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Republican mayoral candidate John Catsimatidis embarked on a day long tour, Sunday, at the Jewish strongholds in the Catskills. Accompanied by his Jewish Liaison Yoel Lefkowitz and his close friend Rabbi Duvid Meir Weiss, Mr. Catsimatidis visited the Willow Woods Bungalow Colony, Camp Shalva of Bobov, Krula Camp, Woodbridge and others in an attempt to boost his name recognition in the Orthodox Jewish community and garner some votes from registered Republicans for the critical GOP primary on September.

Mr. Catsimatidis received a warm reception as he entered the camp of Krula Yeshiva. The kids held up signs and enthusiastically chanted “John for mayor.” The Krula Rebbe then invited him over to express his support of the candidate and offered him advice and a blessing for success.

Speaking to a group of Orthodox Jews at Camp Shalva – Bobov, who claim to have a 1000 registered Republican voters, Mr. Catsimatidis said his Republican rival stands no chance of winning the general election in November. Trying to draw a sharp contrast between him and the frontrunner in the Republican primary for mayor, Mr. Catsimatidis claimed Mr. Lhota is mean-spirited and is making new enemies in his run for mayor.

“Joe is smart guy but he should calm down a little,” Mr. Catsimatidis suggested. “To be a mayor you have to calm down.”

Mr. Catsimatidis also claimed that a ‘pure Republican poll nobody puts out” had him and Mr. Lhota, two weeks ago, neck and neck.

(Jacob Kornbluh – YWN)