Following the October 7 massacres, there was an intense feeling in our community to “do something.” Many took self-defense classes, signed up for CCW permits, attended protests, and engaged on social media. These are important steps in the right direction. However, there is one thing that we can do to help determine who represents our community and who will have the power to make a difference.
We must go out and vote.
In two recent campaigns, two vocal anti-Israel incumbents lost their primaries and will not be in Congress next term due to a strong grassroots effort, and they lost their seats by a few thousand votes. These are just some of the many examples of where a small but concentrated grassroots turnout was able to make a significant difference.
In fact, Crown Heights almost had a virulent anti-Israel and openly pro-BDS individual represent us in the City Council 35th district seat while Israel experienced the October 7 massacre. The candidate had slandered Israel numerous times and wrote that “The Israeli government’s violent oppression of the Palestinian people is inhuman and intolerable.” and “We stand in solidarity with Palestinians.” He was backed by the Democratic Socialists of America and called to defund the NYPD, which would inevitably threaten community safety. Imagine the Jewish community of Crown Heights being represented by an antisemite on October 7?! It would have been an unmitigated humiliation to our community!
However, due to a strong turnout by Crown Heights voters, the anti-semite lost the primary to a more friendly candidate, who openly acknowledged that our community was instrumental in helping her win the seat and has been very sympathetic to our concerns.
Additionally, there are many other issues that we can influence if we exercise our right to vote. Bike lanes, parking, crime, safety, police protection, school vouchers, housing, taxes, and many other issues that are decided by elected politicians. The more of us that vote, the more we will be able to influence these policies. Our representatives will only take us seriously if they know that we show up to the polls. If we don’t vote, the politicians will be able to get away with ignoring us, as they have all too often in the past.
After the brutal events of October 7 and the subsequent increase in antisemitic incidents across the country, we can no longer sit on our hands. We must do everything we can to influence the policies that affect us. We must go out and vote and encourage others to vote as well.
Please encourage and help others to vote on Election Day or for early voting so that we increase our turnout and exercise our influence as much as possible.
Find your early voting and Election Day poll site: findmypollsite.vote.nyc
If you have any questions or comments, feel free to email us at: [email protected]
The Crown Heights Jewish Community Council
Stand up for your country and vote red, so much on the line .
needs to be a vote for trump
Vote Trump! Vote No to proposition 1!
EVERYONE MUST GO OUT AND VOTE! EVERYONE MUST GO OUT AND VOTE NEXT TUESDAY!!!
MAKE SURE YOU DONT FORGET
Kamala is the only one who can take care of us!
Go america!
I shudder to think how Kamala would “take care of us.”
Only vote for Republicans!
I shudder to think how Kamala would “take care of us.”
Don’t let it happen. Vote Republican…down ballot, too.
And vote “No” on all the propositions. It’s important!
Hashem is the only one taking care of us.
But I trust Kamala to at least not make things worse.
Harris-הירוס (destruction)
so sad to see how bullying actually works.
Right. Kamala who agreed with a yelling lunatic that israel was comitting a “genocide”, when in fact they are simply trying to protect their citizens. Sure, go ahead and vote for that person. just dont complain later.
‘israel is committing genocide’ kamala is taking care of us??????
KAMALA HARRIS!!??seriously????concerned.
Vote NO to all 4 propositions
Do your bit.
Say Tehillim and trust Hashem.
I just voted at Downstate, 450 Clarkson Ave. There were only two people ahead of me. Voting was fast and easy, under five minutes total. I took an Uber over and walked back. The total time was still much less than if I had waited to vote on election day. I voted NO on all the propositions and hope you will, too. Our obvious choices are Trump and Vance, the Republican running for Senate and the Republican running for Congress. Then I discovered that it’s our own Menachem Raitport running for Congress in the 9th congressional district. Let’s give him… Read more »