Toms River Councilman's Mailers Antisemitic, Congressman Says

TOMS RIVER, NJ — U.S. Rep. Andy Kim has denounced campaign flyers circulated in June by Toms River Councilman Dan Rodrick, calling them antisemitic and urging the Toms River community to stand up against hate speech.

"Our community, like communities throughout the country, has seen an unfortunate and disturbing rise in anti-Semitic language and behavior," said Kim, who represents New Jersey's 3rd District, including Toms River. "We have a responsibility to condemn this when we see it. It is why I strongly condemn the campaign tactics of stoking fear and hate by Daniel Rodrick and Justin Lamb earlier this summer."

The letter was distributed to a number of Jewish leaders in the Toms River community and shared by some area residents on social media.

"I have never written or said anything anti-semitic," Rodrick said Tuesday evening by email, reiterating what he has said in the past on the mailers. "Opposing Lakewood-style, high-density development is not antisemitic nor is opposing a reduction in the acreage requirement for houses of worship. Residents don't want traffic and commercial activity in their residential neighborhoods. Residents overwhelmingly supported me in the primary. They are not antisemitic and neither am I."

"Andy Kim was also accused of distributing antisemitic mailers in his 2020 congressional campaign by opponent David Richter. So you would think Mr. Kim would be more careful about hurling those kinds baseless allegations," Rodrick said.

"I take exception to Congressman Andy Kim's baseless admonition," Lamb said. "Mr. Kim is nothing more than an ultra-liberal Democrat who only won the 3rd District due to liberal controlled gerrymandering. He only answers to Nancy Pelosi, who in turn supports the vile anti-Semitic bigotry of people like Congresswoman Ilhan Omar."

Kim was elected to his first term in the 3rd District in 2018, and was the first Democrat to win the district since the 2011 redistricting when New Jersey lost a congressional seat. Prior to Kim, the 3rd District was represented by Republican Tom MacArthur for four years and before MacArthur by Republican Jon Runyan, who unseated Democrat John Adler in 2010.

"I have always been an avid supporter of Israel and the Jewish people. What I do object to is the change to zoning to accommodate houses of worship or for any other places of assembly - secular or religious," Lamb said.

Kim's letter also was emailed to the Middletown Township Board of Education, where Rodrick is a teacher at Thorne Middle School, with the sender calling on the Middletown school board to discipline him. Emails to the Middletown school board and its superintendent, Mary Ellen Walker, were not answered as of 5 p.m.

A mailer this spring in particular drew rebukes from the rest of the Toms River council, as being antisemitic. The mailer included a photo of Booky Kaluszyner, a member of the Jewish Community Council, dressed in religious garb including a shtreimel, the fur hat worn by some Jewish men on Fridays for their Sabbath. It criticized Toms River's 2-acre zoning for houses of worship — a change that is part of a settlement of a Justice Department lawsuit over religious land use discrimination in Toms River.

Kaluszyner at the time said the photo on the mailer and materials Rodrick's campaign had distributed that referenced "Lakewood-style development" were absolutely about religion.

"They keep saying 'Lakewood-style development,' it's code for Jews," Kaluszyner said. He said photos posted showing him and others with Mayor Maurice Hill were more of the same.

"It's basically saying 'look at their friends, keep the Jews out, they're friends with these councilmen,' " Kaluszyner said. "I'm just the poster boy."

Rodrick has defended the use of the photo and repeatedly rejected accusations of antisemitism.

Kim's letter was the result of several members of the Toms River Jewish community reaching out to Kim's office, expressing concerns about Rodrick's statements, said Ben Giovine, Kim's district director.

"They approached the congressman about their concerns," Giovine said, and Kim decided to speak out, as he has before about hate speech directed at a number of groups in the community, including the Muslim community, Asian American Pacific Islander community and other groups.

"It was just in line for us to come out against this language and rhetoric," Giovine said. The statement was not released to media outlets because it wasn't about making a statement to the press, he said.

"Members of our Jewish community are welcomed here as much as anyone; it is their home too," Kim's July 20 letter said. "We must be unified in the agreement that anti-Semitic language and actions do not belong here and will not be tolerated."

"I strongly and forcefully reject the use of anti-Semitic language or imagery in our public debate and call on every member of our broad and diverse community to join us in ensuring it has no place in our institutions moving forward," Kim said.

"Andy Kim supports a new Iran nuclear deal, which would reward Iran with another $90 billion from American taxpayers, without requiring unannounced nuclear inspections. This new Iran nuclear deal would also allow Iran to accelerate its nuclear program and Iran's stated policy is to wipe Israel off the face of the earth. It is Andy Kim’s position on Iran that is Anti-Israel and anti-Semitic," Rodrick said.

"As the Republican frontrunner, I will not be intimidated through faith-baiting by an ultra-liberal Democrat hack like Andy Kim and his local liberal handlers, including my opponent," Lamb said.

Rodrick has been accused of antisemitic rhetoric in the past, including being censured by the rest of the Toms River Township Council in June 2019 over campaign literature during the mayoral primary that implied Hill was cozy with the ultra-Orthodox community.

Following the June primary election, where Rodrick and Lamb won the GOP nominations for their wards, Councilman Terrance Turnbach criticized Rodrick, saying he had used antisemitic tactics in the 2017 council campaign, when Rodrick, Turnbach and Councilwoman Laurie Huryk were running mates on the Democratic ticket. Rodrick switched parties six months later after a dispute. Rodrick responded by accusing Turnbach of not objecting to it at the time of the 2017 campaign and calling him a hypocrite.

Click here to get Patch email notifications, or download our app to have breaking news alerts sent right to your phone. Have a news tip? Email karen.wall@patch.com Follow Toms River Patch on Facebook.