We all know the internet is awash in misinformation, disinformation and lies.
But still, we watch videos filled with outlandish content, and nod along.
Yup, we say. Weird. Who knew?
But when that content hits close to home — say, our very own town — we sit up and say, Hey! That’s BS! What a crock!
Still, plenty of people outside, say, 06880 might believe it.
An Instagram Reel from the Sad Money podcast (tagline: “Money Never Weeps,” by Stephen Sihelnik and Alex Payne), is making the cyber rounds.
Alex Payne and Stephen Sihelnik.
It’s a mishmash of the fantastic and the bizarre, with just enough threads of reality to make it believable.
And because Stephen sounds so sure of himself — and Alex throws in a few affirming “Wow”s — you would think that:
- Westport only exists because up until the 1960s, the “constitution” in Greenwich — “the rich town you really want to live in” — said that “you could not sell your home to Jews.”
- But because so many New York Jews wanted to live in the suburbs, they bought a “farm town” and made their own “Jewish town.”
- Which is why Westport is now 90% Jewish.
- And how about our Chabad? The host — who has been there “a couple of times” — describes it: 4 stories, “palatial,” with a garden and a “mile-long driveway.”
The actual Chabad of Westport: the former 3 Bears Inn.
Posted 3 days ago, it’s already amassed over 21,000 “likes.”
The nearly 600 comments — about religion, economics, farmland and more — are just as fascinating.
One woman — calling herself a 4th generation Westporter — says that her great-grandmother was respoonsible for making sure an antisemitic “gentleman’s agreement” was not established here, during a secret real estate meeting.
Another writes: “A girl I went to elementary school with would have birthday parties at her grandparents huge house, with an amazing pool, tennis court, etc, and they were, in fact, Jewish!”
We all know not to go down internet rabbit holes. But if you insist, click here or below to see the Instagram reel.
Click here or below to see the YouTube version. (Hat tip: John Nathan)
Prices were another motivator. Greenwich Darien and New Canaan had large homes with large prices. We shopped New Canaan in 1973 and there was 1 home in our budget. Realtor said “Try Westport.”
One of my kids sent it and I was indeed stunned — obviously fake “facts” with a disturbing take on how a bunch of rich Jews fled to the farmlands of CT from Greenwich and now supposedly populate nearly all of the town? Not funny — especially in a climate of rising anti-semitism..
I saw this a few days ago. As a former Westporter for over 34 years, and a Jew, it is offensive to our town and its values. I responded to it immediately. It is a hideous, lying reel and should come down, only if it could.
So sad that we have come to this.
To bad they didn’t do some research before opening their mouths.
“Social Media” indeed!!!
It’s a rhetorical question, but I have to ask what/whose best interests are served by giving this airtime?
This is so offensive. We all know everyone moved here because of Martha.
The big increase in the population of Westport began in the 50’s and 60’s. It went from 12K to 27K. Many of the newcomers were Jewish and they settled in certain areas of town e.g. Gault Park off Cross Highway. But the Gentleman’s Agreement was alive and well at Patterson Club in the mid-60’s and apparently alive and well in the Weston Middle School locker room still today? Sad. Very sad.
Hmmmm….
I heard that there are some really comfortable brown shirts on sale at Brooks Brothers ….Hurry, they’re going fast ….
This is typical of what it tearing our society apart. The comments are ridiculous and of course there will be many who believe them. The day must come when people take responsibility for and pay the price for misleading and inaccurate information. We are all being played and we must find a way to put a stop to this manipulation before we pay the ultimate price for it.
I saw that video too; it’s also circulating on TikTok. Westport’s brand emanates from the early 20th century artists who lived in a tight neighborhood at Compo Beach. An often overlooked factor in the growth of Westport and other Connecticut shoreline towns was the opening of the Connecticut Turnpike in 1958. My parents moved here in 1959 because they foresaw how the local business market would grow once the Turnpike opened. They already knew the town well because my NYC grandparents on both sides had purchased second homes in Westport during the early 1950s. My (Jewish) family has been here for 75 years and three generations. The TikTok/Instagram video is a load of crap and innuendo.