By 5 Towns Central Staff

CEDARHURST, NY(Sep, 1 2026) —

“I have become aware of a message circulating on WhatsApp regarding the upcoming Peninsula Public Library Board meeting, including the troubling claim that those who spoke out at the last meeting engaged in “antisemitic rants.”

I was there.

The overwhelming majority of residents in attendance were Jewish, many Orthodox, and they came to raise legitimate concerns about the governance, transparency and conduct of the current Library Board. Calling those concerns antisemitic is simply inaccurate and serves only to deflect from the serious issues facing the library.

As for concerns about inappropriate books, whenever such an issue has been brought to my attention, I have spoken directly with our libraries, and they have always been extremely cooperative. That is precisely why libraries have trustees and a Board president. If the current Board believes there are serious problems with books, programming or hours, then it has both the authority and responsibility to address them. To suggest otherwise raises the question of who is actually governing the library.

There is also a very real concern about the extraordinary turnover among library staff. Many employees have left, with serious concerns raised about the manner in which staff have been treated by members of the Board. That deserves attention, not distraction.

As a New York State Assemblyman and an Orthodox, yarmulke-wearing Jew, I take real antisemitism extremely seriously. We should never diminish that word by using it to silence legitimate criticism or divide neighbors.

This should not be Jew against Jew or neighbor against neighbor. Our community deserves transparency, accountability and respectful leadership.

Let’s come together, lower the rhetoric and address the real issues facing our library.”

Assemblyman Ari Brown