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Alleged Montefiore White Supremacist Doctor Taken Off Duty

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Earlier this week an article was published on Medium, which has since been removed, by an anonymous writer exposing a Bronx doctor at Montefiore Medical Center for his alleged white supremacist views.

Now Gothamist has confirmed that Dov Bechhofer has been taken off duty pending an investigation into the allegations.

Medium took down the article for violation of its policy against “doxxing” which is the practice of revealing private information such as addresses and telephone numbers.

Bechhofer has alluded to being willing to resort to violence according to Gothamist to achieve a white ethnostate.

Gothamist reports:

 ““[A]ll the signs point to extra-democratic solutions now being the only way for the various ethnicities of the White race to save themselves,” he wrote at one point. “The great question is how to overcome the differential of firepower between government and citizen.”

Additionally, he used his public account to call for the mass expulsion of Muslims from Europe, writing “the West has no use for them, and they’ll be just fine when they go home,” in a Facebook group called “God Emperor Trump (Official).” Such comments, the Medium doxxer notes, make clear that Bechhofer “is a danger not only to his community but particularly to his patients.”

The Forward, a newspaper focusing on American Jewish life writes:

The evidence linking Dov Bechhofer to “Dov” the Counter-Currents commenter is circumstantial but powerful. Both Dov and “Dov” are Jewish doctors who have praised white supremacist figures like Jared Taylor, grew up in Chicagoland before moving to New York, write using similar idiosyncrasies and even profess to liking the same entertainment, including the obscure Norwegian movie “The Last King.”

“Dov” frequently expressed disgust with racial intermarriage. “To me,” he wrote, “the greatest threat Asians in general pose to Whites is that of miscegenation. Being in the medical field, even I (a White Nationalist aware of the White race’s maladies for 6+ years) am constantly taken aback at the prevalence of White-Asian miscegenation among the highly-educated.”

He also repeatedly expressed support for white ethnostates, which he said he hoped to see “ASAP.” He even praised the idea of “soft expulsion” of African-Americans and Latinos in one comment, arguing that while there could be “unforeseen negative consequences” to such a plan, “the immediacy of the salvaging of White nations overrides abstract concerns, so I’d say the fight would be worthwhile.”

“Whites are being subjected to a concerted attack by ‘people of color’ and must band together as Whites to avoid their own destruction,” he wrote in a comment in February using his since-scrubbed YouTube account.

He even seemed to endorse armed revolution as a means of realizing his white ethnostate dream. “Continued engagement in the political structure is necessary, but all the signs point to extra-democratic solutions now being the only way for the various ethnicities of the White race to save themselves,” he wrote in May 2017. “The great question is how to overcome the differential of firepower between government and citizen.”

Meanwhile over at Newsweek they write:

Among the comments attributed to Bechhofer was: “Do I despise Blacks like [Colin] Kaepernick for milking the White cow despite the fact that he, his race, and all others are already in such objective debt to Whites? Absolutely.”

Another read: “The West has no use for [Muslims], and they’ll be just fine when they go home.”

He also allegedly called for armed militias on the southern border “with orders to shoot illegals.”

In a statement issued by Montefiore they said, “The views expressed in the article are in no way reflective of Montefiore, our mission, how we conduct ourselves, or the care we deliver each day.” The hospital further added, “Montefiore was founded on our commitment to healthcare as a basic human right, and we deliver the highest level of care to everyone who comes through our doors, regardless of social or economic status, ethnicity, race or religion. Having all backgrounds, beliefs and diversity embodied in our patients, employees and neighbors is intrinsic to who we are, and allows us to thrive as an institution.”

If all this turns out to be true, and it does seem to be based on what we’re seeing, Bechhofer has NO place in The Bronx and is a threat to Bronxites. Our greatest strength is in the diversity of our people.

Sound off below and let us know what you think.

Bx19 Named Slowest Bus in The Bronx; Bx21 Most Unreliable

You know for some reason we thought the Bx6 would be the slowest bus in The Bronx but as it turns out, the Bx19 won the prize according to the New York Public Interest Research Group’s infamous ‘Schleppie Awards’.

The Bx19 clocked in at an average speed of 4.6mph placing 9th on the overall list of city buses.

The Bx 21, which travels between Mott Haven and Westchester Square, was listed as The Bronx’s most unreliable line in our borough with 1 in 6 buses “bunched”.

Bunching occurs when riders are waiting long periods of time for their bus to arrive only to have a bunch show up at once.

With more cars and an increasing population as the fastest growing borough and county in New York State, we will probably see conditions worsen down the road.

What’s your take on this?

Exploring New York City One Block at a Time Starting With City Island

As one of the most unique neighborhoods in New York City, City Island holds a special place in many people’s hearts both those who live there and visitors alike.

The tiny island covers 253 acres in its 1.5 mile length by half a mile width and is the home to approximately 4,500 residents of clamdiggers (those who are actually born on the island) and musselsuckers (those not born on island).

On any given holiday or summer weekend (or warm weekend for that matter) the population swells by the thousands (perhaps upwards of 10,000) as throngs of Bronxites flock to the dozens of restaurants that line City Island Avenue, much to the chagrin of the natives who often get stranded on their island or unable to reach home in a timely manner due to the traffic for the only meas of egress is the City Island Bridge (or a boat if you own one).

A house on City Island

But City Island is more than just the restaurants that’s the economic engine of the island. It’s the galleries, the boat yards and most of all it’s the people who make this place special and unique.

Its unique geography as an isolated island neighborhood cut off from the rest of America’s largest city by water and its largest park is simply an added bonus to this magical recipe.

Curbed New York has a special new series which explores New York City’s boroughs one block at a time and in their inaugural piece they chose to take a look at Hunter Avenue, a small cul-de-sac off Ditmars Street on the Western half of the island.

The beautiful essay delves into the lives of those who live on the block: lawyers, artists, sailors, and fishmongers all coexisting.

Curbed writes:

City Island, at 230 acres, population a little under 4,500 according to the most recent census, is adjacent to the woods of Pelham Bay and Orchard Beach, the borough’s only public beach, and to the rest of the Bronx to the west and Westchester to the north. Photographer Chris Mottalini and I are exploring New York City’s boroughs through its blocks, one each in the Bronx, Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, and Staten Island, because we’re interested in how these blocks form their own micro-universes, and how those micro-universes fit into their boroughs.

We were drawn to City Island partly for the contrasts embedded in its name—both city and island, it is part of the Bronx and apart from it. And we landed on this particular block because it seemed to represent City Island as a whole, inhabited by artists, writers, eccentrics, scientists, lawyers, curators, art handlers, fishmongers, bus drivers, teachers, and electricians, many of whom traded rising rents in Brooklyn and Manhattan for a small town that is tethered to New York City but fairly remote, with wetlands that resemble a compressed wilderness, a place with proudly worn nautical roots, and the sense of nostalgia that seems to hover over almost all beach towns.

City Island came to be at the end of the last ice age, created by glaciers and covered in deposits of rare blue clay. The first humans who fished and hunted on City Island were the Siwanoy band of the Lenape Indians, who called it Minnewit, meaning pine, for the trees that proliferated in those times. Thomas Pell seized their land in 1654; Anne Hutchinson, seeking religious freedom, later settled there. Until 1895, when it was annexed by New York City, City Island was considered part of Westchester and was home mostly to farmers and shipbuilders and sailors and harvesters of oysters. Its first enterprise involved producing salt from evaporated seawater and its most successful enterprises, for years, were harvesting oysters and building and repairing boats and yachts, including several America’s Cup winners. The island did not get dial telephone service until 1960. It has served as the location for Long Day’s Journey Into Night, BUtterfield 8, and several episodes of Law & Order. Among its better-known residents over the years are mobster Frank Scalice of the Gambino crime family, longtime AFL-CIO leader George Meany, the comedian Red Buttons, the drag queen Coco Peru, and neurologist and writer Oliver Sacks, who, the story goes, swam over to City Island from Orchard Beach one day and liked the island so much he bought a house there.

Read the rest of the beautiful essay over at Curbed.

Citi Bike is FINALLY Coming to The Bronx; Will Join JUMP Bikes in Dockless Pilot Program in Fordham

Citi Bike is FINALLY coming to The Bronx after the sudden pull-out of dockless bike sharing company ofo who was supposed to join JUMP Bikes in a Fordham area pilot program which also covers West Farms, Belmont, East Tremont, Tremont, and parts of Morris Heights, and University Heights.

Starting mid-August, about 200 new dockless Citi Bikes will join the approximately 200 JUMP Bikes which are also dockless.

Unlike the traditional Citi Bikes which use the docking stations that takes up precious parking real estate, this dockless system doesn’t need those expensive systems.

But JUMP will have a head start as starting early next week, you’ll be able to start riding their fast pedal assist bikes which will zoom you through the Fordham area with speeds up to 20mph thanks to an electric boost you get as you pedal.

We took this JUMP Bike for a test ride through Fordham and Belmont and were impressed by its speed and ease of use/©Welcome2TheBronx

At JUMP’s invitation, we test rode their bright red bike last Friday and in no time we were zipping through the area and into Belmont ans down Arthur Avenue the heart of NYC’s real Little Italy.

Dockless Bike Share Pilot Program area in The Bronx provided by JUMP Bikes (Citi Bikes will also be available in the same area)

The most surprising thing about JUMP Bikes is the speed you get with little effort so they’re perfect for running quick errands and are especially useful for the hilly terrain of the West Bronx as the pedal assist boost gets you over the hills with barely breaking a sweat.

Many have been concerned as to where these dockless bikes will end up but the company has figured it out.

They developed a built in locking mechanism which requires you to actually lock them to a bike rack within the service area.

With JUMP’s locking technology, you must lock the bike to a bike rack. Only then when it’s locked will your trip be marked as complete. /Image Courtesy JUMP Bikes

This prevents the bikes from sitting just anywhere blocking pedestrian traffic on sidewalks or ending up in strange places like up on a tree (yes this actually happened in Washington DC).

Reserving a JUMP Bike is super easy by using the app or your Uber app (the company was purchased by the popular ride sharing company and has since integrated JUMP Bikes into the app).

Pricing is extremely affordable as well which is perfect for Bronx demographics.

A 30 minute ride will cost you just $2 bucks and each additional minute after that will run you 7 cents per minute.

JUMP also provides a brilliant plan called Boost to encourage low-income residents to take advantage of the program by offering up to 60 minutes a day for just $5 a month for qualifying residents.

Boost members will pay the standard 7 cents a minute once they go beyond their alloted daily 60 minutes.

You can’t just leave them anywhere you have to lock a JUMP Bike in order to complete your trip/©Welcome2TheBronx

Besides the apps you can also unlock ans use a bike with just your account number or an RFID card for residents who sont have à smartphone and even more importantly, the company takes into consideration that Bronxites are severely under served by banks with many residents lacking bank accounts.

For such users they can simply pay in cash in advance at a CVS, 711, or Dollar Tree.

As for Citi Bikes, we haven’t tried the dockless ones yet but pricing will be the same as Manhattan and Brooklyn and will also offer a low-income option for residents on public assistance or who live in NYCHA for just $5 a month for unlimited rides throughout the pilot area and NYC’s system.

Justike JUMP, Bronx Citi Bike users will also have a pay per ride option of $2 bucks per 30 minute ride.

We think this is an excellent opportunity for residents to get more active and provide alternative means of transportation which given the state of our subways and buses, we sure need them!

SEE: New Interactive Map Shows Where ICE Raids Have Happened in The Bronx

During Trump’s first year as president, ICE arrests have increased by 30% often by utilizing tactics like raids, home invasions warrentless entries into homes, and use of force.

A new interactive map called ICEwatch created by the Immigrant Defense Project in partnership with the Center for Constitutional Rights highlights the nearly 700 arrests that have occurred not just under Trump’s administration but the preceding 5 years under Obama as well.

Almost 100 of these arrests have occurred in The Bronx and although many have occured at the courts, most of them happened at the undocumented immigrant’s place of residence.

7 of these were classified as warrantless entries.

Screen shot of ICEwatch map of The Bronx

Some of the stories documented by IDE are disturbing such as:

Bronx, NY 10451, USA
July 11, 2017

In July 2017, five ICE agents knocked on AS’s door in the Bronx at 7am, without identifying who they were, claiming that a neighbor had called the local precinct to report an incident in the home. AS and his wife explained that there was nothing happening in the home. The ICE agents then asked AS for his name and arrested him once he told them. Five months later, in December 2017, multiple ICE agents raided AS’s home again at 6am, even though AS remained detained by ICE. Five different ICE agents, both plain-clothes and in “police” vests, entered through an unlocked door with their guns drawn. Once they entered the home, they didn’t identify themselves, only telling AS’s wife they were looking for a “fugitive” as they walked through the different rooms of the house. AS’s wife repeatedly asked the agents to see a warrant and asked them to leave. The agents came upon AS’s 9-year-old who was sleeping in bed and aggressively began questioning him about who lived in the home. Once they stopped, AS’s wife told the agents to leave their family alone and took out a cell phone to begin filming. As AS’s wife repeatedly asked the agents to see a warrant and to leave, the ICE agents ignored her request until AS’s 13-year-old daughter repeated what her mother said in English.

Meanwhile over in Parkchester:

Bronx, NY 10462, USA
April 4, 2017

8 ICE agents knocked on the door to MOA’s apartment. When MOA answered it, the agents pushed their way inside, forcibly detaining MOA in the bedroom of his apartment. His children were present in the apartment but in a separate room. MOA’s wife had left the apartment to run an errand and when she came back, she found MOA detained in his room by agents. She asked the agents who they were and what they were doing there, but agents refused to answer any questions until after MOA was handcuffed.

In a press release, IDP wrote:

“ICE relies on fear-mongering, secrecy, deceit, manipulation, and force to enact its devastating deportation mandate to deport as many people as possible,” said Genia Blaser, IDP Senior Staff Attorney.
“By making the reports of their dehumanizing tactics widely available through ICEwatch, we aim to inform the public and community members around the escalation of ‘unshackled’ ICE policing. We also continue to work with allies to challenge the demonization and criminalization that ICE relies on to enact its mass deportation agenda, and to support efforts to defund and abolish this agency.”

“ICEwatch shines a light on ICE’s program of terrorizing communities through raids, ruses, home invasions, courthouse arrests, and other forms of coercion,” said Ghita Schwarz, Center for Constitutional Rights Senior Attorney. “By demonstrating the wide reach of ICE’s destructive and unlawful tactics, we hope to educate and empower immigrants and allies.”

ICEwatch allows users to filter summaries of ICE raids by location* and type of arrest tactic. Six types of enforcement tactics have been highlighted in the map as they are increasingly prevalent under the Trump administration, and underscore egregious and inhumane ICE practices and the agency’s disregard for fundamental rights. These include: (1) warrantless entry into a home; (2) the use of ruses to enter a home; (3) use of force; (4) the use of surveillance; (5) a significant increase in courthouse raids; and (6) an increase in collateral arrests.

IDP stresses that the map isn’t a comprehensive report on tactics or raid activity and is only a reflection of raids and trends as seen by them.

It’s also important to note that the locations are NOT precise but approximate based on zip code or county.

You can view the map here and see the stories for yourself.

An Insider’s Guide to Living on the Grand Concourse

Our friends over at Brick Underground have put together a look at living on The Bronx’s Grand Concourse from the perspective of residents both lifetime and more recent transplants and co-op owners and renters.

Featured are two people we know, Samuel M. Goodman and Ariela Heilman as well as a few other locals who give insight into the food scene, crime, parks, and other issues surrounding daily existence on our Grand Boulevard.

We really appreciate that Sam points out that although there’s a Starbucks, you can still get coffee for under a dollar in many places (seriously, who needs Starbucks?).

While some talk about the great apartments and value you get if you’re looking to move here, one resident simply said, “…if you’re thinking of moving here, run the other way!”

Personally, we don’t share that sentiment (unless you’re a gentrifier then please do run the other way).

What would you tell people about the Grand Concourse and living here?

Some of our favorite things about the area is that in many ways it’s a living, breathing museum of art deco architecture featuring the largest collection of such buildings in the world.

Perhaps what we hate the most is how the Yankees dominate the area and pretty much put it on lockdown when there’s a game as if we didn’t live here. Parking? Forget about it.

Can you imagine if we actually get a soccer stadium?

Check out the full story at Brick Underground.

Join the First Ever Bronx River Run, Pedal, Paddle!

Here’s a fun event for you where you can enjoy the beauty of the Bronx River in its full glory on Saturday August 11th!

The Bronx River Alliance writes:

Join the first ever Bronx River: Run Pedal Paddle organized by the Bronx River Alliance & Bronx Sole!

Gather a team of 4 friends for this team relay event. There will be 10 teams that consist of 4 people. Each team will have 1 runner, 1 biker and 2 paddlers. The running leg is approximately 2.6 miles. The biking leg is approximately 3.6 miles and the paddling leg is approximately 1 mile long. Each team will have 1 slap wrist band that they will pass to their teammate at the end of their leg.

Bikers MUST bring their own bikes and helmets. BIKES & HELMETS WILL NOT BE PROVIDED. Bikers will start at Bronx Park near Arnow Ave. and end in Starlight Park.

Some canoeing experience is REQUIRED. All paddlers must show up ON TIME to the meeting point at Starlight Park as we will provide a paddling and canoe safety demonstration. Canoes and life vest will be provided. Canoers will begin in Starlight Park and end at Hunts Point Riverside Park.

You must be 18 or older to participate. To learn more information visit www.bronxriver.org/calendar.

Questions? Email jonah.garnick@bronxriver.org

Tickets are $25 per person so make sure you head to the official event page and get your tickets early!

Bronx Teen Travels to Canada to for Square Dancing Competition

17 year old Jonathan Welner of The Bronx is in London, Canada but this isn’t your ordinary Bronx teen.

You see, Jonathan is up north competing in the country’s national square dancing competition.

The London Free Press reports:

The 17-year-old eventually learned to call out the moves to dancers, a signature of both square and round dancing.

He’ll even be calling some dances with his grandfather at the convention in London this week.

“I enjoy being up on that stage and just watching everybody have a good time,” Welner said. “You get to see new people every day. I enjoy seeing a smile on the people’s faces when I entertain.”

If a Puerto Rican man from The Bronx can become the king of Ukrainian folk dance then surely a Bronx kid can compete in square dancing, no?

You can read the full story here.

(header image ©Jennifer Bieman/London Free Press)

Bronx Residents Claim Spies Are Everywhere Near Russian Diplomat Building in Riverdale

This is one of those stories that might seem far-fetched yet if you’re from The Bronx and especially from Riverdale then you probably know about the ugly Soviet-built Russian diplomat building at 355 W 255th Street and the decades old rumors that surround it.

Now local Bronxites have told the New York Post that they are surrounded by spies and feel like big brother is watching them.

And it doesn’t help that in 2015 a local Riverdale resident just blocks away from the Russian Diplomatic Compound was arrested for trying to recruit everyday Americans to conduct espionage for Russia.

He was eventually deported.

The New York Post writes:

Builders and all construction materials were imported from Russia so as to minimize the risk that American intelligence could plant listening devices or sabotage the construction, the resident told The Post.

Although it’s a mystery what goes on at the giant complex — a place many local residents refer to simply as “the compound” — most assume that many of their Russian neighbors are spies.

Many believe Riverdale has long been an epicenter of Russian intrigue and espionage. Soviet defector Arkady Shevchenko, a former advisor to the Soviet foreign ministry who lived in the building before he defected to the United States in 1978, noted in his book “Breaking with Moscow” that “the apartment building in Riverdale and the mission . . . bristled with antennas for listening to American conversations.”

Neighbors are not surprised, and some expressed anger, that the residents of the compound never bothered to reach out to them or invite them in for a tour.

“The only people who have ever been allowed in there were the police, fire department and the garbage collectors,” said Beth Zakar, a jewelry designer who lives across the street from the Russian Diplomatic Compound. “But there are spies everywhere here.”

What do you think? Do you think there are Russian spies lurking in The Bronx?

Read the full intriguing story at The New York Post.

Watch: A Bronx War Hero’s Lost Purple Heart Unites Long-Lost Relatives in Our Borough

Florinne Ambramowitz and her cousin Ronnie Connors who both grew up in The Bronx but never knew each other were reunited in our borough after their late uncle’s lost Purple Heart was returned.

Their uncle Rubin Keltch was killed in the navy during WWII.

The cousins never met due to their fathers having been estranged but 70 years after their uncle posthumously received a Purple Heart they feel complete now.

Watch the video below:

WATCH: Shop for Food on Arthur Avenue Like an Italian

One of the beauties of The Bronx is that we’re home not just to Little Italy but New York City’s REAL Little Italy on Arthur Avenue in Belmont.

It is where people from all over the metropolitan area come to shop when they want the freshest and best in Italian food products.

Beatrice Tosti, a native of Italy and owner of Il Posto Accanto in the East Village takes CBS News’ Elle McLogan on a tour through Arthur Avenue and shows her how to shop like an Italian.


Let us know what you think!

Report: The Bronx is Setting Records for Population, Business, and Job Growth

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Since 1980, The Bronx’s population has grown by 36% to just below the historic high set in 1970 regaining the population lost during decades of disinvestment during the burning years.

This growth has been fueled by immigrants who have more than doubled in our borough since 1980 helping create one of the most diverse counties in the country.

Immigrants are also half the workforce here as well as representing 60% of entrepreneurs who identify as self-employed.

According to New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, “…The Bronx is setting records for population, business, and job growth.” during a press release highlighting a lot of important statistical data on our once forgotten borough.

Between 2007 and 2017 The Bronx added 40,900 jobs making it the ONLY New York City borough which didn’t lose jobs.

Some highlights from the report include:

  • The Bronx is home to NYC’s largest Dominican population with almost 220,000 residents
  • Residents have some of the highest rates of asthma for Medicaid recipients in the state
  • Health care is the largest employer in The Bronx, accounting for 27 percent (65,800 jobs) of all private sector jobs. The sector added more jobs (11,300) than any other sector between 2007 and 2017.
  • The leisure and hospitality sector had the fastest growth since 2007, increasing by 54 percent and adding 7,500 jobs (mostly in restaurants).
  • Three-quarters of all immigrants in The Bronx are from Latin America, with more than half coming from the Dominican Republic (219,700). The Bronx is home to nearly half of all Dominican immigrants in New York City.
  • The Bronx has the lowest median age (33.6) of the five boroughs. Children under the age of 18 made up one-quarter of the population, a larger share than any other borough.
  • The share of residents (age 25 and older) with at least a high school diploma rose from 69 percent in 2010 to 72 percent in 2016, but remained below the citywide share of 82 percent. While the share of residents with a bachelor’s degree or higher rose by 1.5 percentage points since 2010 to 18 percent, it was less than half the citywide share (37 percent).
  • Reported crime declined by 75 percent between 1990 and 2017, with an 89 percent reduction in the number of reported murders. Nonetheless, the crime rate exceeds the citywide average and there was an increase in the number of murders during the first half of 2018.
  • In 2018, The Bronx was named the least healthy county in New York for the ninth consecutive year. Despite some improvement, it ranked at the bottom for quality of life and health factors, including smoking and obesity.

The report also highlights that despite such major gains, The Bronx still has a long way to go.

We are still have the lowest median income in NYC and the highest percentage of peopleliving in poverty.

Despite the economic gains we still have the highest unemployment rate in the city as well.

“The Bronx has made great progress and has come a long way,” DiNapoli said. “It has set employment records for ten consecutive years. However, too many residents remain in poverty, unemployment is particularly high among the borough’s youth, and affordable housing is a big concern. I hope this report provides the borough’s elected officials, business community and social service providers with helpful information as they work to continue The Bronx’s revival.”

A lot of this growth is a testament to the people of the Bronx and their resiliency.

Take a look at the full report (pdf file).