Letter: Trump and Gov. Hochul

Dear editor:

I don’t understand why Bruce Ticker is concerned (or even surprised) by Pres. Trump’s having dismissed Douglas Emhoff from the Board of the US Holocaust Museum and the Committee to Combat Antisemitism (“Column: Trump & N.Y. Gov. Hochul in Race to the Bottom Over Holocaust and Yeshivas” boulderjewishnews.org May 16, 2025). Surely it is not unusual for a newly-elected President to dismiss the previous president’s appointees and install people of his own choosing in their place. Given that the policies of the Biden Administration were extremely different from those of the Trump Administration on many matters, Mr. Emhoff’s dismissal should have been expected.  Nearly two years have passed since the effort to fight antisemitism was announced. Can Mr. Ticker cite any progress made in decreasing antisemitism or against the vilification of Israel as it fights to prevent Hamas from making good on its vow to inflict multiple October 7 atrocities on Israelis and others who dare to work with Israelis or even simply visit Israel?

I do have some sympathy for Mr. Ticker’s criticism of Gov. Hochul. Her move to make it easier for Haredi (fervently Orthodox) schools to refuse to provide boys with even minimal secular education does seem to be driven by a desire to receive the votes of parents who follow their Rabbis’ instructions. But Yeshiva students, like all other students, should be taught how to think, not what to think. Devoting a small portion of their day to secular studies should not be a barrier to their primary goal of receiving a “Torah-true” education.

Toby F. Block
Atlanta, GA