Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver (AD 65)
The Jewish community has no greater friend in Albany than Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, a lifelong resident of the Lower East Side who has been consistently delivering for his district for years.
He has passed legislation prohibiting local governments and New York State from doing business with companies that invest in Iran’s energy industry, further hindering that nation’s ability to pursue nuclear weapons and threaten Israel. In this year’s budget, he increased funding for mandated services at yeshivas and ensured that if voters pass the $2 billion Smart Schools Bond Act, yeshivas will be permitted to use a significant portion of the funds.
He also passed a law helping New Yorkers with access to fertility drugs, ensuring their ability to obtain prescriptions from non-mail order pharmacies at no additional expense.
Whether it is the great support he gives to the many charitable organizations that help the needy or his tireless advocacy for our seniors and children, Mr. Silver exemplifies government at its best. He has famously led the battle on religious freedom issues, provided crucial support to Jewish social services organizations and recently joined Gov. Cuomo to form a New York State unity delegation to Israel.
We wholeheartedly endorse Speaker Silver and hope he continues to serve his district and our state for many years to come.
Assemblyman Charles Lavine (AD 13)
President of the New York Chapter of the National Association of Jewish Legislators, Assemblyman Lavine has been a great friend to the Jewish community in his Nassau County district and across the state. He is a strong supporter of Israel, helping to lead the fight to pass New York’s Iran divestment law, which prohibits New York or local governments from doing business with companies that invest in Iran’s energy industry. He has also fought for common sense gun regulations, sponsoring legislation that would crack down on illegal firearms.
Assemblyman Steven Cymbrowitz (AD 45)
An important advocate for the Jewish community, Mr. Cymbrowitz is a staunch supporter of Jewish social service organizations that provide legal and financial services and help feed the hungry. He played a leading role in legislation that requires insurance companies to provide the same coverage for prescription fertility drugs purchased in local pharmacies as those purchased via mail order. He also fought hard to increase state support for yeshivas, including for door-to-door transportation for students. The son of survivors, Mr. Cymbrowitz has been a leader in educating children about the horrors of the Holocaust and he has been a great friend to survivors and their families.
Assemblyman Dov Hikind (AD 48)
Assemblyman Hikind is one of the Jewish community’s strongest leaders, a staunch supporter of Israel, and a fierce advocate for his Brooklyn constituents. He is a voice of conscience on matters of discrimination, standing up courageously against anti-Semitism at home and abroad. Mr. Hikind also successfully pushed for the state to include rabbinical colleges in its Tuition Assistance Program. When the financial crisis hit, he helped expand health insurance coverage for children and the unemployed.
John Jasilli (AD 52)
There are several issues separating John Jasilli and opponent Jo Anne Simon in the race for the Assembly in district 52. But what convinced us that Mr. Jasilli is the better choice was a deplorable incident several weeks ago when Ms. Simon ambushed Civil Court Judge Noach Dear’s candidacy for a Supreme Court judgeship at a Kings County Democratic Party executive committee meeting. With a series of half-truths and innuendos about racism and the like, she put the kibosh on Judge Dear’s possible selection. We rebutted her claims in an editorial in our September 23issue and won’t repeat what we said then. Suffice it to say we think Ms. Simon’s actions do not commend her for a seat in the Assembly.