Mayor Eric Adams flipped his earlier position in a statement released Thursday, saying a Holocaust survivor who is openly pro‑Israel should have been allowed to speak at a Brooklyn middle school.
At first, the mayor’s office had said it backed the principal of School 447, Arin Rusch, for barring 85‑year‑old Sami Steigmann from the event. Adams later admitted that the comment was “issued too early” and clarified that he had met Steigmann, “and he is ABSOLUTELY the right person to speak with kids about the atrocities of the Holocaust,” he wrote on X.
The controversy began after The Post reported that Rusch had denied Steigmann a speaking slot on the grounds that he was a strong supporter of Israel. Steigmann maintained that his talk would focus solely on the Holocaust and antisemitism, not current Middle East politics, and said he would have told the principal that the school would let him talk if they had listened.
Even after the mayor’s office issued a formal statement saying Steigmann was “not the right fit,” it also pledged to bring other speakers with similar experiences. Steigmann called the school administration’s actions “censorship.”
Around midnight he posted a correction on X: “I’m in New Orleans for the Combat Antisemitism conference and read a report about an unfortunate incident involving New York City Schools not allowing a Holocaust survivor to speak at a local school.” He added that “Unfortunately, a statement went out prematurely from my office that said he was not the right speaker.”
He concluded by stressing the urgency of Holocaust education, noting that “As our Jewish community faces increased antisemitism and persecution across the globe, it’s more important now than ever that we learn the lessons and stories of the Holocaust.”
Adams, a Democrat who will step down at the end of the month, has long been a vocal supporter of Israel. The Department of Education, which had originally expressed backing for Steigmann’s exclusion, has yet to reply to a request for comment.
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