David Nesenoff
Encyclopedia
David Floyd Nesenoff is an American rabbi
, independent filmmaker, singer/songwriter of contemporary Jewish music, and blog
ger. His short films have been shown at various festivals including Sundance
and the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival
. He has directed a full length movie and was a principal in a film production company.
In the 1990s, he counseled youths who had committed bias crimes. He came to national attention as an expert and counselor regarding bias crimes, and worked as a consultant to the U.S. Department Justice
in the Denny's Restaurant racial discrimination case. Later, he served as an intervention consultant to Mel Gibson
when Gibson was accused of anti-semitism
.
He gained national attention in June 2010 when he posted to his website a video he had made of opinion columnist Helen Thomas
making controversial statements about Israel. Over the next several days, the video went viral
, Thomas resigned her job over this, and Nesenoff received what he initially said were over 25,000 pieces of hate mail, including several death threats.
Nesenoff himself has been interviewed and quoted in The New York Times
, has written a column published in The Washington Post
, and has appeared on Fox News and CNN
's Reliable Sources
program. He maintains a website
, RabbiLIVE.com, which features short videos clips and articles about Israel, interviews with rabbis, and his notable interview of opinion columnist Helen Thomas
. He has identified his politics as pro-Israel, and has said he is uncertain whether he will continue to be a liberal
and a Democrat.
, Israel
for one year. He attended Yeshiva University
as an undergraduate, studied at Hebrew University in Jerusalem for one year when he was in graduate school, and received a master's degree and rabbinic ordination from the Jewish Theological Seminary of America
in New York.
Temple Beth Sholom in Smithtown, New York
until April 2010 when he was unable to reach a salary agreement with the congregation. Previously he was the director of the East Northport Jewish Center and in the 1990s he was at the Oyster Bay Jewish Center in Long Island. Nesenoff created Temple Tikvah, Synagogue of Hope, to comfort and inspire people and to help create a sense of community following the September 11 attacks. He conducted non-traditional services which included club musicians, poetry readings, popular music and the showing of one of his short films.
literature and KKK posters appeared in Jewish neighborhoods in the mid 1990s, Nesenoff chaired a local anti-bias task force. He created an anti-bias education program for the Nassau County, New York
courts, obtaining a state grant and later, private funding through drives at his synagogue. Nesenoff's four session course became part of a court mandated program for teens under 16 who had been convicted of bias crimes. Called TRY, (Tolerance Rehabilitation for Youth), his approach began with getting the offenders angry, pushing their hot buttons, then getting them to discuss their reactions. He also taught leadership skills, emphasizing self esteem, conflict resolution, tolerance, and the seriousness of the hate crimes. He said that it was important for youth to understand why they committed bias crimes and said that the "reason a kid spray paints a swastika has nothing to do with the historical perspective of the Holocaust". Rather, he said, the hate crimes were the result of the kids "stepping on others to prop themselves up". Nesenoff appeared at the arraignment of two 18-year-old men on felony charges related to painting swastikas and anti-semitic graffiti on a Long Island high school track in 1993. According to The New York Times, he pointed to one of the defendants outside of the courtroom and said, "That's what a Nazi looks like, take a good look". He also taught anti-prejudice classes at local high schools. Remarking about the destruction of a menorah display, Nesenoff said that it is important "'to shine a light' on bias crimes ... 'Make sure people know. We want to yell that it happened.'"
Nesenoff served as consultant on the Denny's Restaurant discrimination case, and later counseled Mel Gibson
after Gibson was accused of making anti-semitic remarks and making a movie with anti-semitic overtones. However,according to Nesenoff, Gibson has still not really apologized for what he said and did.
; it took first place at the Media Awards Competition of the National Council on Family Relations; and it received a Humanitarian Award at the Long Island Film Festival.
Nesenoff made a number of other short films over the years. In 2002 he filmed an inspirational short documentary, A Little Drive, touching on the themes of desperation, hope, 9/11 and the story of Joseph. In 2002, he directed The Wax and the Wicks a 13 minute film about the goings-on at an East Long Island beauty shop that was entered in the Palm Beach International Film Festival
, and that won a first place National Telly Award. The film allows the viewer to "eavesdrop on patrons and staff as they give their views on hairstyles, religion, recipes and reactions to 9/11." In 2006, he directed The Cat Experiment, a full length comedy film about abandoned cats which was shown at the 2007 Long Island Film Festival.
and Iraq
and others who could not attend a service in person. In 2008, he set up his website, RabbiLIVE.com for that purpose. After leaving hs position as rabbi, he began looking for a new mission for his website.
with his 17-year-old son and his son's 18-year-old friend. Nesenoff had a press pass representing his website, RabbiLIVE.com, and his son had a press pass representing his website, ShmoozePOINT.com. They attended a press conference where Hearst
opinion columnist Helen Thomas asked President Obama
a question about Afghanistan. Nesenoff then recorded a two minute long interview of Thomas as she was leaving the White House
via the North Lawn
driveway. Nesenoff posted a one minute long video excerpt of the interview on RabbiLIVE.com on June 4, 2010. During the interview, Thomas made brief remarks about Israel, the Jews and Palestine, that have been described with a variety of labels, including "off the cuff", blunt, and "anti-semitic". Nesenoff said that Thomas was "whisked away by a helper or a page" after making her remarks about "Poland". Another reporter at the scene said Thomas had been shuffling along the driveway on the arm of a third reporter, en route to a taxi that was being hailed to take her home, when the interview occurred.
After the video was posted, Nesenoff was in contact with Hearst Newspapers and discussed whether they should dismiss her. Thomas retired from her job on June 7, 2010 following negative reaction to her remarks heard on the one minute June 4 video. This video was published on numerous websites and had over one million hits on YouTube
. On June 8, Nesenoff posted the complete two minute interview which contained no further controversial remarks, and which ended with Thomas telling Nesenoff's son and his son's friend: "All the best to you. Go for journalism, you'll never regret it."
Nesenoff has given dozens of interviews in which he has described his encounter with Thomas. Thomas was reportedly well known as a critic of Israel. Nesenoff told CNN he had not been not aware that Thomas had anti-Semitic views before he interviewed her, and approached her as a supporter. Nesenoff said "When I heard what she said, I was taken aback, confused. I was not expecting it," "I guess I was a little naive about her reporting over the years." In an interview with Haaretz
, Nesenoff said he knew Thomas had been critical of Israel in the past, but was surprised at her answer to his simple question. Nesenoff said that Thomas must have known she was speaking to Jews because he, his son, and his son's friend were all wearing yarmulkes and tzitzit
and that was another reason why he was shocked by her comments.
Nesenoff has said that he interpreted Thomas' comments as meaning that Jews should get out of Israel and go home to Poland or Germany; countries that had killed, tortured, and expelled Jews. He further described Thomas' comments as "vile, a paradigm of hate talk" to Howard Kurtz
of The Washington Post. According to Haaretz, he described Thomas as saying "that not only was she opposed to the two-state solution, but that she thought that the Jews should leave Israel and return to the final solution, more or less." Referring to the fact that Thomas had a front row seat at presidential press conferences, Nesenoff told another reporter that: "There's anti-Semitism in the world... And it's sitting a foot from the president."
Nesenoff wrote an op-ed that was published in The Washington Post on June 20, 2010. He said that after attending a press conference in the White House, divine intervention led to his encounter with Helen Thomas. He characterized her answers to his questions as revealing "an ingrown organic hate". He said that "Thomas and a babbling stream in our world and country dictate to Jewish people to "go home to Poland and Germany, " and that her remarks were an attempt to erase his existence as a Jew. Remarking on the fact that he had said "oooh" when in the middle of his questioning of Thomas, Nesenoff said that on the way back from Washington D.C. he realized that he was "already traveling on a road in a post-ooh world." . He has said that he believes that Helen Thomas and her supporters "have broken into the very rock and the foundation of all religion and all philosophy" and that he wants to fight people who believe there is no connection between Israel and the Jewish identity.
Critics questioned why Nesenoff waited more than one week to post the interview and suggested that the timing was a political maneuver to divert media attention away from Israel's handling of the Gaza Freedom Flotilla
. Nesenoff replied that the delay happened because his 17-year-old son serves as his webmaster
for the blog and was busy with final exams
for that week. In later interviews, Nesenoff explained that he was told by a friend who is a reporter at a Jewish publication that his video of Thomas was not a big story. According to Nesenoff, the friend said, "Oh, she's been that way for years, that’s nothing surprising".
In the wake of the Helen Thomas controversy, Nesenoff said that he received 25,000 of pieces of hate mail
, including several death threats. He filed a report with the Suffolk County Police, and the department's hate crimes unit launched an investigation. He has said while he was shocked by the volume of the hate mail, he was even more shocked to discover there was a hate media that was accusing him of right-wing ambush journalism and looking for "dirt" in his past. Nesenoff has also remarked that he has received positive emails and invitations for speaking engagements. He will be going on a speaking tour which will include college campuses.
prior to his interview of Thomas and the ensuing fallout. He stated, "I have to really reevaluate liberal and conservative and really find out where I stand because I think I've been a little blind."
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
, independent filmmaker, singer/songwriter of contemporary Jewish music, and blog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
ger. His short films have been shown at various festivals including Sundance
Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new...
and the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival
San Francisco Jewish Film Festival
San Francisco Jewish Film Festival is the oldest and largest Jewish film festival in the world. The three-week summer festival is held in San Francisco, California, usually at the Castro Theater in San Francisco and other cinemas in San Francisco, Berkeley, San Rafael, and Palo Alto, and features...
. He has directed a full length movie and was a principal in a film production company.
In the 1990s, he counseled youths who had committed bias crimes. He came to national attention as an expert and counselor regarding bias crimes, and worked as a consultant to the U.S. Department Justice
United States Department of Justice
The United States Department of Justice , is the United States federal executive department responsible for the enforcement of the law and administration of justice, equivalent to the justice or interior ministries of other countries.The Department is led by the Attorney General, who is nominated...
in the Denny's Restaurant racial discrimination case. Later, he served as an intervention consultant to Mel Gibson
Mel Gibson
Mel Colm-Cille Gerard Gibson, AO is an American actor, film director, producer and screenwriter. Born in Peekskill, New York, Gibson moved with his parents to Sydney, Australia when he was 12 years old and later studied acting at the Australian National Institute of Dramatic Art.After appearing in...
when Gibson was accused of anti-semitism
Anti-Semitism
Antisemitism is suspicion of, hatred toward, or discrimination against Jews for reasons connected to their Jewish heritage. According to a 2005 U.S...
.
He gained national attention in June 2010 when he posted to his website a video he had made of opinion columnist Helen Thomas
Helen Thomas
Helen Thomas is an American author and former news service reporter, member of the White House Press Corps and opinion columnist. She worked for the United Press and post-1958 successor United Press International for 57 years, first as a correspondent, and later as White House bureau manager...
making controversial statements about Israel. Over the next several days, the video went viral
Viral video
A viral video is one that becomes popular through the process of Internet sharing, typically through video sharing websites, social media and email...
, Thomas resigned her job over this, and Nesenoff received what he initially said were over 25,000 pieces of hate mail, including several death threats.
Nesenoff himself has been interviewed and quoted in The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, has written a column published in The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
, and has appeared on Fox News and CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
's Reliable Sources
Reliable Sources
Reliable Sources is a weekly show on CNN, focusing on analysis of the American news media. It was initially created to cover the media's coverage of the Persian Gulf War, but has since also covered the media's coverage of the Valerie Plame affair, the War in Iraq, the outing of Mark Felt as Deep...
program. He maintains a website
Website
A website, also written as Web site, web site, or simply site, is a collection of related web pages containing images, videos or other digital assets. A website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network through an Internet...
, RabbiLIVE.com, which features short videos clips and articles about Israel, interviews with rabbis, and his notable interview of opinion columnist Helen Thomas
Helen Thomas
Helen Thomas is an American author and former news service reporter, member of the White House Press Corps and opinion columnist. She worked for the United Press and post-1958 successor United Press International for 57 years, first as a correspondent, and later as White House bureau manager...
. He has identified his politics as pro-Israel, and has said he is uncertain whether he will continue to be a liberal
Liberalism in the United States
Liberalism in the United States is a broad political philosophy centered on the unalienable rights of the individual. The fundamental liberal ideals of freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of religion for all belief systems, and the separation of church and state, right to due process...
and a Democrat.
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Early life and education
Nesenoff was born and raised on Long Island, New York, one of four children of Goldie, an art teacher and musician who plays the mandolin in community orchestras, and Norman Nesenoff, an electrical engineer and the founder of CES Industries. At age 14 Nesenoff attended an agricultural high school in AshkelonAshkelon
Ashkelon is a coastal city in the South District of Israel on the Mediterranean coast, south of Tel Aviv, and north of the border with the Gaza Strip. The ancient seaport of Ashkelon dates back to the Neolithic Age...
, Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
for one year. He attended Yeshiva University
Yeshiva University
Yeshiva University is a private university in New York City, with six campuses in New York and one in Israel. Founded in 1886, it is a research university ranked as 45th in the US among national universities by U.S. News & World Report in 2012...
as an undergraduate, studied at Hebrew University in Jerusalem for one year when he was in graduate school, and received a master's degree and rabbinic ordination from the Jewish Theological Seminary of America
Jewish Theological Seminary of America
The Jewish Theological Seminary of America is one of the academic and spiritual centers of Conservative Judaism, and a major center for academic scholarship in Jewish studies.JTS operates five schools: Albert A...
in New York.
Rabbi
Nesenoff served as a spiritual director and rabbi at various synagogues during his career. He was the rabbi for the ConservativeConservative Judaism
Conservative Judaism is a modern stream of Judaism that arose out of intellectual currents in Germany in the mid-19th century and took institutional form in the United States in the early 1900s.Conservative Judaism has its roots in the school of thought known as Positive-Historical Judaism,...
Temple Beth Sholom in Smithtown, New York
Smithtown, New York
As of the census of 2000, there were 115,715 people, 38,487 households, and 31,482 families residing in the town. The population density was 2,159.9 people per square mile . There were 39,357 housing units at an average density of 734.6 per square mile...
until April 2010 when he was unable to reach a salary agreement with the congregation. Previously he was the director of the East Northport Jewish Center and in the 1990s he was at the Oyster Bay Jewish Center in Long Island. Nesenoff created Temple Tikvah, Synagogue of Hope, to comfort and inspire people and to help create a sense of community following the September 11 attacks. He conducted non-traditional services which included club musicians, poetry readings, popular music and the showing of one of his short films.
Anti-bias work
After Holocaust denialHolocaust denial
Holocaust denial is the act of denying the genocide of Jews in World War II, usually referred to as the Holocaust. The key claims of Holocaust denial are: the German Nazi government had no official policy or intention of exterminating Jews, Nazi authorities did not use extermination camps and gas...
literature and KKK posters appeared in Jewish neighborhoods in the mid 1990s, Nesenoff chaired a local anti-bias task force. He created an anti-bias education program for the Nassau County, New York
Nassau County, New York
Nassau County is a suburban county on Long Island, east of New York City in the U.S. state of New York, within the New York Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,339,532...
courts, obtaining a state grant and later, private funding through drives at his synagogue. Nesenoff's four session course became part of a court mandated program for teens under 16 who had been convicted of bias crimes. Called TRY, (Tolerance Rehabilitation for Youth), his approach began with getting the offenders angry, pushing their hot buttons, then getting them to discuss their reactions. He also taught leadership skills, emphasizing self esteem, conflict resolution, tolerance, and the seriousness of the hate crimes. He said that it was important for youth to understand why they committed bias crimes and said that the "reason a kid spray paints a swastika has nothing to do with the historical perspective of the Holocaust". Rather, he said, the hate crimes were the result of the kids "stepping on others to prop themselves up". Nesenoff appeared at the arraignment of two 18-year-old men on felony charges related to painting swastikas and anti-semitic graffiti on a Long Island high school track in 1993. According to The New York Times, he pointed to one of the defendants outside of the courtroom and said, "That's what a Nazi looks like, take a good look". He also taught anti-prejudice classes at local high schools. Remarking about the destruction of a menorah display, Nesenoff said that it is important "'to shine a light' on bias crimes ... 'Make sure people know. We want to yell that it happened.'"
Nesenoff served as consultant on the Denny's Restaurant discrimination case, and later counseled Mel Gibson
Mel Gibson
Mel Colm-Cille Gerard Gibson, AO is an American actor, film director, producer and screenwriter. Born in Peekskill, New York, Gibson moved with his parents to Sydney, Australia when he was 12 years old and later studied acting at the Australian National Institute of Dramatic Art.After appearing in...
after Gibson was accused of making anti-semitic remarks and making a movie with anti-semitic overtones. However,according to Nesenoff, Gibson has still not really apologized for what he said and did.
Filmmaker
Nesenoff's work with high school students and his work with teens convicted of bias crimes sparked his interest in filmmaking. He saw film as a means to communicate his message, telling The New York Times in 1996 that he looked at "film as a modern-day pulpit". After obtaining partial funding from the state and advertising for volunteer actors, he made a 16-minute black-and-white film, Moving Day, showing the viewpoint and experiences of an elderly woman, a crime victim, a black man, a homeless person, a battered wife and a young girl. The film was used as a teaching aid in New York schools. He later obtained a grant from the state to help him write and direct a film about the consequences of teens' drinking and driving. The result was Inbound Mercy, an 11-minute black-and-white film about the fatal accident of a teenage couple who drink and drive. The Los Angeles Times said the film was realistic and creatively done. It was featured at the 1997 Sundance festival, winning Nesenoff an award for most unlikely filmmaker. The film received a first place Chris Award at the Columbus International Film FestivalColumbus International Film & Video Festival
The Columbus International Film + Video Festival is a Columbus, Ohio, USA annual film festival which is designed to encourage and promote the use of film and video in all forms of education and communication...
; it took first place at the Media Awards Competition of the National Council on Family Relations; and it received a Humanitarian Award at the Long Island Film Festival.
Nesenoff made a number of other short films over the years. In 2002 he filmed an inspirational short documentary, A Little Drive, touching on the themes of desperation, hope, 9/11 and the story of Joseph. In 2002, he directed The Wax and the Wicks a 13 minute film about the goings-on at an East Long Island beauty shop that was entered in the Palm Beach International Film Festival
Palm Beach International Film Festival
The Palm Beach International Film Festival is a film festival in the United States held in Palm Beach, Florida which showcases over 120 films annually in April for over 20,000 attendees...
, and that won a first place National Telly Award. The film allows the viewer to "eavesdrop on patrons and staff as they give their views on hairstyles, religion, recipes and reactions to 9/11." In 2006, he directed The Cat Experiment, a full length comedy film about abandoned cats which was shown at the 2007 Long Island Film Festival.
Blogger
In the late 2000s, Nesenoff began sending copies of his holiday sermons to U.S. Jewish troops stationed overseas. He received appreciative letters and came up with the idea of webcasting live services to the troops in AfghanistanAfghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
and Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
and others who could not attend a service in person. In 2008, he set up his website, RabbiLIVE.com for that purpose. After leaving hs position as rabbi, he began looking for a new mission for his website.
Helen Thomas controversy
On May 27, 2010, Nesenoff attended a reception at the White House in honor of Jewish American Heritage MonthJewish American Heritage Month
Jewish American Heritage Month is an annual recognition and celebration of Jewish American achievements in and contributions to the United States of America. It is observed annually in the U.S. during the month of May....
with his 17-year-old son and his son's 18-year-old friend. Nesenoff had a press pass representing his website, RabbiLIVE.com, and his son had a press pass representing his website, ShmoozePOINT.com. They attended a press conference where Hearst
Hearst
Hearst may refer to:People* Amanda Hearst* Garrison Hearst, NFL running back* George Hearst* George Randolph Hearst, Jr.* Hunter Hearst Helmsley, WWE professional wrestler* John Randolph Hearst* Lydia Hearst-Shaw* Michael Hearst* Millicent Hearst...
opinion columnist Helen Thomas asked President Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
a question about Afghanistan. Nesenoff then recorded a two minute long interview of Thomas as she was leaving the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
via the North Lawn
North Lawn (White House)
The North Lawn at the White House in Washington, DC, is bordered on the north by Pennsylvania Avenue with a wide view of the mansion, and is screened by dense plantings on the east from East Executive Drive and the Treasury Building, and on the west from West Executive Drive and the Old Executive...
driveway. Nesenoff posted a one minute long video excerpt of the interview on RabbiLIVE.com on June 4, 2010. During the interview, Thomas made brief remarks about Israel, the Jews and Palestine, that have been described with a variety of labels, including "off the cuff", blunt, and "anti-semitic". Nesenoff said that Thomas was "whisked away by a helper or a page" after making her remarks about "Poland". Another reporter at the scene said Thomas had been shuffling along the driveway on the arm of a third reporter, en route to a taxi that was being hailed to take her home, when the interview occurred.
After the video was posted, Nesenoff was in contact with Hearst Newspapers and discussed whether they should dismiss her. Thomas retired from her job on June 7, 2010 following negative reaction to her remarks heard on the one minute June 4 video. This video was published on numerous websites and had over one million hits on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
. On June 8, Nesenoff posted the complete two minute interview which contained no further controversial remarks, and which ended with Thomas telling Nesenoff's son and his son's friend: "All the best to you. Go for journalism, you'll never regret it."
Nesenoff has given dozens of interviews in which he has described his encounter with Thomas. Thomas was reportedly well known as a critic of Israel. Nesenoff told CNN he had not been not aware that Thomas had anti-Semitic views before he interviewed her, and approached her as a supporter. Nesenoff said "When I heard what she said, I was taken aback, confused. I was not expecting it," "I guess I was a little naive about her reporting over the years." In an interview with Haaretz
Haaretz
Haaretz is Israel's oldest daily newspaper. It was founded in 1918 and is now published in both Hebrew and English in Berliner format. The English edition is published and sold together with the International Herald Tribune. Both Hebrew and English editions can be read on the Internet...
, Nesenoff said he knew Thomas had been critical of Israel in the past, but was surprised at her answer to his simple question. Nesenoff said that Thomas must have known she was speaking to Jews because he, his son, and his son's friend were all wearing yarmulkes and tzitzit
Tzitzit
The Hebrew noun tzitzit is the name for specially knotted ritual fringes worn by observant Jews. Tzitzit are attached to the four corners of the tallit and tallit katan.-Etymology:The word may derive from the semitic root N-TZ-H...
and that was another reason why he was shocked by her comments.
Nesenoff has said that he interpreted Thomas' comments as meaning that Jews should get out of Israel and go home to Poland or Germany; countries that had killed, tortured, and expelled Jews. He further described Thomas' comments as "vile, a paradigm of hate talk" to Howard Kurtz
Howard Kurtz
Howard "Howie" Alan Kurtz is an American journalist and author with a special focus on the media. He is host of CNN's Reliable Sources program, and Washington bureau chief for The Daily Beast. He is the former media writer for The Washington Post. He has written five books about the media...
of The Washington Post. According to Haaretz, he described Thomas as saying "that not only was she opposed to the two-state solution, but that she thought that the Jews should leave Israel and return to the final solution, more or less." Referring to the fact that Thomas had a front row seat at presidential press conferences, Nesenoff told another reporter that: "There's anti-Semitism in the world... And it's sitting a foot from the president."
Nesenoff wrote an op-ed that was published in The Washington Post on June 20, 2010. He said that after attending a press conference in the White House, divine intervention led to his encounter with Helen Thomas. He characterized her answers to his questions as revealing "an ingrown organic hate". He said that "Thomas and a babbling stream in our world and country dictate to Jewish people to "go home to Poland and Germany, " and that her remarks were an attempt to erase his existence as a Jew. Remarking on the fact that he had said "oooh" when in the middle of his questioning of Thomas, Nesenoff said that on the way back from Washington D.C. he realized that he was "already traveling on a road in a post-ooh world." . He has said that he believes that Helen Thomas and her supporters "have broken into the very rock and the foundation of all religion and all philosophy" and that he wants to fight people who believe there is no connection between Israel and the Jewish identity.
Fallout
In the wake of Thomas' resignation, several colleagues remarked that she should have been given a break. Nesenoff responded: "The Washington press corps and the president and her boss at Hearst have found her fit. I don't go up to people and take their pulse before I ask question... I didn't fire her and I didn't hire her. I just asked her a question. And as she's been doing for 60 years, I let people know what she answered." Helen Thomas's recollection was different.Critics questioned why Nesenoff waited more than one week to post the interview and suggested that the timing was a political maneuver to divert media attention away from Israel's handling of the Gaza Freedom Flotilla
Gaza flotilla raid
The Gaza flotilla raid was a military operation by Israel against six ships of the "Gaza Freedom Flotilla" on 31 May 2010 in international waters of the Mediterranean Sea...
. Nesenoff replied that the delay happened because his 17-year-old son serves as his webmaster
Webmaster
A webmaster , also called a web architect, web developer, site author, or website administrator is a person responsible for maintaining one or many websites...
for the blog and was busy with final exams
Final examination
A final examination is a test given to students at the end of a course of study or training. Although the term can be used in the context of physical training, it most often occurs in the academic world...
for that week. In later interviews, Nesenoff explained that he was told by a friend who is a reporter at a Jewish publication that his video of Thomas was not a big story. According to Nesenoff, the friend said, "Oh, she's been that way for years, that’s nothing surprising".
In the wake of the Helen Thomas controversy, Nesenoff said that he received 25,000 of pieces of hate mail
Hate mail
Hate mail is a form of harassment, usually consisting of invective and potentially intimidating or threatening comments towards the recipient...
, including several death threats. He filed a report with the Suffolk County Police, and the department's hate crimes unit launched an investigation. He has said while he was shocked by the volume of the hate mail, he was even more shocked to discover there was a hate media that was accusing him of right-wing ambush journalism and looking for "dirt" in his past. Nesenoff has also remarked that he has received positive emails and invitations for speaking engagements. He will be going on a speaking tour which will include college campuses.
Political views
Nesenoff told one interviewer he had no particular political leanings, but that he was pro-Israel. He later said that he had opposed the Iraq War, had voted for Barack Obama, and had considered himself a liberal New York DemocratDemocratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
prior to his interview of Thomas and the ensuing fallout. He stated, "I have to really reevaluate liberal and conservative and really find out where I stand because I think I've been a little blind."
External links
- David Nesenoff speaks with Mark S. Golub of Shalom TV about the Helen Thomas video, June 14, 2010.
- Nesenoff participates in a Roundtable: Netanyahu/Abas: Obstacle to Peace, Jewish World News Weekly Roundtable, Shalom TV July 16, 2010.
- RabbiLIVE