The word “prove” can’t be found anywhere in the article.
Page 74 reprints the alleged screenshot of an alleged e-mail allegedly written by the alleged anti-Semite. This picture already was printed in the same newspaper on June 14 on Page 22 as paid political advertisement. Why would the newspaper reprint part of a political advertisement if they don’t have any proof that this picture is true and not fabricated as were Mandy Lee letter (which also came from an e-mail account using name MandyLee in it) and Chats in Chinese (with incorrect translations and proved wrongfully associated with the James Wu campaign)?
Since the chairman of the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center denies ever writing the e-mail, isn’t it the responsibility of the newspaper to investigate rather than repeat the accusations of his political opponents? There’s no recipient name that would give us a chance to check it with him. The newspaper doesn’t give any hint if the screenshot has been proved authentic. Apparently, you had difficulty figuring out the real sender of the Mandy Lee e-mail after they received it just a day ago. Could you really prove if the e-mail without a recipient from the screenshot dated 2015 is real or fabricated?
The Republicans who cry wolf about anti-Semitism of Democrats are trying to divert donors from the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center. In the times when real anti-Semitism is spreading across the world and America, they’re distracting us from our real deadly dangers and creating false alarms to serve their political goals. In this case, they try to destroy those who’re on the forefront of fighting for our and their safety.
As your online subscriber, I would like to express my disappointment with the custom of the newspaper to print and even reprint every accusation, every rumor, without serious investigation. If a thorough investigation is too comprehensive, and you necessarily want to cover the “religious rift,” I would suggest conducting some anonymous polls, interviewing local rabbis, speaking to real people on the street rather than presenting a pretty obvious Democrats vs. Republicans conflict as a religious one.
Kate Goldberg
Great Neck
