The Republican Jewish Community in Great Neck worked hard to elect George Santos. However, since the revelations of his intentionally repeated bald-faced lies (let’s not whitewash what kind of statements they were by saying he “misspoke” as this conman would have us believe) were exposed the group has yet to condemn a single one of the laundry list of lies.
These lies included but were not limited to lack of educational and professional qualifications (no history of college or work at Citigroup and Goldman Sachs) and perhaps the most egregious fabrication, his appalling claim to be Jewish and a descendant of Jewish grandparents who fled persecution in Ukraine and then the Holocaust.
Not a single one of these deceptions that was perpetrated on the public at large by a conman this group promoted has been denounced by said group.
The Forward confirmed through genealogy records that Santos’ grandparents were born in Brazil and were Roman Catholic. Santos’ fiction that they were born in Europe and fled Hilter and the Holocaust in 1940 is not substantiated by him, but the timeline makes no sense as his mother was born in Brazil in 1962, 22 years after his grandparents would have arrived in Brazil.
Santos did not misspeak, he crafted a web of falsehoods to hoodwink the public and play on our sympathies and experiences, all while many of our local Republican Jewish leaders promoted him in every public space available in our town.
A large segment of the Republican Jewish Community in Great Neck fell for Santos’ lies, welcomed him into their homes, synagogues and community as a Jew.
Santos in fact bragged that Great Neck was his second home. The Republican Jewish Coalition confirmed that Santos told them he was Jewish and has banned him from any future events.
He was embraced by influential Great Neck Jewish leaders, politicians and a Great Neck Mayor. Santos has appeared in multiple photographs on social media with these local leaders.
He was with them at an RJC Hanukkah lighting, on election night, and in our Great Neck Park District with park district commissioners where he spoke at least one confirmed rally.
He is a stain on the Jewish community in Great Neck and a blight on our district at large.
While Great Neck’s Republican Jews were large and loud supporters of Santos, to this day their leaders have been unusually and uncharacteristically quiet as they have yet to condemn the despicable, egregious breach of the public trust and integrity Santos has brought on all of NY 03 residents.
By failing to do so, they are complicit in having disgraced the memory of 6 million Jews murdered in the Holocaust.
Great Neck Jewish Republicans, you still have time to speak out.
It is up to you to not only condemn this repulsive repugnant behavior, but to call for him to resign as this morally bereft liar is not fit to be seated. Will you?
Or will you go around, like one of your leaders has done, justifying this embarrassment of an elected conman by pointing fingers instead to imaginary pedophiles and other boogeymen who you purport have done some kind, harm to some imaginary victims.
Is the need for a rubber stamp in Congress so great that you will accept a characterless fraud and his claims that he is “Jew-ish”? I’m waiting.
Jonathan Freiberg
Great Neck
Jonathan,
As Orthodox Jews, we have a much narrower definition of Jewish than you do so we never thought he was Jewish. We voted for him for the same reason you guys voted for Biden. He wasn’t the other guy.
Values used to mean something.
But even so, it is ok that he lied? In an age when political discourse has been lowered to “What about-isms,” I have to say, to your point, “Two wrongs don’t make a right.”
To all the jewish communities in CD3 shame on you for supporting this fake grifter George Santos only fools negate history as it has proven to repeat itself. How on earth do you not care ? It can only mean you are as hateful and godless as the current generation of American fascists and nationalist whose footsteps and voices are becoming louder. This fraud will only make it easier on antisemites everywhere, shame on you citizens, shame!
The first thing is that in my lifetime, as a Republican, I have voted for many Democrats. When you make your imbecilic inquiry – you should first tell us – when have you had occasion to vote for a Republican? I find that people like you are “party no matter what.” All persons on both sides for whom party is first – have no standing in such an argument. And that is because your argument has no merit if party’s your sole qualifier. In any event, Santos is not Jewish by anyone’s definition; even the reform movement would have to convert him. But who the heck needs him?
Wow, you may see yourself as “more Jewish than thou,” but you sure don’t stand for morality and decency. I think there may be a commandment or two that you seem to be forgetting.
Great letter, Jonathan!
Mr. Freiberg, Great Neck voted fort Santos not bc he was “Jewish, white or gay”, for if it was for that, Zimmerman is the same. They voted for him bc of the political platform he ran on. And how do you want them to protest? Hold a sign condemning him? Invite him to their homes to condemn him? Hold a rally?