With the sun shining, my family celebrated Passover, but with heavy hearts while the world is in turmoil. But that is life, taking the good things with the bad.
My heart is bursting with pride at the news that the New York Press Association selected Schneps Media as the No. 1 media company in all of New York State! I always knew that I had a special team, but it’s so wonderful to be affirmed by your peers! What an extraordinary achievement!
Our Dan’s Papers won the John J. Evans Award for Advertising Excellence and amNewYork Metro won first place in Best News or Feature Series and placed second overall for Best News Website. In total, our over 100 media outlets had 49 wins!
As a company, we are devoted to the communities we serve and when you read this, you will know that we’ve also acquired Anton Media Group’s weekly newspapers on Long Island.
Angela Anton, who owned the company, will stay on as publisher and her team will join our team — the strong with the strongest!
When people ask me how we do it (my son Josh is my partner), I explain that we have the best leadership team and we are zoned in on community news and people who make a difference in their communities every day.
Local news is powerful news and we’re proud to never have been accused of fake news!
I must give a special shout-out to Josh, who led the charge in the state Legislature to pass the first-in-the-nation legislation that gives tax credits to publishers when hiring journalists.
Governor Hochul called Josh to congratulate him on persevering and helping to make sure that the electeds understood what the needs of our newsrooms are and how critical is the survival of community newspapers. These tax credits coming in 2025 will certainly assist us in continuing to provide quality journalism for years to come. Thank you, Governor Hochul!
Then, back to family happenings, one of the special things about a Seder is that there’s a book called the Haggadah that we read and songs we sing that are unique to Passover.
We celebrate Passover to remind us of the survival of the Jewish people and their flight from slavery in Egypt. There is a prayer and song called “Dayenu” and, at Josh’s Brooklyn Heights Synagogue, they modernized the words of the traditional song. Here they are:
If only the world would speak out about our hostages still in Gaza.
DAYENU.
If only the world would speak out against antisemitism and hatred toward us.
DAYENU.
If only the world would speak out about entire communities being desecrated and families violated in their own homes.
DAYENU.
If only the world would speak out against Hamas for what happened on Oct 7.
DAYENU.
If only the world would believe Israeli women.
DAYENU.
If only the world would know what a ceasefire actually means.
DAYENU.
If only the world would know how unsafe Jewish students feel on their college campuses.
DAYENU.
If only the world would know that Hamas is worse than ISIS.
DAYENU.
If only the world would know that ripping down posters of hostages who are kidnapped would not do anything but only fuel the fire.
DAYENU.
If only the world would know that Jews lived in Israel long before 1948.
DAYENU.
If only the world would know that Israel is here to stay and we are not going anywhere.
DAYENU.
If only the world would know that our IDF soldiers died while sacrificing everything.
DAYENU.
If only the world would know that anti-zionism is antisemitism.
DAYENU.
If only the world would know that our resilience is stronger than our hate.
DAYENU.
The disturbing demonstrations at Columbia University — and across the country — of students who misunderstand Israel’s role in Gaza is still playing out based on ignorance and prejudice.
I believe the unrest at college campuses is based on years of “brainwashing” students on college and university campuses across the country due, in part, to the billions of dollars donated from Arab countries to these institutions.
When Palestinian leaders use the expression “from the river to the sea,” it has only one meaning: the elimination of Israel. It shocked me when I heard Palestinian protesters deny this fact.
They totally ignore that Israel has sent hundreds of millions of dollars in aid from the government and private donors to help the people of Gaza.
It’s the terrorist organization Hamas that has put children in front of their soldiers and above tunnels that hold weapons of destruction. May facts replace ignorance.
When Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, more than 2,400 U.S. soldiers were killed. In response, we declared war and millions of people perished. War is ugly and innocent people die.
One of the songs we sing during Passover is “Let my people go.” We must not forget the hostages who still remain in Gaza.
Let my people go!
At the same time, I am blessed and grateful for my family and community that has supported our media — which tells the facts — and supported us to be the success we are today.
Love to you, my dear readers. Until next time!
