Editor’s note: The Jewish Link, the writer of the article “Rep. Josh Gottheimer Faces Primary Challenge” (July 2, 2020) and its editor were criticized online in multiple posts on Facebook by Jewish residents in NJ-5 this past weekend, accused of having mischaracterized challenger Arati Kreibich’s views on BDS, about which we could not reach her to speak on the record. We also stand accused of printing factual errors, although the “errors” we were called out for were direct, attributed quotes from Rep. Josh Gottheimer. Through internet archive research, we learned that Kreibich’s website was only updated to include a statement about her not being a supporter of BDS after 10:49 a.m. on July 1, the day our writer turned in her article, and the day before our article was published. Since these views were proven to have been added after Kreibich was contacted by our reporter, we construe that her supporters then engaged, knowingly or unknowingly, in an effort to “educate” The Jewish Link’s readers and others regarding their narrative on her views and our article.

The Jewish Link would like to state directly and clearly that we did not and will not retract our article or make any corrections to it. We stand strongly behind our writer’s reporting, but in our editor’s notebook above, we provide a full clarification of Kreibich’s post-July 1 statement as regards “Israel & Palestine” on her website.

We share the content of the NJ-5 Jewish residents’ letter on this issue here, in its entirety.

As Jewish residents of New Jersey’s 5th District, we call upon The Jewish Link to formally correct the false claims made by Rep. Josh Gottheimer with regard to Dr. Arati Kreibich’s position on the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement. Kreibich has gone on the record about her opposition of BDS, and her website clearly outlines her support of a two-state solution. As members of the Jewish community in NJ-5, we are disappointed to see The Jewish Link publish a false claim made by one candidate about another without verifying this information.

Leslie Kossar-Schraer (Glen Rock)

Madeline Joy Trimble (Fair Lawn)

Shira Hochman (Glen Rock/Board Member—Glen Rock Jewish Center)

Eric Hochman (Glen Rock)

Nina Henry (River Vale)

Molly Henry (River Vale)

Holly Goshin (Glen Rock)

Lisa Bilander-Gray (Teaneck)

Zygmond Gray (Teaneck)

Alice Gomstyn (Glen Rock)

Allison Bloomfield (Glen Rock)

Jack Bloomfield (Glen Rock)

Adam Bloomfield (Glen Rock)

Yael Landman (New Milford)

Matthew Heller (Glen Rock)

Carson Schraer (Glen Rock)

Rabbi Rachel Kahn-Troster (Teaneck)

Shana Dworken (Teaneck)

Jennifer Montag (Teaneck)

Nathan Kapiloff (Glen Rock)

Merri Kapiloff (Glen Rock)

Sarah Mazin (Glen Rock)

Benjamin Kalinkowitz (Glen Rock)

Eyal Bar-David (Cresskill)

Rachel Feinmark (Glen Rock)