When Jason Bedrick was considering a run for state representative, an incumbent legislator encouraged him to shave his beard. Bedrick refused.
“I said the beard is off-limits, and that’s not the half of it,” Bedrick said.
Bedrick, an Orthodox Jew, said he wouldn’t enter churches. He wouldn’t campaign at the transfer station on Saturdays. And he wouldn’t shake hands with women. His friend said he didn’t know how Bedrick could win.
“To not shake hands with half your constituents, that qualifies me as a disabled politician,” Bedrick said.
In 2006, Bedrick, a Windham Republican, eked out a six-vote victory to become the first Orthodox Jew elected to the New Hampshire State House.
Since then, Bedrick, 24, with his beard and a black velvet yarmulke, or skull cap, has established himself as a studious and often quiet conservative legislator with an interest in education. He still won’t shake hands with women or work on Saturdays. And he has welcomed his role as unofficial Jewish ambassador.
“The Jewish faith has outward signs of being Jewish to improve your behavior,” Bedrick said. “If I walk in with a beard and yarmulke, I represent something. . . . I need to constantly study to know what I’m talking about, to avoid foul language, gossip, negative talk about people. You have to always be on your best behavior to make sure you’re a good and proper representative of your faith.”
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13 Responses
A real Kiddush Hashem and chizzuk to frum people running for public office, or considering same.
Vote Starkman!!
Bedrick, you’re my kind of guy. Hatzlocho Rabbah!
I love the fact that he is a Republican. I cringe everytime a “Frum” jew runs as a Democrat and has to be associated with the their liberal agenda
After reading the original article you linked to I am quite confused. It appears his mother ‘converted’ to Judaism without any Kabbala of Mitzvos or Torah.
While I am sure he is sincere, is Bedrick Jewish??
I am not sure why everyone is so sure that he is Jewish. His mother was a goy who “converted” to marry a conservative jew.
great kiddush hashem! bedrick is jewish… he did another geirus on his own…
#4: Why don’t you be Dan leKaf Zechus?
He is frum. As you say, he is sincere. Assume he would have asked the shailah, and, if necessary, gone through proper Geirus.
Guesswho, you are right, but….
This issue of the kashrus of his mother’s giyur is an inyan between him and his rov. Who knows, maybe he himself went through quiet, private giyur, without advertising it. I know a man and a woman here, brother and sister, both with Yeshiva educations, who came before beis din and asked to be megayer. The rov asked them, “But your mother is Jewish?”
They replied, “She was megayer to marry our father, but in private she did not keep the Torah’s mitzvohs. We understand that means her giyur was not genuine, and that makes us non-Jews. Please allow us to be magayer correctly in our own right, now that we are over 18 and out of the house.”
They kept it quiet to avoid embarrassing their parents, but they were megayer k’halacha.
I was one of the Aydim. The man told me, both he and his sister would be careful to tell any shidduch that they are gerim, even though they are FFB’s.
We don’t know, maybe this good man, Bedrick has done the same. If not, maybe he will read this and talk to his rov.
But I think we need to be careful not to challenge his Jewishness in public, for that can be very hurtful.
I was very impressed with the article, it ain’t always easy to stand up to pressure in the political and business world, I’ve been in many meetings where other frum people showed up without yarmulkes; Here is his email address if you want to give him a Yshar koach. [email protected]
who knows maybe a black prez next year and a frum one in 8
A JEW: That would have to be 12 years. According to the US Constitution, one needs to be 35 years old to be President.
I just got off the phone with my friend, the Shliach in Wellesley, MA (originally from Boro Park) Rabbi Bleich. Turns out he himself is a giyur k’halacha. He is also the gabbai at the Chabad shul there.
I agree with # 9. e mail the guy a yasher koach!
Midwest maybe I meant Lieberman?
or the State Senator in Illinois Ira Silverstien
#3 VERY WELL SAID, THANK YOU!!