N.Y. Fire Chief Apologizes for Anti-Semitic Remarks

A suburban New York City fire chief has hand-delivered a letter of apology to a Jewish town supervisor for anti-Semitic remarks he made, according to the Journal News.

Fairview Fire Chief Anthony LoGiudice visited Greenburgh Town Supervisor Paul Feiner Friday, days after a report that a retired firefighter claimed LoGiudice often used an anti-Semitic slur when referring to Feiner. On Thursday, the board of the fire district confirmed LoGiudice used inappropriate language.

“First, I apologize for offending you and others with my careless and hurtful words,” LoGiudice wrote in the letter. “I said what I said without thought and without thinking of the pain that it would bring to this community. When I read my words in The Journal News, and realized that young people, friends, colleagues and neighbors of the Jewish faith were reading those words, I was horrified.”

LoGiudice also said he had made a contribution of $750 in Feiner’s name to Jane Youdelman, whose late mother, Myrna Youdelman, was involved in Greenburgh town affairs for many years. The donation will pay for a memorial bench at the Myrna R. Youdelman Community Farm.

Feiner told the newspaper the apology was a good first step but hoped the fire chief would also visit a Manhattan Holocaust museum.

This article appeared in print on page 4 of the March 31st, 2014 edition of Hamodia.