As this edition of The Jewish Press is being put to bed on Tuesday, Nov. 1, Election Day is but a week away on Nov. 8. We and others continue to emphasize our message that it is imperative our community comes out to vote for Rep. Lee Zeldin for governor and turn Gov. Kathy Hochul out of office.
We share the dismay of many of our fellow New Yorkers over Gov. Hochul’s bizarre comments on the out-of-control crime that has gripped New York City and State. When Rep. Zeldin pressed her on the need to jail criminals, she responded: “I don’t know why that’s so important to you.” More recently, she characterized Republican focus on crime as unwarranted by the facts and a “conspiracy.”
Try as she may, she cannot deny that in New York City, crime is reportedly up this year by 30%, which includes a 33% increase in robberies and an 11% increase in rapes (although homicides are down 1%). Subway ridership remains depressed, with regular episodes of people being pushed onto the tracks, random muggings, and a mass shooting on a Brooklyn train earlier this year.
With all this, we in the Jewish community take special concern that Gov. Hochul’s apathy toward the independence of our yeshiva schools. It is no hyperbole to state that there is a threat to the very continuity of the Jewish community as we know it.
In contrast to the Governor, Rep. Zeldin has unequivocally committed to be an indefatigable advocate for the independence of our yeshivas and has effusively sung their praises based upon personal experience.
It is inconceivable that any of us in the Jewish community should take a pass and knowingly ignore the threat Gov. Hochul’s continued tenure in office poses to our religious future.
We must all go out and vote for Lee Zeldin for Governor on Nov. 8.
