Read here for official press release:
TOMS RIVER – There wasn’t any pomp and circumstance from the politicians. The resolution was listed along with 21 others, simply saying “Resolution opposing and condemning the Administrators, Creators and Many of the Activities of ‘Rise Up Ocean County.’” All the resolutions were approved together.
The social media site has been accused of stirring up aggression against Orthodox Jews in Lakewood and surrounding towns, culminating in a documentary that was scheduled to come out this month but has been postponed to an unknown date.
A statement from Rise Up explained that the documentary was delayed because a screening committee had identified nine minutes of video that could expose the group to civil litigation due to “personal identifiers” being recorded. The documentary focuses on three instances of alleged criminal activity, and attorneys who screened it also thought that more documentation was needed to back up the claims.
An unnamed representative from the site told JerseyShoreOnline.com in a previous interview that their efforts aren’t anti-Semitic, but focus on what they feel are immoral or illegal practices regarding such things as housing.
Orthodox Jews in the area see the posts it shares as hateful – and the angry, sometimes threatening tone of the people commenting, as proof of the fact that it was meant to be divisive.
However, it wasn’t just Orthodox Jews that took offense to the social media page. If it was intended to cause a divide, it had actually caused people of different cultures to speak at the Freeholder meeting against it.
Lakewood Board of Education member Ada Gonzalez, Michael Cohen from the Simon Wiesenthal Center, state chair of the NAACP Mike McNeil, and several others praised the Freeholders for their condemnation of the site.
Rabbi Avi Schnall, director of Agudath Israel of America, a religious advocacy group, said that the Freeholders’ statement was a historic one. However, there was another incident that happened on the same day, Feb. 20, but 80 years ago. Madison Square Garden was host to more than 20,000 at a pro-Nazi rally. Jews in the area were beaten.
“The messages are not on banners anymore,” he said of Nazi signs. “They rest on social media websites.”
Last year, on Memorial Day weekend, houses of worship across denominations sent out the same message: Love Thy Neighbor. Colin Lewis, an activist in Ocean County, reminded the crowd of how people came together for that simple message.
“Speech that puts you down is not what we want here,” he said. “We want speech that’s going to build people up.”
Community advocate Rabbi Moshe Zev Weisberg said the website was “hate speech disguised as issue-oriented.” He said there are definitely issues that need to be discussed, but this site is not interested in discussion.
He said it was humbling to see a diverse group of people uniting against it. “Today they might come for me and my kind, but tomorrow they might come for you and your kind.”
Chanie Jacobowitz, a vice president at Beth Medrash Govoha, said that the school was created by Rabbi Aaron Kotler in 1943 after he came here as a refuge.
“It’s disconcerting to us to see anti-Semitism that we thought was left behind in Europe,” she said. “This website has shown the world the worst of Ocean County.”
It was passed unanimously by the Ocean County Board of Chosen Freeholders with only one comment. Freeholder Director Virginia Haines said that people need to unite, rather than divide each other.
After the Freeholder meeting, Rise Up posted a retort to the Freeholders, calling them traitors.
It said that there is “no anti-Semitism, no hate” on their site. It also accused the Freeholders of selling out “for a few sheqels and a Lakewood Vaad endorsement.”
I say the ones in opposition have many things to hide. I don’t know how many rocks are left in Lakewood but maybe some should go find one and climb under it for a while.
Bunch of asshats
You mean the CIDS throw down the anti semitism card because they’re getting called out on FRAUD!!!
Should say “ Freeholder Condemn 1st Amendment “
Lakewood wants the rest of the county turned into Iran with extremist hacidic rule…..
If this was back in 70s, and it was a bunch of Italians the FBI would be involved, racketeering etc, 2019 the boiling point has been reached and now they say OMG this is anti Semitic, They need to look in the mirror before they open their mouths.
Joseph Todaro so true
i said it on your first post, and i will say it again. go look. go read. make up your own mind. if you like what you read, like it follow it. if you don’t scroll on by. don’t let a bunch of politicians tell you what to do. see for yourself.
Vote the corrupt freeloaders out
So corrupt at every level..NATIONAL news. AND we will not be silenced until the swamp is drained..
Anne Palumbo-Landolfi I don’t think there would be anyone standing if it actually was drained
Vera Auriemma right?
Great advertising, so many more will follow the page thx to this??
They can run but they can’t hide!
I thought in order to be anti-Semitic than you needed to hate all Jews …we just can’t stand the Hasidics because of their actions …it has absolutely nothing to do with religion… I have Jewish friends that are normal and not corrupt pieces of shit like them
they use their religion to shield their corruption
Julie Gurney oh I know it’s friggin ridiculous… sadly the radical islamists are doing the same thing …I’m just waiting for that to start around here ??♀️
Lol
Adam Barlow, thanks for the reality check.
Bought and paid for–disgusting
DRAIN THE $WAMP
The Freeloaders sold out. Here is the proof. Wake up Ocean County!!!
Ken Kufall that was my same though when I read this!!!
the back room deals that go on in this county/Toms River is criminal. If the people that dont go and vote continue to not vote then Ocean County is doomed. Period
Maybe Governor Murphy should get involved and take a look at what is going on. Talk to the people about their concerns and answer questions that RUOC is asking.
Vera Auriemma Murphy is a joke.
It seems like help may only come from outside Ocean. Recently Declan O’Scanlon, Monmouth took the “anti-Semitic,” stand that we stop rewarding people who steal https://www.senatenj.com/index.php/oscanlon/oscanlon-spearheads-legislation-to-stop-taxpayer-theft/42624 while Ocean reps sit silent?
Vote!!!!!!!!!
Follow “Rise Up Ocean County” It is a FB page that imparts TRUTH.
You Freeholders are easily used, bought and manipulated. You ALL need to be removed from your positions NOW.
I just don’t get THIS?? How do township officials and county officials have the audacity to address a social media page and denounce it!!?? I was censored on Instagram yesterday when I brought ruoc to Donald Trump Jr s attention. He messaged me and said I should not have been blocked for speaking the truth and continued to follow me. No one censors President Trumps Twitter account and all of us as Americans have the right to post and speak our minds always.. THAT ladies and gentlemen is what Makes America Great
Anne Palumbo-Landolfi amen to that! Little Don is getting flooded with messages, believe that. ??
They are just trying to denounce our credibility. When they are all exposed for their corrupt activities they want to be able to sweep it under the rug as usual and say oh it was that Rise up..they are not credible..lol 7000 taxpaying hardworking citizens that are sick and tired of being pushed aside and bullied by govt officials.. we are the strength and new voice of Ocean County and will not be silenced until the swamp is finally drained..
This is bullshit. Speak up and this is what happens. Time to ban together even more now. Unless you want to live in a other lakewood!!!!!!
Maybe people wouldn’t be against them if they weren’t lying thieves
Maybe people wouldn’t be against them if they weren’t lying thieves