Why Coumo will win the NYC Mayoral election? With Bruce Backman, Clappy and Moshe Frank

Hey guys, welcome to the seventh episode of Clappy and Frank. I'm looking forward to not counting. We'll just be like in the hundreds of episodes. We won't have to say this number episode. We'll just say it on the title. But today we have a fabulous guest. Um the only Orthodox Jew to ever work in Fox. He worked there for 13 years. Worked for Governor Pataki and he runs the most biggest successful Pesak hotel in the world. go that far. But >> not the biggest. >> No, it's a good program. >> It's not the biggest amount of guests. >> Not the No, definitely not. >> Are you from the top three? >> I won an award for being the highest rated in the one of the newspapers in New Jersey, but I wouldn't say I'm the biggest. >> You're the top three. >> 1,200 guests. >> No, there's there's bigger >> The big It's a big program. There's over a thousand guests, but no. >> I think the place I work for has more people. Could be. >> No, >> not >> I doubt it. He He can't hold as many as me. I don't think. No, I think he caps out at about 850,900. >> I was there. We had,00 people last year. >> So then he had more than I did last year. >> Okay. >> Last year I was at 962. >> Fabian mentioned him. >> Well, you should mention them if you work for them. I have no >> or you want to do >> I'll mention them. He works for FFH. Very nice people run. >> Amazing. Amazing. >> Lady, Lady Fagen, Alyssa Feldman. They're in the Catskills and people love going there. >> Top program >> and it's very well and it's very very well priced too. Bruce, how did you uh end up with a PA hotel? >> Oh god, I don't know. It's a long story. >> Tell us the story. >> Is there a story? I mean, I was doing a lot of volunteer work years ago for Kabad for the Jewish Learning Institute. I made friends with a caterer Isaac Greenwald in Lakewood and we started a program together years ago. Um, we since broke off, but um, you know, it started off very small. My first program was Vermont, had 220 guests. I don't think it made any money. Um, but people really liked it and uh, you know, all these years later it it grew to something different. Not in Vermont, it's in other parts of the country. >> Good business or no? You think it's a business that Jewish boys get into? >> I used to say it's the business you go into and you you're loy and everything else. [laughter] I don't think it's a business you I love it. I like the hospitality part. I like the hotel part. I like the tourism part. I like I like everything about it. It's It's a good compliment to who I am and what I like to do. what I tell people to go into it. It's a very risky business. I mean, if you're looking to make a lot of money, um, don't don't do this. I mean, it's very, >> you could make a lot of money. There's guys who make a lot of money and then you can also lose a lot of money. There's tremendous risk involved in this business. There's ups, there's downs, there's you're dependent on market conditions and weather and the price of airfare and and I mean there's there's just a million different variables. I mean, if you're looking to make money, you know, it's like the restaurant business. It's very lucrative. It's very sexy, but then at a certain point it's very risky. You know, lots of restaurants open and lots of restaurants close. To be a long-lasting restaurant, to be in business many years, like Lamar, which is a coaster steakhouse in the city, that's not easy. I mean, they're they're very it's very unique to last that long. In the Pesak business, I think you could last a little longer if you have a good product, but it's it's a very tough business. I love doing it, don't get me wrong. When I'm in the midst of it, I enjoy it very much, but I would never advise anybody to like >> stop what they're doing if they had something successful going on elsewhere. They say Bruce would volunteer to do it. Is that true? >> The joke I tell people is is that you don't book rooms through me because if you do, you won't pay. Um, so everything goes through my wife, Bar Hashem. Thank God. And she's takes make sure that people pay because if you deal with me, I mean, I'm a sucker for anything and everything. I mean, they used to my old secret my old assistant secretary many years ago used to have a rule that not allowed to call me and then if someone would get a hold of me and call me like she would actually call people and like reprimand them. She was like, "You can't call him. Why did you call him? Don't call him." And then because then the problem starts like, "Oh." And then they tell me about all their issues and their family and somebody's sick and they lost their job and they need to go away. >> And you know, I'm a sucker for a lot of that stuff. >> Yeah. My wife always says it's a pesak hotel. This isn't this isn't this isn't a Shabas food order with kalas over here. You can you don't have to go here. I [laughter] mean, there's other places to go. Like, you know, regular people who can't afford to go to Passover programs don't go to Passover programs. They stay home. Um, I view it a little differently. Um, I think there's a lot of people where going to way to passover program is vital. I always say there's all different kinds of people who go to our program. You have very wealthy families, multigenerational families. There's one invoice. There's a wealthy grandparent or somebody in the family paying the bill for 30, 40, 50 people or more. And then you have the other family, mom, dad, three kids, both work. Kids are home from yeshiva. It's the only time everybody's off from school. They save up all year. It's very hard for them to make pesak. Either they live in a small home, they don't have the space. Um, it's the only time they get away. Mom can't really manage making pesak, cleaning the house, and keeping her job. Same thing with dad. And they save for it. It's their one luxury that they put money behind every year to do. And all those people are in your programs. I see it now. I have guests who are, you know, they'll squash five people in one room. And then I have people who spread out and the way they pay is different. And, you know, they'll write one check, the other people are paying peace meal, you know, as they have money. Um, it's it's a varied mix. For some people, I wouldn't I have a friend who um who when they come to America, they live overseas. Uh, they fly business class. And I'm like, you fly business class? But you, your wife, the kids? He says, "It's a necessity. My wife is scared of flying and we have to come back to America to see family and, you know, in Canada, wherever. And we need to fly business class. My wife will not go on a plane if we're not in business class because she can't. It's it's too hard for her. She's scared. She's a nervous flyer to start with. She's doesn't like being claustrophobic in small spaces. She has the kids on the plane. So when they have excess money, it goes into a fund that pays to fly business class, you know. So somebody's luxury isn't always such a luxury. Like everybody has their I wouldn't call it like like desires and and like like tyus per se. Some people really you know you know some people really need to do these things. I know some people that if they had to make you know there I've spoken to men before husbands who tell me you know my wife cannot make pes like try to work with me on price try to find a way for us to come she cannot make pes she it's too stressful for her she doesn't want >> that's exactly what happened to me >> correct >> the year after co I thought I was going to go away it didn't work out and I was coming home from work at 8 n o'clock at night shleing up Caleb after putting all the kids to sleep my back was hurting >> the all my storage is like three basements below walking up four flights of steps no elevator and Like in the middle of taking my back hurting, bringing up the 15th box, I stopped and I swore I will never make pesak again at home. Never again. >> Yeah. And no matter what you make sure you find the money somehow, whatever you have to do to make sure you go away, right? [clears throat] There's people like this. I deal with those families. I mean, there's there's different price ranges and programs, don't get me wrong, but there are people who are old people, old couples. This is a classic. They cannot make bes. >> Why don't they go to their kids? >> What? Sometimes it's not an option. Sometimes the kids aren't from. I've had guests over the years where the children, they had one child. The child for whatever reason is not keeping anything. They don't know where to go. >> Bruce, I want to just put me and Clappy in a certain category. >> Uhhuh. >> That we've been and go to pace out programs >> and we find creative ways. Clappy runs that sells the aliyah. He's the debt collector for the ley. I did art fairs, art shows, counselors, head counselor. >> I'm the I'm the MC of the whole program. >> MC the whole program. So the interesting thing about the firm hotels that there's a lot of ways to get your foot in the door, right? Sure. Counselor, I got a call today. Do you need a do you need this? Do you need that? >> Sometimes I take, sometimes I don't. I mean, it has to work for me, you know. It has to work for me. like, you know, cuz once the door opens, I mean I mean, believe me, I get calls, you know, somebody and and if you get to me on the right day at the right time, you know, in the olden days before I had gatekeepers, I mean, there was stuff in the hotel and there were people there and a bookkeeper will come to me. He's like, "He hasn't paid yet?" I'm like, "No, it's a complex situation." He says, "He's not going to pay you. He's going to leave and he will not answer the phone." I said, "Yeah, but they have a situation and >> I don't want to advertise this where my phone's going to blow up all of a sudden. It's like the the PES program, but there are unique cases. You know, I learned that from Isaac Greenwald." Isaac was very much like that when we first started out. We got a call from High Lifeline years ago. There was a family and there was a boy who was at Mass General doing some very, very, you know, complex surgeries from Israel. They needed somewhere to go. And I remember I spoke to High Lifeline at the time. They called me and we said I said I'll give a break for this because it was a crazy circumstance. The child was having this like surgery. There's only one surgeon in the world who does it. The entire family came from they were they didn't have the ability to make pesak. The boy was going back and forth from the hospital on Yamiff and I happened to be in Cape Cod which is only about 90 minutes to an hour and 10 minutes from the from the hospital in Massachusetts Boston Children's is the premier children's hospital probably in the world. And um and the family called me and we I said I said I'm I'm open to it. I said but I'm you have to be I told you you have to be mist for in the mitzvah. You have to contribute to the mitzvah. I said I'm not in the position where I can comp a family of like mom dad and like nine children but I'm open to making it so it's more tolerable. And we did. And the and this was a family from Ben. They didn't really speak English. Um they spoke Hebrew and Yiddish. There was it was like an ultraorththodox family. and they were in here. You know, there's people who do amazing things and they brought this family to America. They brought this family from was it Kai Lifeline or ROE, I don't want to misspeak. I don't remember. I don't want to be specific on the organization, but it was an organization that helps families, they reached out to me. Um, and I remember Mr. Greenwald said in situations like this, you know, you you you have to try to make it work if you can. You know, if there's if there's a will, it was very close to PES. I had the rooms, so it wasn't like I was displacing anything. um and we work something out with them. >> Want to jump to the mayor elections? >> I'm gonna get to the elections in a minute, but one last question. I know in my private life, in my personal businesses, a lot of the times there's like three, four, five, sometimes even six different orders from different customers and I have to do certain customer service related things and I have to get packages out and something needs monogramming and engraving and one guy needs he's on vacation, needs me to ship it for a date and like when I have too many things going on, I get very stressed and like a lot of times my wife helps me out getting the orders done. A pesak program has literally a thousand moving parts. And I know you're going to say that you give out some of the things to this project manager, this gatekeeper, this director. In general, the most complex thing is having 500 or 800 Jews for 10 days under one roof. >> 500 Jews >> with a million to >> How do you handle stress? >> How do I handle stress? >> This type of stress. >> I'm very good on game day. So leading up to game day, I'm a nervous wreck. But on game day when I'm in the game, I'm very cool because all the work is done before really good op. Now getting to operations really good operators and there are many of them. I'm not the only person who's a good operator. My program is PES in the southeast. This year we're in Houston at Margaritavville. I should give it a plug once I'm here. We move. We move. No more Atlanta. Barashem. I have I have an amazing hotel with amazing space, incredible facilities. I'm going to plug it if I'm here. We have a water park. We have splash pads. We have golf course. I'm on a lake. I have boating. Every room is a suite. So, no matter what you book, you get two rooms for the price of one. You have a living room and a bedroom. Um, you have views. The weather's nice. It's easy to get to. It's a short drive from the airport. It's on grounds. It's an amazing property. I know anybody who comes, it's a huge upgrade for my guests. And >> that people come for you and >> a lot come for me. I mean, come for me, come for us. It's not me. There's like a whole team of people. It's not just me. But as far as the secret to running a good pay program, it's very good planning, very good people, and I'm I I mean, I'm taking credit for something. I'm I am a very good delegator. I know how to delegate. I know how to give people jobs. I will give anybody who works for me a lot of rope to hang themselves. And then if they hang themselves, they won't work for me anymore. But most people who work around me and work with me, I'm really handsoff. like I don't I want them to own their jobs. So if you're doing like the a lot of the staff I have been with me for you know over 10 years you know if you work for me or you work with me I don't like the word for we work together it's a team but if if you work with me you're responsible for like I was just having a call today with Jason Greenfest who runs the back of house in the program he's the most important key in running the program as far as all of the food and the way the things get set up and broken down. I mean, he's taking care of all that stuff. He's in charge. He has a huge staff under him. And he was talking about how to serve this and what time we should serve that. And I said to him many times on the call, I said, "Do what you want." So, what do you mean? I said, "Do what you want." He said, "But you're the boss." I said, "I am the boss, but I'm listening to you. I hire you. You I trust you. If you tell me it should be done a certain way, let's try your way. I don't have a specific way. I have a vision of how it should be and I'll poke that in there, but I'm not going to tell you how to do your job. >> [laughter] >> I mean, if I wanted to tell you to do job, then I would do your job. I not [clears throat] you didn't hire you to do your job. You know, I work in big companies over the years, and I see that people who run companies well, don't micromanage. Micromanaging is stupid because what ends up happening is that the person who who micromanages takes on too much responsibility. So, while he may be really good at every different part of the program, he physically can't do it. So, if he's not ready to [ __ ] in some of it, I mean, it's only going to lead to problems. I always say that if you want to run a good program, I have to wake up in the morning on pace with nothing to do. Like I remember someone told me you have nothing to do. I have nothing to do today. It's the first day of the program. I have nothing to do. My job is to put out fires. This doesn't work. This doesn't work. You need help here. You need help there. Tell me what you want and I'll do it. I'm very hands-on. But I can't be busy with something because the second I have a responsibility that has to get done in a program of,200 plus people then when a problem arises whatever I was responsible to do is not going to get done. So then I have a new problem. So theoretically every different responsibility in the program has to have someone who's responsible for it. And then my job is to interject, intercede, to fix, to help, to emlurate. And that's pretty much how I try to make the chain of command throughout the program is that everybody who works for me then has underlings under them. So it's expensive to do things this way, >> but it has to be done this way if you want it to be done properly. >> Is it funny for you to work all year round all year round at a media company as a whatever mid-level executive and one day you're the boss. Is that like a weird change for you? >> No, you can be you I tell you can have diverse interests. A person could like writing and like sports and be an artist and and and be good at math. I mean, there's no rule. People are complex. They're made. Look at you. You know, you work in you work >> Wait a second. >> No, but I'm [laughter] saying like look no look at >> He works in a retail store. >> He works in retail. [clears throat] >> He sells unique Judeica pieces and cool artifacts which are you have to kind of be an expert in those things to sell them. You can't just say, "Oh, this is really cool. Buy it." You have to kind of know what you're selling. >> Podcaster. and then you're a podcaster and you're giving commentary. But I'm saying that's a pretty diverse range of of of skill sets. I mean, we always limit one of the problems in the 40-hour work week culture is that you take a person and you limit him to one thing. And most people are much more talented than one thing. They can do lots of things. You could you could be a good athlete and you could be an attorney and you can be you can be painting on your on your free time and you and you're an artist or you're this or you're that. is people have ranges of talents and skill sets and sometimes I find like in the traditional work mode we we limit people and limiting them leads a lot puts them in a box also leads to depression and a lot of other stuff goes along with it. >> Let's get right into the into the election. >> We're seven days away. >> I told you a month ago >> we're seven days away from the scariest election as somebody that's 39 years old living in New York City. >> Mhm. where from again the hopefully the polls are all wrong in the way I'm looking at the numbers it looks like Zoran Mani is a thousand% going to win he's going to be the next mayor of New York City I personally look at him as a radical radical socialist communist that has terrible terrible policies towards Erit Israel towards Israel talking about arresting Netanyahu if he lands in New York and many many other crazy radical things about him and I I don't see a path to victory for anybody else especially because Curtis Leewa um is not dropping out. I don't even think he could drop out anymore because >> I mean he could he could campaign. >> Everything's in reality. I take the race differently. >> I think Cuomo's really close. I don't think he's as far behind as everybody says. I think if the vote turnout's really strong, it's going to be really close. I think Siwa, if he starts getting to single digits, may really start to finally rethink getting out of the race. Um, the Suffach University poll that just came out today has him at 11%. Had Cuomo down by 10. There's a margin of error of plus4 minus 4. I mean, one could comfortably argue right now. And you have to understand that polls are a snapshot in time. They're always behind. Polls are not ahead. They're not predictors. They're telling you where people were yesterday and two days ago. My personal opinion is it's a very, very close race. It's not a walk in the park for Mani. I think his people know it. I told you a month ago that there's a scenario by which I see this race getting closer. I have a friend who I talk to regularly about politics. I told him a month ago exactly what was going to happen. I said two weeks out there's going to start to be movement towards Cuomo. The question is, is there going to be enough movement toward Cuomo? If leaves the race, obviously it helps. If he stops campaigning, it helps. If he says he realizes he's not going to win and he allows people to support him to go for Cuomo, it's going to help. But that aside, the movement is to Cuomo. The momentum is to Cuomo now. Now the question is is between in one week is there enough time to catch up? The city of Mandani has never and I worked in politics for many years and I've read polls and I've worked for I had the privilege of working for Arthur Finkelstein who I still consider to be the greatest political consultant of the last century when I was younger. Polls are a snapshot in time. They don't tell you the whole picture, but they show trends and there's movement. Just like I told people when I was reading the polls before the primary that Mumani was going to win when you know the poly market idiots were like no he's not. It's that Cuomo's going to win. I said all the trend lines are going Mani's way. Now I see the trend lines going Cuomo's way. Cuomo's closing. It's going his way now. Now the question is is there enough time? The movement is towards Cuomo. Mani had a big bungalow last week on Friday with this whole thing with his aunt, his cousin, that whole crap. >> The 911 story. >> Yeah. But it was it was a lie. I mean, he didn't have to do that on beyond the fact that he kind of made his aunt the greatest casualty of 9/11, which he was not, or this mythical person that probably doesn't exist. Okay? Beyond that, he did that cuz he's cuz you know what? Cuz he's a fraud. He's always been a fraud. He's never done anything. He's not qualified. He's a Marxist. He's a loser. Okay? He's a loser who got lucky. You ever look at a guy who became very wealthy and he made a lot of money and you talk to him and he's an idiot? Sometimes it's just luck. I mean, the guy got lucky. The luck's starting to run out. That was a mistake. He shouldn't have done that stupid story. He made it up. Pissed people off. It pissed off people who lived through 9/11. It pissed off people who who were who genuinely are concerned about Islamophobia with this madeup story about a hijab on the on the subway. I mean, is there anybody who wears a hijab who's scared to go on the subway in New York? I mean, what is he even talking about? His aunt told him he was nine. I mean, what is he making up this crap? No, he's he's a he's a liar. He's always been a liar. He's a fraud. He's been saying crazy stuff about Jews, crazy stuff about Israel, crazy stuff about New York, crazy stuff about business owners, crazy ideas like decriminalizing prostitution. They didn't mean it decriminaliz. Okay? It's pure crap. He's a big pile of I don't want to say what. And that's what he says and that's what he does. And a certain point it catches up with you. You can't run around forever, okay? and and run a campaign on nothing, promising stupid things which aren't reasonable, which you can't do, and eventually don't expect it to catch up with you. Everybody's like, "Oh, you ran such a good campaign." Until he doesn't. Home, you know, home run hitters strike out. You know, guys who pitch perfect games give up 10 runs next day. I mean, he may it may be catching up with him the whole show. I mean, he's he's run a really good campaign. He's gotten really lucky and Cuomo's ran a really bad campaign. But then all of a sudden in any sport when you watch this somehow the team who wasn't really doing very well wins and the guy who was ahead loses and everybody's like what happened? Well, what happened is now is that there's only seven days. That's the only concern I have. If this election had another two weeks, I think Cuomo for sure would catch him. Question is, is there enough time between now and election day? And I the movement's Cuomo's way. If he's down 11, if he's down 10 today, in three days he could be down seven, eight. By the weekend, he could be down by five. And when he's down by four, five, or six, he's within the margin of error. And when he's when he's within the margin of error, it's all a game. On top of that, the polls are basing on how many expected voters they're having. You know, we've the the big elections in New York had two million voters, right? But in a presidential election, New York, we have 2.7 2.8, sometimes close to three. Three million voters show up on election day. Zora Mandani is not winning this thing. Okay, we I know for a fact that he doesn't have that many supporters in New York. Siwa or no Siwa, if every Jewish kid in Flatbush and Burough Park and Williamsburg is going to vote. If all the people who were normally sitting on their hands and saying it's a foregone conclusion, get up and vote. My father-in-law, you know, they're older people, you know, they're older than, you know, it's not easy. They're going to the polls. They will make themselves to the polls. It's that important. Then you have to wonder how motivated his people are. Do they think it's a foregone conclusion? I mean, these aren't the most reliable human beings in New York, his his voters. I mean, I What's this ad I saw? Rabbis for him. They're not rabbis, these people. [laughter] One of them is a transgender ex Satmer. Another one is an anti-Israel activist. Like, if you're going to get rabbis, get rabbis. Like, don't get these women up there. I mean, nobody thinks they're rabbis. Who wants these people? Like, cuz somebody in my office sent me a he says, "Who are these people?" I wrote back. They are not rabbis. [laughter] Okay. They say four Jewish allegedly maybe Jewish women for for him who live in the village. Fine. Rabbis. I know what a rabbi is. Most people in New York know what a rabbi is. Those are not rabbis. I don't care what they say they are. They're rabbis and I'm uh I'm I don't know what I am. I'm the president of the universe. I mean, ridiculous. And he's and he has the these people are so out of out of touch that they take those people and they put them on TV thinking that people think they're rabbis. So who are those people for? Cuz nobody I know what a rabbi is thinks those people are rabbis. And I don't care what those women are upset when I say this because it's the truth. I mean the the rabbis based on what? Wearing jeans and t like if you're going to be a rabbi dress up like a rabbi. Wear something respectable. Not the t-shirt standing in Wall Street. like make it look like you take it seriously, but it's a joke. I mean, the whole thing's a joke. His rashana greeting was a joke. It's not real. It's not genuine. Where he said that the when the uh when the police department gets tough on you, it's like the IDF when when he protests outside of Schumer's office for being Pluto Israel. I mean, the litany of stuff this guy has done towards Jews in the city of New York is off the charts. So, you come back to the point, is he going to win? It looks that way. But I'm telling anybody who's listening, which is the reason I wanted to do this, vote. Go out, vote. This is not a foregone conclusion. There's more of us than there is of them. And I know it and everybody knows it. He's never broken 45% in the polls, 46. He's always hovering in the mid-40s. I think those numbers are inflated. He only got 500 600,000 votes in the primary, whatever it was. We're going into a general if he there's 3 million voters show up on this election day, which isn't impossible. I'm in my heart of hearts and for the sleewa voters I understand Cuomo I don't like Andrew Cuomo I fought Andrew Cuomo when he was doing the co mandate stuff but you know there are those moments where there's you know there's a difference between your political opponents and your enemies and you have to make that you have to be realistic about this if Elliott Cosgrove the conservative rabbi and Emil Hirs the reformed rabbi at Steven Freewise Steven the Steven Wise free synagogue which is a reformed synagogue or temple whatever it is on the upper west And then you have LA Crosg at the Park Avenue Synagogue, which is the most prominent conservative synagogue in the United States. >> Hey guys, here I am with our sponsor today, Adventure Park area 53. Really cool arcades here before it opened. So this really cool climbing things. Wow, super cool with these really tall slides. What is that? Almost two, three flights tall. And then, oh, we have this really cool four slide jumping. Really nice. Right here in Brooklyn. probably the biggest of its kind. It's huge. Ceilings are super tall and it's a lot of fun. Local here in Brooklyn in Williams will Area 53 Adventures Park and then they have other locations as well in Dumbo. They're opening a new one in Dumbo. Also, Ferox and Greenpoint also in Brooklyn. Yeah. All in Brooklyn. Like these are like out of New York size entertainment centers in the middle of New York City. Great for birthday parties, corporate events, and I will drop a 15% code off if you mention um the Clappy Frank show. Really cool. Anyway, come check it out. A full roller skating rink option situation. I was wondering that there was. This is a self-guided tour. Also, they do have kosher food. Um, looks like a little OG fish. They do have some kosher food items as well. Um, check them out. Great people. What about that btal rabbi lady? >> Who's she voting for? >> I don't know who she's everybody's trying to play it. They want to They want to play it. So if they win, if he wins, maybe we can get into him. >> Hold on. An emergency question. This is not an interruption. This is an emergency question. >> Sorry, it'll go on. >> Are the Sappers voting for Zoran Ramani? Are they playing the game? They're invite. They're inviting him into the suka, pretending they like him. >> It's a game. Listen, unfortunately, communities like Satmer, I I'm not defending Mosha Indig what he did. I think that he needed to stand firm against it because if Elliot Cosgrove at the conservative synagogue on the Park Avenue can stand, he could also I think he knows better. You know, there's a story with the Satarba. There was a person who came for endorsements years ago. Two candidates went to Satarba and the Gaboam were with the Satarba and they asked us and the one of them was very not a fan of Israel and the other one was and they asked for the endorsement of the Sabarba and Satar is you know for the at the very least anti-Zionist. You know I wouldn't say they're anti-Israel but they're not into Zionism as a culture. I don't know where they all hold today. I know they're not with Palestinians you know Palestinian activists in their hearts. I mean the Turk Carta side which is just people who need to go to the hospital. Um no they do they're not well. It's it's I feel very bad for them. I look at them and like Nabbak Nabbak the sick people. But um but you know they have a religious thing. Rabiel had some concerns. I'm not you know Rabiel was also saved by the Zionists. He wouldn't be alive today. Wouldn't have gotten on the train. He wouldn't have gotten on the train if he didn't cut a deal with the you know you know they made this you know he wouldn't have made it on the train. You know there was a whole thing. >> I guess you don't have any Satmer hotel clients. It doesn't sound like >> not against Sappmer. I like Satmer very much. I'm just saying you know that it's it's it's more complex than that. It's not so simple, you know. It's it's not that simple. But I understand you're invested in New York. Your infrastructure is in New York. Your school's in New York. Your chief is in New York. Your business New York. You live in New York. You've been here for many years. You're not planning on going anywhere. Israel is not on the target places if you're escaping from anti-semitism. You're very invested in New York City, in your communities. So, you have to make deals sometimes with the devil. I mean, you know, but let's be realistic. Zor Mandani is the devil. He's the devil. I don't care if he smiles and he's charming and he laughs with a little weird sticktick he puts on, but he's the devil. He is the devil. >> For the Jewish community in New York to a city which is the most important Jewish community in the world, including in Israel. Okay. There's more Jews in Israel than there is in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv combined. >> There's more people in New York. >> Jewish people in New York. >> There's more Jews in New York than there are in Jerusalem. >> Yes. >> I don't know the numbers. There is. >> How many Jews are in New York? >> Tri-State. is probably 2 million and then New York City itself probably a million. >> I mean we're taking into account everybody the full breadth of all different religious affiliations. >> A Jew is a Jew. >> It's probably a million Jews. The old number I used to go by is is that 50% of New York is let's say Caucasian and one in every and about what's the number 12 or 13% of New York City is Jewish. >> If 50% of New York is Jewish that means that roughly one in every three white people in New York City is Jewish or in some capacity. >> Wow. Yes, this is a very Jewish city and the fact that New York City would elect somebody who was so antagonistic towards Jewish causes. You know, I don't like the separation between Israel and Judaism and Zionism. This this new crap distinction. Everybody knows full well when you're attacking Zionism, you're attacking Jews. Uh there nobody makes a distinction. Tucker Carlson and all his ilk, they they they they move the words between Zionism and Jews very liberally. So when people start to get into this distinction stuff, I know it's a lie, okay? It's not real, but you know, Saturn has is very invested here. So now they're like, "Okay, this guy's up. He's going to win. We need things. We need special ed services for our kids, our schools, transportation. We need stuff. We're not going anywhere. At least not now. So we have to we're going to have to hold our nose and we'll have to try to have relations with him." >> How did we get here? based on everything you just said that a crazy high high number of people in New York City >> we got here we got here for a lot of reasons I mean the Democratic part is moving left you know a war you know a war in Israel over the last little while hasn't helped you know pictures aren't really good whether they're true they're not true you know I'm I'm on the I'm of the opinion that a lot of what's said in the left is a pure lie I mean you know listen war is hell Harry Truman used to say people die in war it's it's not fun Um, I don't want Palestinians to die. I don't want children in Gaza to die. I don't want October 7th. I don't want any of it. But unfortunately, you know, when there's a war, people are going to die. I mean, there's really no other way to fight a war against an enemy that that's going for your destruction. People who are telling Israel not to do this, they don't really have anything better to offer. They're like, "Don't do this. Do what?" They came in, you know, you watch those videos. You see, I've seen some of the pictures. I had the privilege of seeing some of it. It's you can't sleep at night after looking at the stuff that was done on. No, but there's like stuff that was never even released that I had access to and you know it's bad. >> So you tell people what do you Oh no, we'll just do nothing. I mean it's a war. You know there it's it's it's a war. It's a real war. There are casualties in war. I'm sure innocent quote unquote people are killed in war on both sides. A lot of innocent Israelis get killed when there's a war. Innocent Palestinians, if however many there are, get killed. But I mean, you know, you know, the Israelis are also fighting against people who don't really value human life. So it's as a as a movement. So it's a little bit more of a complex war to fight. I mean, they they're happy to get the casualties up because they think it's going to help them long term from a political perspective. [snorts] But going back to Sappmer, which I don't want to digress from, they have to make a deal. They have to be they have to protect themselves. But I would argue that but that holding your head firm and standing tall and saying I don't accept this is as or more effective down the road. I think it's important for Jewish people to say there are lines and there are people we will not meet we will not talk to under these circumstances because you know there's a righteousness to our cause to and to bring a person into a suk. So the satarba story is you go back to the satireba this is I don't know all the details the specifics but this the story goes the two candidates were asking for support one was anti-Israel one was pro-Israel the satireba and ended up endorsing the pro-Israel candidate and the gaboyam allegedly asked a sabarba and they said this candidates he all he did was talk about Israel I mean we're not zionistic over here I'm I'm paraphrasing and the sabarba said when when a when uh when a non-Jewish person is against when against Israel, it's not because he's mass and it's a very important line to make clear when a non-Jewish person in New York makes Israel a centerpiece of his campaign. Listen, there are Jewish there are politicians who pander to the Jews and talk about Israel all the time. Also, I'm not saying that should or shouldn't happen, but that's a way of telling the Jewish community whether it's right or wrong that we support you. We're with you. We understand you. It's it's a and the inverse is also true when you make that a cornerstone issue. It's a way of saying we don't really like Israel and we probably don't really like you. Um Muzar Mandani can surround himself with leftists Jews like the ones he does, but they're not representative of anything or anybody. maybe in their own little pockets of like, you know, the four ladies, these four rabbi ladies on the street, maybe they got some friends, but the vast majority of Jews I know in New York City are not interested. >> Bruce, what's your opinion about as a political established media guy for so many years? What's your opinion about poly markets? Are they more real or less real than traditional polling? >> I mean, they said they said Cuomo was going to win and then when Cuomo won, they said Madani is going to win. I mean, it's a lot of people have nothing to do with their money. I mean they're they're busy betting on every they're busy sport of sports now they bet on this. >> I don't view the poly market as that indicative of anything >> anything. It's a zero value. >> It's people's opinions. I mean I I I'm one of those guys that looks at trend lines and polls. I think that there's some science behind it. I think the poly market is I mean it's an indicator. It's it's you can write about it but I mean I definitely know that the trend lines are moving in Cuomo's direction. There's no Cuomo's picked up, you know, six to seven% in the last couple weeks. I mean, it's going his way and trends is what you want to follow. I would imagine if a polls run again in three days, it's going to continue to move his way. The question is, is there enough time to close the gap? >> What actual powers does a mayor have? So, let's say mom Donnie wins. What does it mean? He could start blowing up synagogues. Like, what do >> I always ask the question about the Israel Day parade? For many years, Israel Day parade is one of the centerpiece Jewish events in New York City. Jewish kids from all of the tri-state area, especially schools in New York, but even outside in New Jersey and Long Island and Connecticut, they all come in for the day to go to this parade. They march up Fifth Avenue, their parents come, and then there's a big concert, I think, after in Central Park. Um, and everybody participates, Labavatures, while they don't march in the parade, they go to the parade and they put fillin on with people. There's all different Everybody's involved. It's a very special Jewish event. Brings people together. It's one where you have orthodox and reform and conservative and they all come together for the day and it doesn't matter their religious, you know, practice. They get together on this thing. >> For years, you know, there's never really been any riots or protests on that day. And I know that if you don't like Israel and you're not fan of Jews, it's not a day you're so interested when they close down Fifth Avenue. Will Mandani march in that parade? Probably not. Would a mayor mandi guarantee the same police protections that the Jewish kids have whose parents are sending their children to Manhattan to march on a street on a Sunday? Are they going to have the same protections that they would have had otherwise? He's an opponent of the state of Israel. He's for protest. He was not in favor of shutting down the protests of Colombia which were a danger to Jewish students there and other schools. So, how are protests on that day, which you know, the four rabbi ladies, what whatever these or people, let's call them people. The four people, because I think they're trans, some of them are not, they're non-binary or whatever they want to call themselves. The four people are going to have protests also, and there may be some Palestinian protests and leftist protests and DSA protests and all these other crazy protests. I mean, will there be adequate police protection for the Jewish kids from our high schools and elementary schools in that parade? Will it be safe to march in that parade? Now, when Mayor Adams was mayor, when Mayor Giuliani was mayor, even when Mayor Delasio was mayor, you had a guarantee that your children were safe that day. On that day, were your will your children still be safe? I don't know. I know that he did not favor closing down the protests at Colombia that were dangerous to Jewish students there. So, you have it begs the question, are are we going to be safe? Are we going to have the same police protection for our events and our communities in New York? Will Palestinian protesters be given special protections? Listen, synagogues were given, you know, will we get the same rights that we got before? >> So that's that's that's the it's it's a matter of agenda. >> How Muslim is Manny? I mean, in practice, >> I to my knowledge, he's he's more of a I always told you this before, he's more of a Marxist than a Muslim to me. >> Marxism is much scarier to me than Islam. I have no problem with people who are Muslim or Islamic, but Marxists I have a problem with because Marxists are are Marxists are a danger to the American way of life. >> I mean, they they are. I mean, I'm not looking for McCarthy trials over here, but Marxism is incompatible with American life. >> Being in traditional media, mainstream media for so long, being the only Orthodox, >> not the only, there's others. The only >> There could be others, too. I just cuz I have a beard. >> Beard. Yeah. Only bearded. You know, you know the story with that with the previous labba with the woman Caroline Bloomberg in Montreal. >> No, >> the pre she was a big donor to the yeshiva and she went to uh the previous rebba for a blessing. This was in the 40s. My grandparents were very involved in the yeshiva in Montreal and she was a very wealthy philanthropist in a time and she was giving and the previous rebba says um to her gives throws blessings on her for her in those years to give money to labavich in the 40s was you know wasn't that common and uh the previous reba was blessing her and at a certain point she said stop reba stop rebuff with the blessings I'm not from I'm not religious and the reba and the previous rebba says who knows who's from so when you say who's hidic who's from The label's not fair. I don't know what people are or aren't. I don't like to with a beard looks the way I do perhaps, but there's lots of Orthodox people who may be hidic in different components of media. And I don't want to just leave. >> I have two questions. How does traditional mainstream media >> look at hidic Jews? And how do they see you as someone in a corporate? >> I don't know how they see me. >> They don't know how they see you. I mean, I'm the way I mean, I get a lot of Jewish questions if that's a question. [cough] >> I [clears throat] always get Jewish questions. I'm the natural recipient of Jewish questions. >> Um, you know, the good there's good Jewish questions and there's silly Jewish questions. But, I mean, there are no bad ones as long as they're asked with, you know, positive intent. What's a Jewish question I get? That's a f my favorite questions I ever get is like how to announce Jewish things on on television. like the pronunciation >> or even holidays. One of my contributions is whenever it's Hanukkah, how do you say what day of Hanukkah it is? So, it's very important. The Bavatva was very thought it was important we make sure we're correct in the number of days it is. So, you say if you say it's the eighth day, the fifth day of Hanukkah, does that mean tonight's the fifth day of Hanukkah or today was the fifth day of Hanukkah? So, my contribution is that when you do that, tonight is the fifth night of Hanukkah. So if you're watching in the day, you know that today is four >> by subtraction and tonight when you light candles, it's five. So nobody should light the wrong number of candles who's watching TV and trying to get information. That was something I I was always saying like that's you know I was very proud of that. >> Hold up. We Here's a very very important topic. >> Yeah. >> A lot of people >> how's all your questions very important? They all >> a lot of people are going to be watching this uh after Yeah. [laughter] >> Okay. A lot of people are going to be watching this interview like long after the election's already over, even though we're going to release it before the election. >> I'm wrong. I'm wrong. >> No, no, no, no. Not wrong, not right. >> I report News Daily for a children's um call-in show called The Loop. >> It's called The Loop. >> The Loop, >> and they send me some of the questions, about a thousand questions came in in the last six weeks. But one of the questions that came in is like this little kid saying, I don't know if it was a girl where you're like, "Hi, my name is Princeo, whatever from Jackson." >> She's like, "What's going to happen if we wake up and going to win?" like what's going to happen the next day? Like these kids that are frightened. So let's say >> they're frightened. >> No, but I'm saying No, but what I'm saying is worst worst case scenario. Worst case scenario, >> it's not going to be good, but it's not going to be as you know, the morning comes and then the Jewish community in New York is going to have to figure out how to fight back and and to protect themselves. I mean, we're not giving up and putting our hands in there and running away. >> We shouldn't run to Miami. >> I mean, some people will. Some people run to Miami. They'll run to Long Island. They'll run to New Jersey. They'll run to Connecticut. some. It's not just the people who are here, it's the people who are planning to buy here. I mean, if if you if you're not vested that you have to live here now, you're definitely going to think twice about that purchase. >> Let's play. >> But if you're here, you know, look at the French Jews. I'm always told the French are running out of France. I had the privilege. I was in France not long ago and I was in Paris and it's pretty vibrant the Jewish community there. Everybody's running out. No, some people are. It's it's a gradual progression of people leaving. It's not I mean it's like Flatbush. Flatbush today in the Midwood area. It's not the place where young families are buying homes anymore. >> Syrians are >> the the truck driver guy we had on three weeks ago. He had a whole thing about people in Flapish now are not staying. They're running away to New Jersey. >> They were running away for a long time. There's multiple reasons for it. It's not just because of Mandani or the thought prospect. It's the cost of living in New York is high. The taxes are high and the school that people are not buying here. I mean, the Syrian community, the Sparta community is staying put. So, they're picking up all the slack. But if the Syrians decided to move full steam to deal, I mean, there'd be it would be like, look at the lower side today. I mean, how many people I was just talking, it's over. >> How many people are left? You know, when I was a kid and we went to the Lower Side and visited it in the 80s, it was all Jewish >> and then it was already on the way down >> and now you're 40 years later, what's left? So, maybe some of the buildings on the water, but I mean, nobody young is buying there. I mean this is this is the progress of East New York was once a bastion of Jewish life and Hill Street in Boston and and you know and in Montreal St. Lawrence on the main morai ritel the famous author you know wrote books upon books about Jewish life there there's no there's no Jewish people there I mean gradually today the future of Jewish life in in tri-state is I mean places likewood in my five towns which is Lakewood's good because Lakewood has room to expand you just keep on the neighborhood keeps growing there's a lot of land five towns is limited but you know the five towns today is for the most part all Jewish >> recently at a mainstream media uh commercial conference about ads I met this liberal little Jewish guy. >> Mhm. >> And he told me he should know in the conservative right-wing WhatsApp groups are very anti-semitic more than extreme left. >> It's a big problem right today. >> It's a big problem. It exists. >> I mean, it's it's always been there. You know, Hav Retur is a very good, very brilliant Israeli writer if you're familiar with him. And he always says that anti-semitism is always just below the surface. It's kind of like a pimple. And then all of a sudden under a little pressure, a little here, all of a sudden it starts coming up. And >> on the extreme left or the extreme right? >> Yeah. It's the difference between the extreme left and the extreme right is there's really no difference. You know, the political world is a circle. It's it's a it goes in a circle. So they they meet sometimes at different places. Um yeah, but you have a lot of listen anti-semitism was always on the right in the 50s. It was there. And then you know because of the rise of the evangelical Christian community which was very supportive of Israel and therefore in turn the Jewish community you know in the in the '9s and on and in ' 80s 90s and today the evangelical Jewish community Christian community has not abandoned the Jewish community and Israel in particular. >> Bruce what's frightening me and I always try not to use names Dr. >> Carlson was never Carlson and Candace Owens. What in the world happened? These are people that 5 years ago I respected and thought they're good good friends. >> I think Tucker Carlson is makes for really good TV. But I think that Fox let him go and now I know why. As far as Candace Owens goes. >> I mean her career was made by by Jewish people. >> I mean it was made by Shapiro and Dennis Prager. I mean they took her and they made her and you know made her she made herself to a certain degree but I'm saying she came up with their assistance. >> Um what happened? I heard she married some guy who doesn't like Jews. this guy farmer who's who's whose father thinks that she's not >> he's not the one he's not the one saying all the hatred >> yeah but he's not on TV where's it coming from she didn't I don't think she had those views before they got married there was an article recently by somebody where they started detailing some of his views and his religious affiliations and how it's intersper it's gotten into her >> is she is she >> she doesn't really I don't know if she really believes what she's saying but I know >> she at a point of no review no return she's at a point maybe she regrets it >> she's not living in this world she said she says she said recently the Charlie I think she said recently that Charlie Kirk's wife was in was in on the conspiracy to kill Charlie Kirk. I mean, you know, she's she's she's in a place where a lot of people end up, you know, get get put in and they don't leave without medicine and like rubber rooms. She's not well. >> No, she's she when you see a person say that kind of stuff, there's there's a genuine chemical mental imbalance. You know, when a person says that the deceased because she was left out of the you this funeral, which she's angry about because she's nuts, okay, that she she implies and infers or says outright that the widow of Charlie Kirk was involved in was was a co-conspirator in the conspiracy because she had a dream. She had a dream. She dreams. God comes to her in dreams, okay? And tells her these things. I mean, you know, this is not well people. There there are there's a lot of talented and brilliant psychiatrists. There's medicines today. There's places you can go, breathing exercises. Maybe she needs to take a walk. She's not well. She's really not well. I look at her and I actually feel bad for her. >> And Tucker, >> Tucker is much smarter than her. Tucker knows what he's doing. He's getting money from the Qataris. There's business to be made. There's money to be had. um lack of a better word, you know, he's a I don't want to use strong word. I mean, he's getting paid to say what he's saying and he went wrong. >> He went to Russia. No, wait a second. Wait a second. He went to Russia two years ago. He did that three three-hour interview with Putin. >> But I don't like to call people, you know. >> Wait, wait. He had a three-hour interview with Putin where he let Putin give speeches and ramble. >> Goes to Putin to give speeches. I mean, Putin is a murderer. Putin is a very bad person. Even Donald Trump today realizes that dealing with Putin is is it's not easy. And it's not like Trump doesn't want to end that war. He does. Putin's not a straight shooter. He's a lion. Tucker goes there and and he doesn't even ask Putin hard questions. Putin's like, "Where's the questions?" Like, "Where's the tough questions? Maybe you want to come work for me. I mean, you're such a loyal fan." Tucker Carlson left Fox. He's making a lot of money. He's into this, they call it woke, right? I call it this like very nationalistic At the underbelly of a lot of movements is anti-semitism. It's easy. It's easy to blame Jews for everything. Why? Because Jews exceed their size in terms of their success. They're over represented in the worlds of media, finance, the arts, medicine, sciences, also income, you know, in politics. So, you're like, it's a small little group and they're 30 or something percent of all the world's billionaires. they get the largest percentage of Nobel prizes. And you go through all these in sciences and arts even now I think there's a new Nobel Prize winner in economics as an Israeli in the middle of all this you know and so there's you know Jordan Peterson who I like very much said recently that you know anti-semitism is the canary in the coal mine because anti-semitism tells you um that the success of Jews in society has a lot to do how did he put it? He said that as the the society's ability to to tolerate the success of Jews or Jewish contributions to society is a sign of the health of a society because you have to tolerate a very successful minority. There's really no other minority. I mean Asians have trouble now in New York too. Look what the look what Mandani wants to do to Asians. Okay? He wants to get rid of all those special schools. These people come here as immigrants. They work so hard. They work seven days a week. They put they own stores. bodeas, dry cleaners, some whatever jobs they can get when they when they arrive. They they work hard. They live in small apartments. They they fight so hard to get their kids into the elite schools in New York, knowing that those are the avenues to go to the best colleges on scholarship and knowing that those are the best avenues to become doctors and to to make a lot of money and to have good careers and to and to thrive. And they sweat blood to do it, you know, kind of like the way Jews did it, you know, 80 to 100 years ago when they were >> in the tenementss in the lower resin. They they they push their kids, they're very very demanding on their children to succeed and to do well in school. And [clears throat] New York City public schools because of these, you know, the enriched or the fancy schools like Stson and Bronx Science and Brooklyn Tech and whatever all these places, you know, you have to apply to get in. And these the kids from these Asian homes, from these Asian backgrounds, they work their kids very hard to get into those schools because they know you get into those schools, you have a really good chance to get to a great school like a Harvard or an Ivy League school or any other great school. So they push their kids very hard and everybody's complaining it's not fair, it's not fair. What do you mean it's not fair? They they work harder. They study harder. They get better grades and they earn it. So now we have to get rid of those schools. Mandani wants to get rid of those schools. It's not fair to the people who aren't doing very well cuz they're not getting in. So they're not being tolerated. So whenever you're successful and you work hard and you earn it, there's jealousy. And then there's people that say it's not right and we have to dial it back. So when a society tolerates the success of minorities who exceed their size, it's the size of a very healthy society. That's really an equal society. >> So deep. >> But then so now when you're criticizing Jews, you're going after the the schools where they, you know, which is the which is the foottool up for these children in these Asian homes all around New York and elsewhere. Well, it's a sign of an innate bigotry in society and a jealousy. I mean, it's there's jealousy. I mean, yes, if you go to Stivverent once upon a time, which is the best public school in the city, I think most of the kids were Asian. They far exceeded their proportion of the population. I feel bad for other kids who can't get in necessarily, but I mean, these kids work really hard to get there. And the parents push them really hard. Maybe they shouldn't. That's for another debate. But those those kids are are really the the pride and joy. I mean, they come up over tremendous obstacles. Their parents in many cases don't speak English. Okay? They don't speak English at home and and they're just working they're working their butts off just to get there and you know whether we tolerate the instead of celebrating it as the triumph of the immigrant story we're like okay we're going to take away that foottool up and we're going to create all these new rules and we're going to make it harder for you >> Harvard's doing it >> Bruce why did we come from >> I don't know >> where'd you grow up we didn't even talk about your backgrounds >> I grew up from Montreal >> Montreal Canada >> you don't know why you came from Bruce >> I like it it's good I don't talk too much about this. >> Talk about it. >> No, there's nothing to talk about. I liked it. I met people. It seemed it seemed I always say, "Why Labbavich?" Lavich, I answer because they seemed like they were having more fun than everybody else. You know, growing up in a more modern Orthodox synagogue as a child, they weren't having all that much fun. Didn't seem that way to me, at least as a child. Then I was a big party. >> And now, >> no, they are. As you're getting older and you're raising kids, you start to see the advantages of that upbringing, too. There there are some perks to it but when you're you know when you're teens and 20s I mean yeah where the party is. >> So you needed fun so you became >> I didn't become need fun. I liked it. I took to it. >> I still take to it. I don't I don't hold of myself as the holiest guy in the world. But I take to it like the rabbi very much. Also I think the rebba had a very >> clear view of the world and the people who live within it. >> What do you think about mishism? >> Mishkism. >> Yeah. I mean, I told you many times it's nuts. >> Tell me Tell We We have to >> It's It's nuts. Okay. It's nuts. It's It's nuts. I I love the people. They're very nice. They're wonderful. They're warm. They're kind. But as a concept, it's it's wild. It's wacky stuff. It always seemed trave to me from day one. I never, you know, they could have had any hashk outside the window. I didn't eat in the restaurant. It seemed bizarre to me. It still does. I mean that said I know people who are very passionate mishm and they're very nice people but I mean for me I don't ascribe to it and I would encourage other people probably not to also >> you have a comment on that >> I have a comment on the whole thing because I used to be really nervous about the extremists but now I realize that there's thousands and thousands and thousands of youth that come from Israel they hang out in 770 the entire tish they're pretending nothing ever happened they act as if everything is the same and I say to myself then there's like not from kids that come But I hang out with guys and girls and do drugs. I say to myself like >> let them hang out in 770 and pretend giml never happened. It could be a good thing. It's a realistic thing. Could it be it's a good thing kids keep kids you know anchored the rebim. >> You can be anchored and connected to the rebba without believing there wasn't a gimmel. You don't have to go that route. >> No. But for these thousands and thousands of youth that this is like their their prescription, you know, this is what they what they do. They I'm saying better that than being on the streets doing drugs. No, I'm saying >> it's a question for people. It's a question for people outside my pay grade. Unfortunately, a lot of those people who ascribe to that then don't seem like they're not doing the latter as well when they come to Crown Heights based on my views. [laughter] Um, so I think that that's ascribing something to them that's not true. And I know many people who don't ascribe to Mishism who live with the Reba's teachings in a way that's much more real and practical than people who get off a plane from Israel and party in Crown Heights sleeping on benches for a month. So it it's it's a varied mix. I I'm not I don't criticize I don't care for it. I don't ascribe to it. I don't criticize people who do it. I But if you ask my opinion, I'm not a fan of it. >> If you could push a button >> Yeah. >> and you could effectively be the owner of 770 Eastern Parkway, 770, 778, the whole complex, what would you do at 770? >> Make it clean. Clean it up. I mean, it's You're asking me. I don't live in Crown Heights. So for me to come and to give my opinions on what happens in Crown Heights, I'm not so >> Nobody has control over the place for 30 years. >> Well, it's not going to be me. And uh and I'm not sure. >> But what's ideal? Who should run the place >> should be run by a I mean all the different organizations that was supposed to be, >> but they're not as passionate as the place as theatim. They're passion. >> Passion isn't always the best thing to get things done, >> but they're there 24 hours a day. >> That's not because a homeless guy sleeps on the street doesn't mean he should be in charge of Fifth Avenue. Just cuz a guy sleeps outside the plaza doesn't mean he should manage the hotel. I mean, let's be realistic. You need capable, talented people to take the place over. And the guy who sleeps on the bench should not be calling the shots. >> I'm sorry. >> People try taking over anywhere. He should be calling the shot. >> People try taking over at 770, but the guys that are there 24 hours a day are not budging. >> The guy who run who the guy who sleeps on the subway and rides the subway for 24 hours shouldn't be the head of the MTA. I mean, I just think it's crazy. I mean, there are people who have skills, who have knowledge, who are by the Reba, who should be the one in more often than not calling the shots. >> Not people who get off a plane from Israel, decide that whatever they decide, show up, sleep on benches in 770 or whatever, and then they decide they're in charge of this, >> but you can't get control. You bring in the police, you bring in private security. You saw what happened. It's a fiasco there. Nothing changes. >> I don't want to have opinions on this. It's not something that I'm so invested in. And I don't want to hurt anybody's feelings, but my views are very clear. I'm not into it. I think it's bizarre. I've always thought it's strange. Um, I'm sure they're very nice people. Um, and I wish them well in whatever they're going to do in life, but me personally, keep me out of it. I I want nothing to do with it as far as cleaning up 770. I I don't bring pe Listen, look at 770 today. Nobody dabs in 770. You don't d 770. >> I have my own shoulders like a 100 young shoulders in Crown Heights. Why would you d would you d would you if you were in Israel would you do you wouldn't d at the coel? >> Sure I do. >> You would? Right. But in 77 you probably when's the last time you walked in? >> I go for a >> Oh, you do? I know people who haven't walked in in like years. >> Sad. >> Why? Well, it's very holy. >> It is. That's my point. But it should be handled by people who have some reverence to it. By the way, when you go to the hotel in Israel, okay, talking about religious sites, you know, or sites that are important from a perspective to people, it's pretty massud. >> It's very nice, >> very maintained. After the davening, somebody comes to pile up the chairs, cleans up any trash, make sure it's orderly. When the says they need extras because they have more people, if you're there for they make sure there's more like >> I just want to >> Sedar is not the enemy of kadusha. He joined Kabad for the parties. I definitely think it seemed like it wasn't >> much more party like the other side. I'm just want to speak. >> You said I You're using the word party. I'm saying fun. >> More fun. I think the looked like they're having more fun. Bruce >> was more alive. I always found it to be much more alive. It was more alive. there's a there's a there there's an energy in kabad that is very difficult to replicate and and it's it's very attractive whereby a lot of other forms but today I mean you know but now I'm you know broader and there's a lot of different movements that have things that are inspiring and moving but at that time kabad really spoke to me as far as the excitement the energy not the parties I'm not a drinker >> you said fun >> but fun is stuff that's interesting and exciting I fun. It It seemed like everybody was having more fun. It was more alive. >> Labavich was is alive. It's select Labavich 100%. >> Labavich. Labavich. Look at look at on campus. Look how successful on campus is. >> And today there's no alcohol in Kabad on campus. Thank God finally. You know that's been done away with for the most part. No, because it's dangerous. Kids get drunk. Who's responsible? Ultim. >> But I'm saying you go to Kabad houses like my you know Barl Goldman at University of Florida. >> You know he is Gainesville Gainesville. He is running he is running a vibrant >> he's the poster child for success >> not just but he's not he's the poster child for a very alive living Judaism and there are so many campus kabad houses today and you know there's a lot to sell you don't have to go to mishism and anything related to get people excited about Judaism you know the rebba was Jewish before he was anything else Judaism is what Labavich is Jewish heard of I heard of vert you're going to crazy over. >> I heard the Mishan took the biggest reb and made him into a small coin of Msiah. >> Yeah, that's a that's a Detroit [laughter] feels by the oil. >> A guy a guy from Gainesville like a reformed conservative guy. He was like complaining to me. He's like >> they look they make as if they represent Judaism. It's funny how the world changed that the reformed conservatives used to represent Judaism to the media and now you know typically >> everywhere. >> That's it. Kabad is everywhere, you know, and the people want to say that like you need mishikism to keep the quoteunquote the rebba alive. No, the rebba lives through his disciples. He lives through the people who who spread the message of of of authentic Jewish life and learning and teaching and they have impacts on people in all different kinds of ways. remember years ago I um went when I first when I first years ago I was um becoming more religious talking over 20 years ago they needed somebody to be an aid by hoopa in Manhattan so the wedding was short term Rabbi Mezer my dear friend in Manhattan who was >> was he the first >> he was yes >> you're the first guy ever met Kabad >> no my grandfather was president of the shashiva in Montreal for 45 years it's not like we didn't have connections with the babavage but I'm saying Rabbi Mezer called me and he says Rebe Gordon, the very special Reb Gordon, who since passed away from California, Tensino, who a lot of people listen to his class, >> my brother-in-law's father. >> There you go. So, Rebe Gordon um needed somebody to to to officiate at a wedding. So, he was officiating the wedding. He needed an aid. He needed kosher aid. I was shabas. So, Josh called me in a pinch. He says, "You if you're available, you're free. There's a wedding downtown. They're short of kosher aid. They need a kosher aid on Rabbi Gordon's calling now. The wedding's in like 2 hours. Somebody was supposed to come. Couldn't make it. Can you make it to the wedding? So, I go to the wedding. I walk in. And I was a little nervous. I I recognized people, not recognized people. You know, I had a little bit of a beard. I was wearing a yarmaka. I don't know if I'm going to run into and what they're going to ask. I'm in a wedding being an aid. I didn't know what this wedding was. I remember Rabbi Gordon gets up to give a speech under the hoopa. And he says, "I want to welcome everybody to the wedding and I want to invite everybody to be under the hoop." He invited the parents. He invited the grandparents. There was a great-grandparent who was alive. And then he says, "I'm inviting three three generations of grandparents, the spirits and the the everybody's under the hoopa. It says that by the wedding, they're all there." And he says, "In 19 whatever years, 1965 or 70, I was sent by the labba um to be under to to be the in California. And as his representative in California for the kabad movement in this synagogue, I have this to invite under the itself. I'm welcoming him also to bless you on this day and all the other from Labavich going back many years. I was like wow this is it was a certain pride to it and it gave me a bit of a schultz. It gave me a little bit of a boost because, you know, you're part of something special and everybody revered it. You know, everybody understood that Rabbi Gordon was a representative of aba. He was sent there. He didn't do it in a mish. He didn't say inviting the msiah. None of this craziness. He said, "I'm inviting the this." And he says, "And all the who came before him and they're all welcome to be under the ha." >> But he was a classy guy. >> He was a real person. >> Bruce, last question. How many calls do you get from rabbis or singers or magicians? They want to be at your hotel. >> Quite a few. >> 20, 30, 40. >> Depends. Sometimes depends. Sometimes Sometimes I get rabbis I'm interested in. I got one this week from a rabbi. I was intrigued. Usually I'm not. I have very good speakers by my program. And I was like, >> do you ever speak first or no? >> I did years ago, but I don't anymore. No one's paying to listen to me speak. >> I would better speak. >> Well, hold on a second. Everyone's paying >> gold. Rabbi Gold comes to me. Sac time out. They're all coming to hear you. That's why they're coming and not around. >> But they're not coming to hear me speak. There's people who are better at speakers than I am on this. >> Well, we're going to see from the podcast based on views and likes. Bruce, who comes for what? >> Bruce, somebody wakes up, god forbid, and Mamani wins. >> Could it be that it's like, you know, Hima, like the the we have already the um the antidote, the uh the medicine, the cure be before it happens. Maybe we need things to get so bad that a guy like Giuliani could come like in the 80s and clean up New York once and for all and make it like a Trump style New York. >> I mean, this >> Delasio was a disaster. All these guys, Bloomberg was a disaster. We need somebody else. >> Why was Bloomberg a disaster? >> I'll tell you why. Because he was so tough like every block. It was during his time that we got double parking tickets all day that the city became so like totalitarian. I think he ruined New York forever. >> That's the challenge. >> Red light cameras, speed camera, he ruined the whole New York. >> I mean, they're everywhere today. They're not. >> No, no. I feel like it was during his time like life became like non-livable during Bloomberg, but it was still safer. But I'm just saying he was a fake. He's he was he's more socialist than even though he's a trillionaire. But my point is we need a guy like Giuliani to come back into New York City and make the place normal again. I ride the train >> to vote for him. >> What I'm saying is that if Madani wins, things are going to finally >> I'm going to say something positive about Andrew Cuomo. I had the privilege of working for George Pataki when I was younger and he's a person that I admire tremendously. He is, you know, the gold standard of politicians. The nicest, kindest, most thoughtful, most He's an amazing He's an amazing >> I haven't heard his name in years. Where's he hiding? >> He's retired. He's an older man. He's almost 80. >> I go every year. We make a reunion of all the staff who work for him on 911. And I get to see him once a year. And it's And I know his wife and I knew his kids. Emily was a friend of mine. We used to work together. And um I saw Emily this year actually for the first time in years. But I have a lot of old friends there. And every time I go to these events, every getting older. >> He lives in Pikipsy. Where does he live? >> No, he lives in Garrison. I think he keeps an apartment in the city, maybe probably at this point not, but he used to. He has a place upstate on Lake Champlain, which he goes to in the summers in Essex, which I know he loves, and I believe he still has it. He may keep an apartment in the city or have, but he he lives in Garrison. If he needs to come back and forth to the city, he'll come back and forth. So George Pataki is the gold standard of of of fine people and a great and was a great governor. You know, ask anybody who was here in those years. Those were good years. But now you have to talk about Andrew Cuomo in his defense for people who are looking for something to vote for. I dislike what he did with CO. I dislike a lot of the things that happened at that time. I don't think it was based on an anti-semitic charge versus Jewish community. I think it was just a very difficult time and people made bad decisions. I think he made bad decisions. That said, before COVID, which was unprecedented, Andrew Cuomo embarked on the greatest infrastructure improvements in the state of New York of almost any governor. George Pataki has the 9/11 memorial, that whole area down there. That's a big achievement. But, you know, under under Andrew Cuomo, you had the renovation of Penn Station, which was something that been talked about for 50 years from the days of Senator Mahan. You had east side access finally from Long Long Island Railroad to Grand Central which was a huge huge help to the city. You had the building of the Second Avenue subway. You had the renovation of the Kachuko Bridge in Brooklyn, the one that's on the >> Kasakus, >> the Kus Kushu, whatever it's called, that bridge. You had the fixing of the Tapenzy Bridge. You had the fixing of LaGuardia Airport. You had the startings of the renovation of JFK airport. Um, you had there was a series of things that were done in this city while he was governor or in this state that were projects that were literally pipe dreams for decades for a variety of reasons from political to financial to Washington to getting the money to getting the >> doesn't get any credit >> couldn't get he doesn't get any credit for it. So when people say, "Is he going to be a good mayor?" I think New York City can use a lot of infrastructure improvements. And I think if you're looking for someone who's able to get those things done, as you know, Andrew Cuomo is is really, you know, somebody who brings a lot of credibility to the table on these issues. >> Thank you so much. It's been really enjoyable. We all had a great time. >> I appreciate it. I hope >> I think we're going to have to have you come back for a second episode. >> No, whatever. I don't know. >> You didn't even scratch the surface. and hopefully other media organizations will see how talented you are and maybe give you a front-facing position. >> I appreciate having you. I just want to encourage anybody, the reason I wanted to do this now was if anybody's watching this, make sure you get everybody to vote. If you can vote, get people to the polls, help them get to the polls. It's very, very important that we stand strong and we vote against what is unfortunately a big threat to our way of life in this. >> You have to vote for Cuomo. >> You have to vote for Curtis vote is a Mani vote. >> A Curtis vote is a Mandani vote. Not showing up is a Mandani vote. you know any you know squandering your balance you got >> remind people to [snorts] subscribe >> subscribe and like our channel just so easy just hit the button subscribe like comment forward share >> also I just want to make a quick thing if you make a comment on this week's episode we will put in a raffle to get a ticket in either fox indoor entertainment center our sponsor this week and or area 53 a great painful indoor place in Brooklyn both great places >> we're going to have links They're going to have links. We're going to have a code. We have a code. Paintball. >> Paintball's fun. >> Yeah. Indoor paintball. >> Seven entertainment centers. >> A ton. Great people. >> And anybody that uses our code gets how much percentage off? >> 15% off. >> 15%. >> So, we're going to put a raffle. Whoever comments in the section. Um, this is the first time doing it. They suggested so we're doing it and they're a sponsor. So, we love them. 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