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Chol Hamoed Outings Met with Hate: Clarkstown Facebook Group Stirs Anti-Orthodox Backlash Over Park Visits

Chol Hamoed Outings Met with Hate: Clarkstown Facebook Group Stirs Anti-Orthodox Backlash Over Park Visits

By Idy Perl

Several recent online posts from the notorious Clarkstown “What They Don’t Want You To Know” Facebook account are raising concerns about the attitudes of locals towards Orthodox Jews. 

In a Facebook post from April 21, the account quoted a post from another Pearl River-based Facebook page - created with the apparent goal of targeting the Hasidic community and Assemblyman Aron Wieder - in which a local resident bemoaned the sight of several Hasidic families in public parks.

“Pearl River is not a Hasidic community; therefore the use of public parks in our area by families who traditionally remain within their own has raised concerns, particularly given the increased number of homes along the Chestnut Ridge border being purchased by members of this community,” she writes. 

The poster goes on to explain that although she understands that it was Chol Hamoed, a time when Orthodox Jews traditionally go on family outings, and that public parks are open to everyone, the sight of so many Hasidic families raised concerns that they might become the majority presence and “overshadow” or “marginalize” the cultural and social practices of local residents. 

“What They Don’t Want You To Know” goes on to call out local politicians that depend on the “bloc vote” and urge local residents to vote them out in the upcoming elections in November.

The comments section on the post is filled with vile vitriol about the Orthodox community. “It’s time to get out of Pearl River NOW! These Hasidics have a well calculated plan, and Aaron Weider is behind it,” one poster says. “They are a cult, not a religion!” another proclaims. 

Similar rhetoric was found on a post from an Orange County resident, who took to Facebook to whine about Hasidic families from Kiryas Yoel enjoying parks in Orange County. He describes going around from park to park and finding Hasidic families playing in each of them, and complains that "they are taking over Orange County." Other residents chimed in with familiar accusations in the comments section, criticizing the Hasidic families and sardonically wondering if they should go to the Ruach Hachaim Park in Monroe. 

Rockland Daily reached out to Assemblyman Aron Wieder, who issued a strong condemnation in response to the “What They Don’t Want You To Know” post and its inflammatory comment section:

“I deeply value free speech, but with that same freedom comes the responsibility to speak out against hate. This post is blatantly antisemitic and unfairly targets an entire community. Calling for the exclusion of Orthodox Jews from neighborhoods and public parks is not only wrong—it goes against everything this country stands for. The founding fathers fought for liberty and equality, not discrimination. I condemn this kind of hate speech in the strongest possible terms.”


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