Hunter terminated from Ohev Tzedek-Shaarei Torah

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

Dario Hunter, Youngs-town Board of Education member and candidate for the Green presidential nomination, issued a statement Wednesday that he has been terminated from his rabbi position at Ohev Tzedek-Shaarei Torah in Boardman.

He reasoned he was fired for his statements against Israel’s treatment of Palestinians.

The statements included calling upon the U.S. to stop providing aid to Israel because of the country’s “horribly atrocious” treatment of Palestinians.

“I do not believe the United States should be providing any form of aid to Israel or any human-rights abusers,” he said in his Cleveland.com statement, adding that U.S. aid to Saudi Arabia should also be cut off.

But, Hunter said the Ohev Tzedek-Shaarei Torah board credited his termination to an objection to his Green Party presidential candidacy.

Mark Huberman, past Ohev Tzedek-Shaarei Torah board president and long-time board member, said the board made the decision to terminate Hunter based on his decision to pursue a national political campaign.

“It was problematic for his position at the temple,” he said. “As a political candidate he must adopt some kind of political platforms not in line with the mission of the temple. It’s kind of inherent. We felt that that was incompatible by him stepping out to run that kind of campaign.”

Huberman said during his time with them, Hunter did a great job.

“We enjoyed him as our rabbi,” he said. “We’re sorry to see this conflict has arisen.”

Ohev Tzedek-Shaarei Torah’s board president was not in the office when The Vindicator reached out for a statement Wednesday.