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RUTGERS UNIVERSITY—NEW BRUNSWICK
TUESDAY, APRIL 17, 2018
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Scaramucci talks anti-Semitism, Judaism, U.S. missile strike on Syria CHRISTIAN ZAPATA
THREE RULES TO LIVE BY
NEWS EDITOR
Bringing the pieces of recent anti-Semitic instances on college campuses together, former White House Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci met members of the University at the Chabad House last night with anecdotes of his experiences with Judaism, ways to promote its preservation and a look into his life during and after his time at the White House.
OPENING REMARKS
“Countering BDS Campaigns on Campus with Anthony Scaramucci” was an event hosted by Young Americans for Liberty (YAL) and featured a panel of members from the University’s Orthodox Jewish community. Rabbi Heshy Pincas kicked off the event with a brief prayer and went on to showcase Torah scrolls and describe the tentative process that undergoes their creation. In addition to these artifacts, he described the history of their decimation and displayed shoe soles with Torah script imprinted on them — a testament to their existence in light of denial that the Holocaust occurred. The president of Young Americans for Liberty, Andrea Vacchiano, a School of Arts and Sciences junior, gave her opening remarks where she reiterated the event’s focus to spread awareness of “attempts to delegitimize the state of Israel across
Former White House Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci spoke at last night’s event hosted by Young Americans for Liberty (YAL). He discussed the presence of Jewish culture early in his life and the proliferation of anti-Semitism on college campuses. COURTESY MORRIS ANTEBI college campuses by spreading false accusations that are, more often than not, also very anti-Semitic.” She then recounted Scaramucci’s accomplishments and involvement with Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) — a Palestinian-led movement for freedom, justice and equality that upholds the principle that Palestinians are entitled to the same rights as the rest of humanity, according to its site. Scaramucci is a former Goldman Sachs executive who served between 1989 and 1996. After which he founded Oscar Capital Management and then the investment firm SkyBridge Capital in 2005.
Most recently, Scaramucci is known for his time serving as White House communications director this past summer and the 11 days, as corrected by him, that transpired between his appointment and removal from the position.
SCARAMUCCI’S SPEECH
The Chabad House keynote speaker retold his story of being raised in a blue-collar neighborhood. Growing up, he said there was limited literature in his house. Scaramucci lived in a diverse racial and religious community where he made Jewish friends whose households were the polar opposite of his
— encouraging school work and education first. This secondhand exposure to the normative Jewish household set the foundation for what Scaramucci said was his educational growth and inclination toward Jewish culture. “Why am I bringing this up?” Scaramucci said. “I’m bringing this up because I am not a Jew, but I have had the benefit of experiencing the Jewish culture, and I can also look at it from a distance, I can look at it from a separation that if you are a Jew growing up in a Jewish culture … you’re not going to see it the way I see it.”
Scaramucci listed three rules that he suggested the audience never forget. The first, that it is an individual’s culture that matters most. Away from media coverage and the glamour of being in the spotlight, he said what truly matters are the friends, family and culture that binds a person together. “No. 2 … is super important to realize this, the Jewish community globally for 5,500 years is hunching over its weight … Just look at the statistics, you’ve killed it in commerce, you’ve killed it in the arts, you’ve killed it in science … the byproduct of your culture has led to unbelievable charity all around the world.” Scaramucci went on to say that he thinks hatred toward Jewish people does not stem from the religion but from its success. In a Social-Dar winist fashion, he said this is the result of primordial instincts that bring people to want the best for themselves and a behavior that should be moved away from — toward love and kindness as seen in Judaism. Lastly, he said that passing the ethos of Judaism onto new generations will benefit the culture and offset hatred with an abundance of peace, discussing his experience during a trip to Israel. SEE STRIKE ON PAGE 4
Former Rutgers board member to pay $750K for unregistered securities RYAN STIESI ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR
Jeffrey Mitchell Isaacs, a New-Brunswick man and former Rutgers Board of Trustees member, has been ordered to pay $750,000 in connection with selling New Jersey investors more than $7 million worth of unregistered securities that were tied to an alleged $1.2 billion nationwide Ponzi scheme, according to a news release from the Office of the Attorney General. Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal and the New Jersey Bureau of Securities within the Division of Consumer Affairs announced yesterday that Isaacs and his companies — JB Financial Resources and related entities — sold the unregistered securities for the Woodbridge Group of Companies (Woodbridge). The Woodbridge company has been charged by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in connection with running a Ponzi scheme. Securities are things like stocks, bonds and financial notes. Before
it can be offered to public people, it must first be registered with the SEC, according to Investopedia. There are certain exceptions to the rules. Records show that Isaacs served on the Rutgers Board of Trustees as far back as 2003, according to archived catalogs from the University. Another release indicates that he served until 2009, when he was an Alumni Trustee. “Despite having no legal authority to sell investments in New Jersey, Isaacs sold the unregistered Woodbridge securities to New Jersey investors,” said Kevin Jespersen, acting director of the Division of Consumer Affairs. “Isaacs shamelessly profited from this alleged Ponzi scheme while the investors that purchased the unregistered securities are now left to deal with the devastating impact of trying to recover their investments.” The company allegedly defrauded more than 8,400 investors in unregistered Woodbridge funds, according to a press release of the SEC’s charge against Woodbridge. The company advertised its primary business as issuing loans to
supposed third-party commercial property owners, paying Woodbridge 11 to 15 percent annual interest for short-term financing, according to the press release. It allegedly promised to pay investors 5 to 10 percent interest annually, according to the press release. The SEC’s charge alleges that many of the company’s borrowers were owned by former CEO of Woodbridge Robert H. Shapiro, and had no income and did not make interest payments on the loans. “Unregistered agents are often at the heart of investment scams, which is why the Bureau strongly encourages investors to verify and review the registration records of anyone offering to sell them an investment,” said Christopher Gerold, chief of the Bureau of Securities. “Had these investors checked with the Bureau, they would have learned that Isaacs is not registered to sell securities in New Jersey, information that could have prevented SEE SECURITIES ON PAGE 4
Jeffrey Mitchell Isaacs served on the Rutgers Board of Trustees between 2003 and 2009. He and his companies have been ordered to pay $750,000 for selling unregistered securities. PTINDIRECTORY
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