[PHOTOS IN EXTENDED ARTICLE]

Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder (D – Far Rockaway) announced that he will not seek a fourth term as assembly member for the 23rd District, bringing a close to a remarkable five-year tenure as one of the state’s brightest and most promising frum public officials.

“Serving the families of Far Rockaway these last five years has been the greatest and most rewarding job of my entire life. My work as an elected official has always been guided by the desire to ensure a better future for my three children and for all our families,” said Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder. “I am grateful for the community’s strong partnership during this time as we worked together to make a great Kiddush Hashem.”

In an announcement, Assemblyman Goldfeder declared that he intends to conclude his 3rd term in the Assembly and will not seek re-election. Goldfeder attributed his decision to the desire to spend more time with his growing family and less at the state capitol in Albany. Regarding any plans for the future, Goldfeder only reaffirmed his commitment to serving out the remainder of his term with the same energy and ambition that secured his place as a rising star in New York politics.

“There are still six months of service that I owe the community. I intend to continue my work on behalf of our families and fight for the issues that matter most,” said Goldfeder.

Since assuming office in a 2011 special election, Assemblyman Goldfeder has been the driving force behind countless issues both large and small in the Far Rockaway community. A graduate of Yeshiva Darchei Torah, Yeshiva of Far Rockaway and Brooklyn College, Goldfeder credited his public service to his parents’ example and to his early experiences as the one-time director of Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s Community Affairs Unit and his work as U.S. Senator Charles Schumer’s Director of Intergovernmental Affairs.

As a state legislator, Goldfeder scored an early victory when he fulfilled a campaign promise to institute a residency rebate program for the Cross Bay Bridge, securing funds in the state budget to refund tolls for residents of Broad Channel and Rockaway. This began a tenure marked by an unwavering dedication to the fight for better transportation for neighborhoods with some of the longest commute times in the entire city.

Goldfeder’s advocacy also extended to the issues that mattered most to Far Rockaway’s frum community. During each of his five years in the Assembly, Goldfeder fought for and succeeded in increasing funding to yeshivas with Comprehensive Attendance Policy (CAP) and Mandated Services Reimbursement (MSR). It was this dedication to funding for education in Far Rockaway that led Goldfeder to stand as one of the few democrats in the assembly to vote against the state’s 2015 budget bill when legislators failed to include the Education Investment Tax Credit (EITC). EITC, which receives overwhelming support among Jewish groups and the community, would provide parents with a tax credit for their children’s tuition costs at non-public schools. Additionally, Goldfeder secured the first ever state funding for non-public school security as part of the SAFE Act which passed in January of 2013.

Even as local concerns were the primary focus of his work, Goldfeder often found himself well outside the bounds of his assembly district and the halls of the state capitol as he fought on behalf of the Jewish community. In December, Goldfeder traveled to France with radio host Nachum Segal for a unity concert at the Grand Synagogue of Paris. The concert marked the 1st anniversary of attacks on a kosher supermarket in suburban Paris and came just weeks after the horrendous coordinated attacks in the French capital that killed 140 people. At the time, Goldfeder described the trip as a solidarity mission on behalf of France’s Jewish population and an effort to show support from New Yorkers all too familiar with the threat of Islamic terrorism.

But it was Goldfeder’s role in leading the community’s recovery from Superstorm Sandy in 2012 that best defined his work as an elected official. From his days spent living out of the 101st Precinct as he helped coordinate recovery efforts in the storm’s immediate aftermath; to his presence at every public meeting, ferry rally and vigil since, Goldfeder has always stood out.

When constituents called or visited relief sites to report storm debris on their block, Goldfeder was out on the street within the hour, shovel in hand. If a street cracked and needed repaving, Goldfeder brought out the Commissioner to see the problem for themselves. If the tide of rising flood insurance premiums threatened to price families out of the community, Goldfeder was at the U.S. Capitol drawing on his connections to Senator Schumer to urge action by federal officials and pitch his plan for a New York Flood Insurance Association as an alternative to the federal programs that failed so many after Sandy.

With his hands-on approach and boundless energy, Goldfeder brought a new level of accountability and approachability to the office. A reliable presence at community meetings, and even more responsive on social media, Goldfeder prided himself on answering every question and working to address every issue. For Goldfeder, this was always a matter of giving back to the community that meant so much to him.

“I’ve always said that I was born and raised in Far Rockaway, and my wife Esther and I are now raising our three young children here. This community has given so much to me and my family and I hope that in my public service, I was able to give something back,” concluded Goldfeder.