Blue Ribbons for Israel, Just Not on City Streets

Updated:

Mayor Josh Cohn provided the following statement to us just after 4:30pm Friday:

“No City officer or employee has removed any blue ribbon from City property. Any removal has been by persons unknown. There was no Council action this week regarding the blue ribbons. We have been and continue to review our sign law. There is no antisemitism in this. On October 12, the Council and I issued a public statement condemning the Hamas attack and rejecting antisemitism, hate and terror. We reaffirm that statement.” (see the statement referenced)

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You might have seen blue ribbons on your neighbor’s house, in some Rye businesses and on streets across town. Now as Hanukkah is starting, the City is saying the ribbons, which connote support for Israel, cannot be on public property.

The origin story of the blue ribbons is tied to Ellsworth Street resident Kelly Goldstein. Sitting in her house a month ago and thinking about how sad the situation was in the Middle East, she decided she would sell blue ribbons for $18 to raise awareness and funds for Israel.

“It was for people to hang a ribbon up on their home, their front gate mailbox, or even if they chose to not hang it up, but still support, Israel and the soldiers,” said Goldstein who now estimates she has sold between 350 – 400 ribbons and raised about $7,000. “It was just to show solidarity with the community that, when I moved here 25 years ago, I felt like the only Jew and the last few years like it’s just nice to see that there’s a strong Jewish presence.”

Goldstein also got in touch with Brian Jackson at the Chamber of Commerce who helped her reach out to local businesses. And – along with some girlfriends – hung up what she estimated was about 100 blue ribbons all along the Boston Post Road.

She said she was subsequently told Mayor Josh Cohn, who is Jewish, was unhappy with the ribbons on public property. She reached out to the City for guidance and heard from City Manager Greg Usry on November 27th who said while he supported the effort, “the City Code strictly prohibits the placing of any materials in the City rights of way (along City Streets) or on City property. This includes political advertisement, commercial material, events etc. Historically, this has been a very sensitive topic for the community, which is why there is a prohibition. Obviously, there is no prohibition in resident yards, in businesses etc. With all that said, on rare occasion the City Council has waived this limitation.”

The Mayor contacted Goldstein on Wednesday the 29th, and by her account said the ribbon placement was illegal and further that he was unable to place the topic of the blue ribbons on the agenda that evening (on the 29th the City Council hosted a long and contentious public hearing on Nursery Field). Goldstein says the number of blue ribbons on public streets has dwindled to about twenty in her estimation and is concerned the City is or will be systematically removing them.

The City Manager Greg Usry said Friday the Mayor requested all inquires on the blue ribbons be directed to him. As of late Friday afternoon, Mayor Cohn has not provided comment to MyRye.com.

“Having seen them [the blue ribbons] around Rye over the last month has been to me a really powerful statement that the whole city of Rye and particularly the residents of the City of Rye are standing proudly with the Jewish community of Rye,” said Rabbi Daniel Gropper of Community Synagogue of Rye.

“There was a time, not that long ago, when I think Jewish people in Rye … didn’t always feel comfortable publicly demonstrating their Jewish identity in Rye. There was certainly a time where I think Jews felt excluded. Where the various shore clubs were not open to them, where we know there were neighborhoods with restrictive covenants, where Realtors would say things like, you know ‘you might not be so comfortable in this neighborhood’. That was a reality here. And I think I’ve seen at least even in my time in my 21 years here, a real change in terms of Jewish people here feeling much more comfortable and now even feeling this incredible feeling of support by the wider community.

Goldstein is continuing to sell the blue ribbons. One thousand dollars has been sent to UJA New York and other remaining and future funds are being donated to Love Support via Community Synagogue. Blue ribbons can be ordered for $18 from email [email protected] (Venmo @kellyreid-goldstein Last 4 digits of cell is 3477).