Lubavitcher Front, Center at GOP

By COLlive reporter

Mitt Romney was officially confirmed as the Republican candidate for President of the United States on the first day of the Republican National Convention on Tuesday.

In a rousing speech, his wife Ann Romney told the nation: “No one will work harder, no one will care more, and no one will move heaven and earth like Mitt Romney to make this country a better place to live.”

From all 1,144 Republican delegates and thousands of supporters, it was a Lubavitcher – and a registered Democrat – who sat front and center in Tampa.

Romney surprised the crowd when he appeared on stage and then returned with his wife to the “VIP booth” where R’ Chanina Sperlin, a Crown Heights activist, was seated as well.

Sperlin’s chassidic fedora stood out as the Romney family and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice listened to New Jersey Governor Chris Christi speak.

Speaking to COLlive.com, the intergovernmental liaison for the Crown Heights Jewish Community Council played down the fact that he was a member of the opposing party.

“An acquaintance brought me in,” he explained. “Traditionally, most Orthodox Jews, including Crown Heights Jews, will vote Republican in the general elections. Locally, for city council, state senate etc. they will vote Democrat.”

In between mingling with House Majority Leader Eric Cantor and the unyielding Arizona Governor Jan Brewer, Sperlin was hosted on nationally syndicated conservative radio show Michael Medved, an Orthodox Jew.

“There is a nice amount of frum people here,” Sperlin noted. “We had between 25 and 30 people for a minyan at Maariv last night in the hallway.”

He said many have been approaching him and thanking him for coming. “They say ‘we have to be strong for Israel.’ And it’s not only Jews saying that. A Reverend said it too.”

Sperlin also chanced to bump into former New York Governor George Pataki, who has long been toying with a run for the White House. “I want you to know that Crown Heights will always have a special place in my heart,” Pataki told him.

Sperlin also spent 5 minutes with Sheldon Adelson, the casino mogul and the largest Republican donor in this election, as he munched on 2 hot dogs dipped in mustard and sauerkraut.

Adelson commented that he is “a proud supporter” of Chabad and knows the Nevada Shliach Rabbi Shea Harlig and Rabbi Levi Shemtov, the Shliach in Washington, DC, who is at the convention as well.

“I think it reflects well on Crown Heights that they have a representative in such places,” Sperlin said, as he was headed to an AIPAC reception.

“Next week I will be going to North Carolina for the Democratic National Convention.”