New Initiative to Correct Dangerous Mischaracterizations of Orthodox Jewish Community

by BoroPark24 Staff

The New York Times has shown over one dozen one-sided and misleading portrayals of the Orthodox Jewish community over the past four months, and KnowUs is here to combat that. 

Agudath Israel first tried meeting with New York Times editors about the negative portrayal of NYC's Chassidic community as reported here. When Agudas's pleas fell on deaf ears, it was time to act, especially with the growing antisemitism seen in NYC on the Orthodox Jewish population. 

Advocates launched KnowUs to combat negative stereotypes advanced by The New York Times and others and provide an inside look into the lives of Orthodox Jews. The initiative put up three prominent Midtown Manhattan billboards, kicking off the campaign. 

The billboards direct viewers to KnowUs.org, a growing informational website bolstered by a digital campaign, which rolled out yesterday.

Keep an eye out for any one of the three billboards; one on 11931 Dyer Avenue,  entering the Lincoln Tunnel; the second on 620 8th Avenue Outside the New York Times Building; and the third one on 714 7th Avenue in Times Square. 

"Orthodox Jews have been under increasing assault in the streets of New York," Chaskel Bennett, community askan tweeted in support of the campaign. "Now we are under assault by the 'paper of record.' The time has come to speak up, lest our silence be construed as acquiescence to the normalization of anti-Orthodoxy." 

Rabbi David Zwiebel, executive vice president of Agudas Israel, commented, "Orthodox Jews have been under increasing assault in the streets of New York. Now we are under assault by the 'paper of record.' The time has come to speak up, lest our silence be construed as acquiescence to the normalization of anti-Orthodoxy." 

"The public has been misled about how Orthodox Jews support their families, educate their children, deal with marriage, divorce, and custody disputes, and participate in the political process," said Mr. Sol Werdiger, founder and CEO of Outerstuff and chairman of Agudas Israel's board of trustees. "KnowUs counters misinformation and presents Orthodox Jews, as told by Orthodox Jews."

In addition to the billboards and website, KnowUs will be directly calling on policymakers, journalists, and all people of good faith to respect the entire cultural patchwork of populations that is New York, including Orthodox Jews.