Despite the heavy rain and the late evening hours, over 65 people gathered on Wednesday for a vibrant, frank and engaging discussion on the issues that matter to the Orthodox Jewish community in New York. The first public meeting of the‘Orthodox Jewish Political Club’ took place at the Seville Manor ballroom in Borough Park.
Recently created by a group of noted community activists, OJPC is the first Orthodox Jewish political club that exists in the state of New York.
The attendees represented a diverse group of Borough Park,Williamsburg, Flatbush and Seagate, activists from all different ages and from all sects within the community. Community Board 12 chairman Yidel Perlstein and representatives of several elected officials were also in attendance.
Opening the meeting was Aron Hiley, the interim club president, who urged first-time attendees to register at [email protected] as club members and become politically active for the wellbeing of the community.
“A political club is where you have a chance to represent yourself. You’re not in the hands of any self-interest group or organization that somehow found another way to get money and then decide whom to distribute it to,’ said Mr. Hiley. “When you have a political club, when you get together, and there are always issues and interests that we all commonly share, we discuss them and we decide how will we tackle those issues, that’s where you can accomplish by having the power of people.”
“This power far surpasses the power of organizations with their own motive and agenda that may or may not have your best interest,” he added.
OJPC Chairman Mendy Reiner stressed the urgency of getting actively involved and underlined the significance of a grassroots-organized group trying to push forward initiatives that benefit all hard-working middle class individuals and large families in the community.
“We are frustrated that our needs are not always answered, but at the same time we don’t maximize our power to its original extent,” said Mr. Reiner. “The Orthodox Jewish Community could probably make up 150-200 thousand voters in citywide elections. 150,000 votes can elect a mayor.”
The chairman announced the club’s first accomplishment by adding a new polling site in the center of Borough Park. The Boro Park Y, home of the new polling site, is located at 4912 14th Avenue making it easier for many residents to exercise their rights to vote.
“Something is happening in Borough Park and it happened in no time,” he declared to loud applause.
He also brought up priority 5 and priority 7 vouchers as an issue needed to be tackled with greater force and hefty lobbying, pointing to the mere $15 million in this year’s Council’s proposed budget of almost $75 Billion.
Council member David Greenfield addressed the club, announcing his proposed bill that would provide school safety agents at the community’s private schools and welcoming suggestions on his legislation. In order to get it passed, he said, he would need the backing of a wide variety of people who are actively pushing it.
During his opening remarks, Mr. Greenfield dismissed the myth that ‘the frum community is powerful.’
“The reality is that while we walk around and feel good about ourselves, our community does not have power we think in government because we are not engaged,” said Mr. Greenfield. “What makes a community powerful? The answer is: look at the folks who run New York City right now – people who are active. That’s the key. If you are willing to put the time in, you get things done.”
The councilman, who now chairs the Council’s powerful Land Use Committee, urged the community members to commit themselves, to devote some time to get things done for the community.
Mr. Greenfield also praised Mayor de Blasio for being attuned to the community’s needs and for promising to include private schools and yeshivas into the universal full-day pre-kindergarten program.
Mr. Reiner later announced that the OJPC is actively helping the Seagate community which was hard hit by Hurricane Sandy. He said the Club already reached out to Council members Treyger and Greenfield with regards the much needed funding of theSG/BP route bus. The club will also be reaching out to Councilman Chaim Deutsch to solicit his support on this matter.
(Jacob Kornbluh – YWN)
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4 Responses
The estimate of 150,000 to 200,000 Orthodox voters in the 5 boros is extremely high. The UJA population study of 2012 found less than 500,000 Orthodox Jews in the 5 boros plus Nassau, Suffolk and Westchester counties. Given the large portion of children in the Orthodox population, the number of voting-age Orthodox Jews is probably a maximum of 150,000, and I believe that Orthodox turnout is substantially below the average Jewish turnout. I would be surprised if actual Orthdox Jewish voters in NYC elections is more than 100,000.
If they are orthodox, the issue is which rabbanim they turn to for direction on halacha. Many of the hot issues (rightly) dividie our community. Should we be supporting aid for Israel (which primarily benefits secular Jews and the IDF,which use the money to finance persecuting hareidim)? Should be support welfare policies (such as Obamacare) that help frum Jews but hurt America? Should we try to influence the Americans to follow the Shevah Mitsvos of Bnei Noach (e.g. oppose gay marriage and abortion), rather than striving for communal autonomy? These are halachic issues.
Appeal to the honorable NYC Councilmembers Treyger, Greenfield and Deutsch:
Regarding the Sea Gate/Borough Park Shuttle Bus, I am writing to appeal to Councilman Treyger, Councilman Greenfield and Councilman Deutsch to assure that NYC Council continues to provide adequate funding for the Sea Gate/Borough Park Shuttle Bus (operated by Jewish Community Council of Greater Coney Island), at a minimum level of $90,000 for the fiscal year beginning 7/1/14.
Since there is no public transportation into Sea Gate (the B36 bus stops outside the gate of Sea Gate), the Sea Gate/Borough Park Shuttle Bus fulfills multiple critical needs for our communities, examples of which include:
* To access public transportation, residents of Sea Gate must travel to the gate of Sea Gate on West 37th Street for the B36 bus. For the frail elderly, for the disabled, for young children and even for the general population during poor weather conditions, the walk to West 37th Street is difficult and for many, impossible.
* Furthermore, there is no local shopping in Sea Gate. Many residents travel to Brighton Beach or Borough Park for their basic shopping needs.
* Moreover, many children in Sea Gate attend private schools in Borough Park for which there is no bus service to Sea Gate available, creating a financial and logistic hardship for numerous families who struggle to bring their children to school.
* Low income residents of Sea Gate who work and shop in the Borough Park area but do not own their own vehicles need assistance traveling to Borough Park in a time-efficient manner.
* In addition, student residents of Borough Park travel to Sea Gate to attend the Satmar Yeshiva Gedolah which is under the administration of the Borough Park community but is physically located in Sea Gate.
At no cost to Sea Gate, Coney Island and Borough Park and Brighton Beach residents, the Shuttle Bus drives through these four communities six times a day, picking up residents in need of accessing public transportation, those in need of access to shopping in Brighton Beach or Borough Park and children in need of reaching their private schools and adults in need of reaching their places of employment in Borough Park. The Sea Gate/Borough Park Shuttle Bus also transports students from Borough Park to Sea Gate.
Hence, the Sea Gate/Borough Park Shuttle Bus:
* benefits the residents of Sea Gate who rely on the Sea Gate Shuttle for access to school, shopping and employment
* benefits the stores of Borough Park and Brighton Beach where Sea Gate residents shop thanks to the Sea Gate Shuttle Bus
* benefits the private schools in Borough Park which are attended by Sea Gate children who are transported by the Sea Gate Shuttle Bus
* benefits the student residents of Borough Park who rely on the Sea Gate Shuttle to travel to their Yeshiva in Sea Gate.
During 2013, the Sea Gate Shuttle Bus served an unduplicated total of 637 individuals.
Thank you for your sensitivity to this critical community need and for your support of continued and increased NYC Council funding for the Sea Gate/Borough Park Shuttle Bus.
Even 100,000 is enough as a bloc to elect top state officials such as NYC mayor and NYS governor. A united Jewish front such as an organized club would bring many benefits to the Orthodox Jewish communities in the city.