Dario Hunter claims slurs made against him by Bruce Zoldan

BOARDMAN — Dario Hunter, a candidate for the Green Party presidential nomination who was fired as a rabbi at Ohev Tzedek-Shaarei Torah, said he is “shocked and saddened” by a “homophobic and anti-Muslim statement” by Bruce Zoldan, one of the temple’s most well-known members.

In a chain email to Hunter and a number of the temple’s members, Zoldan, CEO of Phantom Fireworks, wrote: “I will finance [Hunter] if he promises to open and manage a gay bar for former Muslims with Jewish beliefs in Ramallah.”

The email references Hunter’s being openly gay, being born to a Muslim father and later converting to Judaism.

Hunter, a Youngstown school board member, was terminated from his part-time rabbi position earlier this week. He said he was fired because of statements he made about Israel’s treatment of Palestinians.

Mark Huberman, past temple board president and a longtime board member, said the board let Hunter go because of his decision to pursue a national political campaign.

Zoldan told The Vindicator today he apologized “for any misunderstanding” about the email. He called it “my inartful attempt to point out [Hunter’s] hypocrisy in helping to raise money for Israel through [his] sermons” and then for his “own political purposes expressing support for those who would punish Israel with economic sanctions.”

For the complete story, read Saturday’s Vindicator and Vindy.com