Ferrer Defends Sharpton Ties

At Agudath Israel forum, Democrat asked about activist’s endorsement; Bloomberg names liaison to Jewish day schools.

Both major candidates for mayor appeared separately before national officers of the Orthodox group Agudath Israel last week, fielding questions about housing, private school tuition and other matters.

But Democrat Fernando Ferrer faced the toughest question of the evening when he was asked about his relationship with the Rev. Al Sharpton, whom many Jewish leaders have shunned because of his role during black-Jewish flashpoints in the ‘90s. Ferrer in turn mentioned a controversial ally of Bloomberg.

“Ask Bloomberg about [Lenora] Fulani,” Ferrer said, referring to Bloomberg’s endorsement by the activist who was recently drummed out of a leadership position in the Independence Party because of her refusal to disavow a remark about Jews being “mass murderers of people of color.”

Ferrer said it was “not fair to hold those comments against [Bloomberg] since he disavowed them,” but implied it would be unfair to question one relationship and not the other. He added, “I’m glad for Rev. Sharpton’s support. Bloomberg didn’t complain when [Sharpton] supported the West Side Jets stadium.”

Sharpton endorsed Ferrer in 2001 as well as this year.

A quarter of white Democrats polled last month by Marist College said they were less likely to support Ferrer because of Sharpton’s nod, and the number is likely higher among non-Democrats. But a majority of black, white and Latino Democrats said his endorsement made “no difference” to them in the election, painting a fuzzy picture of the activist reverend’s political impact.

Bloomberg and Ferrer appeared about a half-hour apart, and both were warmly received. It was the closest thing to a debate on Jewish topics so far in the general election.

Fulani’s name did not come up during Bloomberg’s appearance. Nor did the contentious issue of the health department’s legal action against a mohel suspected of transmitting herpes, which was recently referred to a rabbinic court. Agudath Israel took a keen interest in the matter and participated in previous meetings with the mayor on the subject.

Both candidates declined to support tuition vouchers for private schools, a key issue among Orthodox voters that has gained little traction.

“I don’t think it would work in this city,” said Bloomberg. “The legislature wouldn’t approve it.” Ferrer, in his comments, said he would “have a problem with any program that takes money away from the public school system.”

Notably, the two candidates showed markedly different styles in addressing the group. Bloomberg never referred to his opponent, while Ferrer criticized Bloomberg on several occasions.

For example, he pledged to “end frivolous ticket blitzing,” calling the issuing of summonses to people who pick up dry cleaning or deliver pizzas “a tax that doesn’t act like a tax on the working and middle class.” Bloomberg, who has denied the existence of a so-called ticket blitz, was not asked about the topic

In his remarks, Bloomberg announced that he had designated his top education policy advisor, Deputy Mayor Dennis Walcott, to act as a liaison with the city’s yeshivas and Jewish day schools.

David Zwiebel, Agudah’s top government affairs official, said yeshiva principals had been asking for a liaison for some time, most recently at a meeting with the mayor in August.

But when asked if the timing of the announcement might somehow be connected to the mayoral race, Zwiebel said “I would neither attribute politics to this, or deny it.”

He added that Walcott had been available to the principals “on an ad hoc basis” for some time. “To the extent that he has formally been given this responsibility, it makes it easier for us to get him on the phone at any time.”

In an interview, Walcott, the former director of the New York Urban League, said he was tapped by the mayor because of “a long history of working with Agudah … based on the responsibilities I have and that relationship, it was a natural connection.”

He said he viewed his new job as being “the point person, having regular meetings to address issues and concerns, not just with Agudah but with other organizations.” Among the concerns to be addressed, he said, is access to universal pre-K and special-education services.

He said there were “informal discussions” with the New York Archdiocese to develop a similar liaison to the Catholic schools.

Marvin Schick, an educational consultant to many area yeshivas, was not overly impressed by the appointment. “They can always use a more sympathetic person [at City Hall],” said Schick. “It essentially serves some political and PR purposes, but I don’t know what it will mean as a practical matter. The main problems these institutions face is financial.”

Assemblyman Vito Lopez, who represents parts of Williamsburg and Bushwick, says he has enough votes to become the new county chairman of the Brooklyn Democratic party, succeeding Clarence Norman Jr., who was convicted of campaign abuses last week and stepped down.

That’s causing some concern among members of the area’s chasidic community with whom he has clashed over access to public housing projects in the heavily Jewish and Latino area.

For example, in 2002 Lopez, who chairs the Assembly housing committee, vowed to block state funding for a badly needed housing development sponsored by the United Jewish Organizations at a former brewery site if it contained too many subsidized apartments earmarked for chasidim, or if Latino leaders were denied input on the project.

Some say Lopez has worked to ease tensions and build a better relationship with the community, and others are taking a wait-and-see attitude.

The post will be filled by a vote of the county’s 42 district leaders on Tuesday. Other candidates include Joseph Bova of Bensonhurst, who works in the state’s School Construction Authority; Assemblywoman Annette Robinson of Bedford-Stuyvesant and Freddie Hamilton of Fort Greene.

A Democratic district leader in the Brownstone Brooklyn area, Alan Fleishman, said he would fight Lopez’s ascent because of his history of endorsing Republicans in major races. “He is not enough of a Democrat to lead in this county,” said Fleishman.

Assemblyman Dov Hikind, who couldn’t bring himself to endorse fellow Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton for Senate in 2000 (preferring to stay neutral instead) is praising her this week for her role in helping get a Jewish grandmother with an expired visa out of detention for the holidays.

“It’s a near miracle in today’s homeland security environment,” said Hikind.

Nina Michaelov, 53, an Israeli citizen, was held for eight months because of strict immigration laws enacted after 9-11. Her family last month was notified that she could be held at least another 90 days, which would include the High Holidays and Sukkot, before a determination was made in her case.

After a call to Clinton, Michaelov was released within a week on her own recognizance pending a hearing. In a possible precursor to his support of her re-election, Hikind said he decided to reach out to Clinton, and not other top elected officials, “because I wanted to give her a chance to do something like this. My instinct was that Hillary was the one to do it.”