Rabbi Avi Greenstein, CEO of the BPJCC took a stand alongside Mayor de Blasio and other community leaders advocating in support of allowing Yiddish translators at the polls. Speaking at the Brooklyn Borough Hall on Monday morning, February 26, Rabbi Greenstein said about the Board of Elections decision to sue the Mayor for allowing translators at the polling sites, “Think about the message this sends to people everywhere – to people of all communities!”

In October, Mayor de Blasio and Corey Johnson, City Council President, announced that the city would provide translators for six more languages at 100 poll sites for Russian, Haitian Creole, Italian, Arabic, Polish and Yiddish. The BOE is only required by Federal law to provide translation services for voters in Spanish, Chinese, Korean and Bengali. With de Blasio’s push for additional translators, the Board pushed back. The BOE’s attorney argued that since voting locations are trying to create a zone of quiet contemplation and voter privacy, having a City hired interpreter gives the appearance of impropriety. Until now, any additional translators were required to remain more than 100 feet away from poll site entrances exposed to the often harsh elements as the translators were not trained or vetted by the BOE.

The BOE lost their challenge though as the Supreme Court, Judge Walker said that the BOE did not prove that the interpreters would cause “irreparable harm.” Speculative claims regarding possible harm or arguments that this might lead to a “slippery slope” are insufficient, Walker wrote in his decision.

The BPJCC was able to represent the Yiddish speakers of Boro Park and stand shoulder to shoulder with the community leaders and activists who represented the 47% of families that do not speak English in the home. The BPJCC was able to make a difference and highlight that the democratic process is one that is inclusive allowing all American citizens the right to vote and the right to understand precisely what they are voting for.

Caption: Rabbi Avi Greenstein, CEO of BPJCC advocating with the Mayor for Yiddish at polling sites at press conference at Brooklyn Boro Hall.

(By M.C. Millman / YWN World Headquarters – NYC)