Flimsy Allegations

On the flimsiest of allegations — so flimsy, in fact, that I read the article twice because I thought I had missed something the first time around — you set out to destroy the reputation of Michael Steinhardt (“Hillel Investigating Allegations Against Major Philanthropist,” Sept. 14).

Whatever legitimacy the “MeToo” movement may have had at its inception has now been undermined by your McCarthyesque journalism. Just as Sen. Joseph McCarthy blacklisted innocent people in the ’50s on the hint of a whiff of a scandal, so too have you done with Michael Steinhardt. Based on nothing more than an ongoing “investigation” that has drawn no conclusions, you jumped the gun and plastered his face on your front page. Have you no shame, no decency, no integrity?

If Michael Steinhardt is guilty of anything, it is of having an irreverent, refreshing and politically incorrect sense of humor in a sanctimonious and humorless age. I, for one, am thankful that in this era of puritan political correctness someone can still have the courage to tell a joke. In the sterile climate that you cultivate, he is a breath of fresh air.

I have known Michael Steinhardt for over a decade, and if there is a finer, kinder, more thoughtful and considerate person on this planet, please introduce me to them. To witness the humiliation you have caused him and his family sickens me.

A few months ago my daughter and I were honored by UJA, and at the time, we were very proud to support such an institution. But now that I see what the organization supports in the way of “journalism,” I must renounce that association. You can continue with your self-righteous “reporting,” but I will never allow your paper into my home again unless and until you issue a public apology to Michael Steinhardt.

Riverdale, Bronx

Editor’s Note: UJA-Federation of New York has no editorial ties to The Jewish Week, which as noted in our masthead each week, is “an independent community newspaper.”