A Storm in Rockland

However, Wieder was about to face the biggest challenge of the year yet. On Thursday morning, Rockland County’s Republican Party chairman posted a video titled “A Storm Is Brewing in Rockland,” in which the Jewish community is depicted as attempting a takeover of the city government and suggests that Jewish residents threaten the “way of life” of longtime locals. “If they win, we lose,” intones the video. “Aron Wieder and his Ramapo bloc are plotting a takeover.”

Agudath Israel Board of Trustees member and community activist Chaskel Bennett was vacationing in Florida when he first saw the video. At first, he told Mishpacha, he told himself that public reaction to the video would probably be muted. The Rockland GOP had produced similar material in the past without much of a public protest.

Still, Bennett felt motivated to tweet the following message: “We ask all people of goodwill to join us in condemning this hatred & bigotry.” He tagged an aide in the New York State Attorney’s office and went back to his vacation.

But this time was different. “Statement coming soon,” the aide responded. Within minutes, Attorney General Letitia James issued a harsh condemnation of the video, calling it “anti-Semitic,” “deeply disturbing,” and “despicable.”