New York – In less than 90 days from now, New York City will vote in the Democratic Primary for mayor.
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Elections are about determining the future of our city and our ability to enjoy the quality of life, however we choose to live. Elections for mayor should be based on whoever best fits the criteria as outlined in the city charter. I will cast my ballot for NYC Council Speaker Chris Quinn and I urge the members of our community to do the same.
The dialogue so far in our community has not concentrated enough on the issues that truly matter. We should focus on choosing a mayor who possesses the following attributes: smart, sensible, stable, strong, and sensitive. Christine Quinn is just the candidate who has these qualities of an ideal New York City mayor.
Most candidates for public office will promise everything to everyone and ultimately make no one happy. Those who do not make empty promises satisfy more people because they are true to their word. The old saying of “promise less and deliver more” seems appropriate here. When candidates are sincere, they may give statements you do not want to hear, however, you can believe they will deliver on commitments they do make.
For me, the turning point in deciding to write this op-ed was precisely when Speaker Quinn decried the pandering of the other candidates. It was precisely what she was not promising that convinced me that when she does make a commitment, you can bank on it. I have known Quinn since her earliest days in the New York City Council prior to her becoming speaker and her record exhibits that she is sincere and dependable.
What should be most important to you as a voter, is a mayor who empathizes with the constituents. Christine Quinn’s record of public service and not her personal life demonstrates that she has the unique insights to understand the challenges and particular needs of the Orthodox Jewish Community.
There is a notion that those in public life need to mirror their constituents. This belief is a fallacy of the highest magnitude. Many people before me have made the argument that it is in the community’s best interest not to have a member of our community in the oval office (or for that matter, city hall) but rather one who can best govern in a way that addresses the real concerns of our community. One may argue the pros and cons of this approach, but my point is that you don’t have to be a card carrying member of our community or subscribe to our tenets to represent us well.
Let me be clear. Torah values must be part and parcel of our daily existence. It is the only map a religious Jew must call upon to navigate the complexities of daily life. Torah values belong in our home and in our interactions with one another. Torah values belong in the way we conduct business as prescribed in the highest ethos of Jewish Law; and in the way we want to educate and raise our children. And yes, Torah values should play a central role in how we present ourselves to secular society every day and on every issue.
However, in that same secular society, it is unrealistic and frankly short-sighted to expect those in government to live by those same high Torah standards we as religious people set for ourselves. Those who want to raise the banner of Torah values in a political context ultimately dilute Torah values and the ability for our community to engage effectively in the political world.
You may hear a radically different perspective from those with their own agenda but as one who deals with elected officials every single day for over two decades, voters who care about their community and the many challenges facing us, would be wise to at least consider a different opinion.
Politics is not the Bais Medrash. None of the serious mayoral candidates reflect our lifestyle, nor do they have to, in order be effective advocates for our community.
To all those trying to inject Torah values into this campaign or any political campaign, recent history shows, though you may have the community’s best interests at heart, your efforts are counter-productive and damaging.
Historically, the vast majority of American rabbinical leadership did not inject religion or express the opinion that secular public officials in a democratic society adopt a Torah position or platform. Nor did the rabbinic leadership personally raise the issue of religion and politics even when they interacted with those running for or sitting in elected office. It is only a relatively new phenomenon that we use a moral or religious litmus test before considering a candidate for office.
Once we fuse religion and politics and use religion as the only litmus test to support or oppose a particular candidate, it could lead to a dangerous downward spiral that completely closes government’s door to our needs and concerns. Don’t believe it? It’s already happening.
Once we mix religion and politics, every religious viewpoint will have a right to air their beliefs in the political discourse. This country has a very strict interpretation of separation of church and state. For us, the word Torah is warm, welcoming, and sacrosanct; but perhaps the viewpoint of other religions is not so welcoming or interested in our way of life. Hence, it is in our self-interest not to allow anyone to dictate their religious principles on others.
Our overriding concern should always be to protect our right to conduct our lives in the religious fashion which we hold dear. It is the very reason our ancestors came to these safe shores. Furthermore, as an electoral minority, forcing our viewpoint upon others will only be counterproductive. It’s about the numbers and on a Citywide or statewide basis; we simply don’t have the numbers to dictate to anybody.
The role of government in regards to religion is to allow us as individuals to raise our families in the religious tradition with which we wish to convey. To that extent we want government’s cooperation, nothing more. We also should not want to impose our religious beliefs on secular society.
I am convinced that Christine Quinn as Mayor of New York City will not only be sympathetic to the unique challenges facing our community, but will surpass all expectations. That is because a mayor who is strong and sensitive as Christine Quinn has proven herself to be understanding of the needs of our community and supportive of us. Her strong leadership in the City Council and her ability to work with Mayor Bloomberg is indicative of her ability to govern effectively.
It is very easy to be a steadfast ideologue unwilling to compromise, and a hero to a very narrow constituent base. However, a real leader like Christine Quinn understands the need to be effective so that government can be a catalyst for good, even if imperfect. Christine Quinn also understands how to stand up for those who need a strong advocate.
I am convinced that Christine Quinn as Mayor of New York City will not only be sympathetic to the unique challenges facing our community, but will surpass all expectations. That is because a mayor who is strong and sensitive as Christine Quinn has proven herself to be understanding of the needs of our community and supportive of us. Her strong leadership in the City Council and her ability to work with Mayor Bloomberg is indicative of her ability to govern effectively.
It is very easy to be a steadfast ideologue unwilling to compromise, and a hero to a very narrow constituent base. However, a true leader like Christine Quinn understands the need to be effective so that government can be a catalyst for good, even if imperfect.
Christine Quinn also understands how to stand up for those who need a strong advocate.
I am convinced that Christine Quinn will understand the struggles of a middle class Orthodox Jewish family in our community. She can relate to a special needs child whose parents are fighting the bureaucracy and need to get their child approved in an appropriate school setting.
Christine Quinn will ensure that Yeshiva kids have their transportation needs taken care of, recognizing the safety concerns of a late dismissal. Christine Quinn demonstrates that she understands the challenges of the middle class by public stating that city fines should be a warning only for the first time with any financial consequences, providing that it is a non-emergency related.
Christine Quinn understands the importance of preserving communities and due to her experience as housing organizer. Christine Quinn understands the invaluable communal infrastructure that the Orthodox community has built in NYC and our commitment to this city. Her blueprints for creating affordable housing will help our community continue to flourish and grow in New York City.
When it comes to politics, I always keep the following expression in mind, “Don’t be right, be smart.” I urge you to understand, don’t be right. Elections are not about being right on every issue; start thinking smart. Elections are about being able to deliver for our community, children, and continuity. Christine Quinn as mayor will achieve all those objectives.
Ezra Friedlander is CEO of The Friedlander Group a NYC and Washington DC public policy consulting firm.
Openly GAY!! Does this bother Ezra?
I think Friedlander might have a consulting business that may have influenced the writing of this opinion piece. If somebody had nothing to gain I would trust his opinion more.
All yoden in NYC should learn from our passed mistakes. We listened by the heimishe politicians and we got in return crap, time has come for the avarage Joe to stand up and follow their own gut! Don’t vote for anyone that was part of the bloomy administration! Don’t vote for an openly gay woman! Don’t vote for anyone thats out right against our values, Torah and morals!
Based on the values Ezra writes I don’t see why he is not supporting Thompson. He has the same values without the obvious baggage that Quinn has.
Opportunist. Forget about the toeivah issue–did he not hear her speak out against metzitzah bepeh?
Ezra Friedlander is CEO of The Friedlander Group a NYC and Washington DC public policy consulting firm.
Ezra you are voting for her because you get paid for it. You do PR for politicians.
She wont be sensative to our community, she calls that “pandering”.
We have had enough by being duped by people like you to vote for Bloomberg.
“You may hear a radically different perspective from those with their own agenda”
and what’s yours?
“Ezra Friedlander is CEO of The Friedlander Group a NYC and Washington DC public policy consulting firm.”
Says it all.
Ezra, you are selling out the community for $$$?
She is against MBP and has proudly proclaimed so.
Secular Jews do not vote as a block, and the result is that we get respect and attention from all candidates, and are a disproportionally impotant part of the electorate in NY and nationally. Unfortunately the frum communities vote in a block as per their rav’s directionu and get no respect or attention.
Why is it the posters who are against her can’t spell or can spell at a third grade level? If the uneducated are opposed to her, that means the educated are in favor of her, so since I have an education, I will vote for her.
It is about time that we recognize how to navigate the political world in an advantages way for our community
FINALLY SOMEONE WITH AN OUNCE OF SENSE! HE IS RIGHT! ENOUGH WITH THE TALIBAN–WHO CARES ABOUT QUINN’s PERSONAL LIFE! WAS GIULIANI BNETTER? WE NEED FRIENDS!
friedlander is a good man. i trust him more than all the nay sayers.
if Quinn will ensure transportation for my child than she has my vote
GO QUINN GO!
“…when she does make a commitment, you can bank on it.” Really, now? She has made the commitment to enforce written consent before MBP; you can now bank on that! It would behoove Mr. friedlander to stop preaching so much about Torah values in government. Torah-sensitive + Ms. Quinn = oxymoron.
At the very least, don’t contradict yourself: Candidate Quinn presents with a partialized tolerance approach; Yet the article states
“…And yes, Torah values should play a central role in how we present ourselves to secular society every day and on every issue.”
Now, if you still want to preach, at least practice on paper.
Speaker Quinn wants to keep kelly as police commissioner. that is good for our community.
Unbelievable!
Have we lost all our senses! This is not mixing religion and politics!
Bloomberg and Quinn have launched an unprecedented attack on our religious liberties! We cannot reward such behavior!
OUR ability to properly fulfill Torah Mitzvos must be protected at all costs, that is whats at stake!
Quinn should not get a single frum vote!
Thank you Mr.Friedlander for voicing YOUR opinion.
NOBODY in the frum observant Jewish community expects anyone from the secular society to live by our high Torah standards.
NOBODY cares what anyone does behind closed doors.
We do care that people who are Menivolim (degenerate’s) wants society to know WHAT they do behind closed doors.
Again, Mr.Friedlander, we don’t care what they do.But we do care that your candidate,Quinn, wants gay marriage which means we will see in boro park two gay men walking on the street making out and they will tell your children they are husband and wife.And you don’t see anything wrong?
“12. Anonymous Says: Why is it the posters who are against her can’t spell or can spell at a third grade level? If the uneducated are opposed to her, that means the educated are in favor of her, so since I have an education, I will vote for her. “
Where did you get you “education”?
Seems like in the same place where all the politicians did, in the place that filled with znus, and corrupt values are the essence!
Or maybe you meant you finished Shas or got a s’micha, or became a Magid shiur?
If not – just be ashamed and keep low profile!
everyone should be made aware that quinn can win and proably win so we frum jews should take note and vote for her so our community has a friend in City Hall.
finally, one sane voice in the wilderness. Reb Ezra: where were you until now? all the fanatics are losers and have ruined our relationships with the politicians. CHAZAK!
PLEASE VOTE FOR QUINN
THE OTHERS ARE STAM PANDERERS
EZRA IS RIGHT!
She pledged to end stop and frisk. For me that is a non starter.
i will vote for quinn cause she got back all the day care vouchers. this is tachlis, everything else is narishkeiten
Ezra; I knew your Zeidi, the Lisker Rebbe Ztl in Boro Park; I went to the kever of your elter Zeida, in Liska, Hungary to daven. Ezra,do you think they would approve of your “understanding” of American Politics and your putting your Yiddishkeit on te back burner.
And on a practical level; the candidate your are supporting said that she could not allow chick-fil-a, a private business to operate in NYC because they support the Defense of Marriage” Act ( “not in my city”).
Ezra, what do you think Christine will do about Ohel, for example, if they do not approve ‘gay’ foster parents?
Ezra, come back home to your roots.
No Ezra we don’t have an agenda and all of us are saying the same thing. We are tired of seeing the same corrupt immoral democrats in power and we need to stand by our values once and for all
#12
Only uneducated people mostly vote and they make up for the block votes so what is the matter about spelling. It is Christine Quinn who stands for interests that are against our beliefs. I am not going into her personal life, did Ezra clarify her stance on MBP?
What he is saying is that the frum public to trust him, we did with Bloomberg and that was enough.
I must agree that Quinn does not pander to the community, but I think Thompson is a better candidate with less baggage. At least 3 of the candidates have seriouis moral failings, but very few in the general society hold our high standards of morality.
Although clearly the brightest and most articulate of the candidates Weiner lost my vote because of his past actions and constant pandering. He speaks as if he is one of us, but he seperated himself from the community by his marriage and tweeting.
As far as i know Ezra is lobbyist, not a Asken. (Quoting him, from an interview with Kol Mevaser). Does he have your interest in sight, or his interest.
Tell me if I’m wrong, These are the exact words I heard from him on Kol Mevaser.
How can she be sensitive when in an interview she mocked all other candidates as pounding for the Orthodox vote, re the issue of Metzitza B’peh.
She is better than that lying pervert, Anthony Weiner, who wants to be Mayor!
Some of the points Mr. Friedlander makes are valid and have merit. While I do not agree with all that he writes or accept his argument that Quinn is the best candidate for our community (Bill Thompson or Bill De Blasio are far better choices) his arguments are well reasoned and mature. As opposed to the insane ravings of hyper apoplectic bloggers who scream and yell morality but don’t have the guts to come out from behind their veil of secrecy to declare their identity as they malign and attack anybody and everybody who dares to have a different approach. At least we should give Friedlander credit for having an opinion and defending it publicly. Ezra has guts and those who anonymously attack him are cowards. Debate in the open and than let’s see how tough you are. If you feel so strongly stand up for yourself and your position. I do not agree with Yehuda Levin on most anything but I do admire him for standing up for his position.
Rebbes are interested in funding
the previous Bobover rebbe Rav Shlomo ZATZAL welcomed Ed koch who was the first pro gay mayor and did it although the Kasha Rav ZATZAL disagreed and protested. So this is not a clear and cut pesak. thats why we have to keep an open mind. Lets not close the door on quinn.U never know, she might be the best!
i am more worried about bill deblasio who wants to raise taxes
How much money is he getting? Is he working for her or is he just getting money?
Ezre, Is it true she is against metzitse b’peh , YES or NO ?! If she is not , please tell us, if she is , how can you be her PR for hiemishe yidden ?I don’t know what goes on in shomayim how they will judge you , but you
are definitely ruining yo
ur PR capacity with hiemishe yidden by selling your g d for a couple of grushin $$ I would like to see an answer. I’m giving you the benefit of the doubt.
First, no one cares who you voted for before, who you support now and who you will support in any race City, State or Nationwide.
NO NO and No again, not only the Jewish vote, BUT not a single voter, support or money should go to Quinn after she put in this soup Nazi Bloomberg for a third term automatically assuring her candidacy for Mayor in 2013 spitting the voters in the face who voted for term limits-now its our turn to spit her in the face.
Lets look ahead what Quinn will do as a (L), when a Rabbi will refuse to marry two men or two women, there goes the Jewish marriage certificate that’s acknowledged even by the courts, and Ezra will say “No she promised not to touch the issue” BS so did Bloomberg, and by voting for Quinn you are voting for Bloombergs fourth term and even worse.
Quinn is also fighting the Horse carriages, then comes the chickens (kapures) fish (shabbos) Rosh Hakaves (Peasach) to satisfy PITA animal rights.
Conclusion; Ezra please stay out of advising voters how to vote, don’t take Klal yisroel for granted you are not so bright yet, you had no mentor from the old school to know what’s good for the Jews and the Jewish community at large.
we are all foolish focusing on this gay issue. what about who is the most qualified to be mayor? come to think of it quinn would be a good mayor so take a deep breath and go to another subject.
there is alot of bias here by everyone who attacks quinn- u are afraid of quinn? why? because you think she will hutr us? trust me, she has no interest in hurting our community. live and let live. she helped out the community with the day care vouhers that bloomberg cut. my wife works for bais yacov. this is a fact.
Before I vote I will be listening to what the Gedoilim advise.
VIN must choose wiser before publishing an op-ed by a person who has a vested interest in the subject matter. Friedlander has been escorting Quinn around the neighborhood and if he didn’t have a political consulting business do you think he would be doing this? Shame on you and him.
If Quinn is so nice, fair, and truth loving like Friedlander thinks, she would respect those who oppose her on moral grounds, and not retaliate against them in any office she might occupy. If so, we can oppose her without fear, and there is no need to flatter her like Friedlander is doing.
Friedlander is lacking in self respect and bitochoin.
so much ink err type on a nonsense issue..all you fools out there who claim to speak aboit morals, gedoilam, etc. THE TWO SATMAR REBBES FIGHT IN COURT??? ISNT THE TORAH AGAINST THAT?? BUT NO ONE SAYS A WORD! WHY? BECAUSE YOU CANT ATTACK A REBBE! SO WHAT ARE YOU LEFT WITH? BASHING QUINN? THERE IS ONLY ONE SIN IN THE TORAH, RIGHT? BEING GAY? GAY A LIFE!
IT IS SO EASY TO IDENTIFY QUINN AS THE TARGET BUT BE SMART IS RIGHT EZRA. BECAUSE WE ARE DUMMIES. WE VOTE FOR THE LOSER AND THEN WE CRY WHEN NO ONE IN CITYHALL ANSWERS OUR PHONE CALLS.
Yehuda Levin won out. he started this crusade and now everyone kow tows to his viewpoint. we live in galus. none of our business what the secular law is. no one is forcing us to do anything that we dont want. and guess what? had we handled metzitza bapeh with more brains we would be be in the situation we are in. i bet you if mr. friedlander would be negotiating with mayor loomberg there would not be this mess of a consent form
every drop of funding for our community is thanks to speaker of nY Council. like it or not she delivered so lets have hakaros hatov and vote quinn for mayor–hold your nose but vote because she is going to be mayor. and trust me: YOU WANT THOSE baby sitting VOUCHERS
How much was friedlander paid for this?
It’s A BIG DIFFERENCE:
It’s none of our business how a politician lives his/her own private life.
But it’s a BIG DIFFERENCE if that politician can (and will) effectively promote a To’eiva agenda!
There are many important issues to consider, but to assist a candidate that openly supports and assists homosexuality is prohibited.
That constitutes “M’saya L’dvar Avaira”. (Assistance in promoting/helping a sinful thing.)
Her propensity to push for same-sex marriages trumps all other concerns. Even though she would likely otherwise be a great Mayor. (IMHO)
Another big difference:
The Bobover Rebbe Z’L did not shun Mayor Koch because he was already the Mayor. That’s the way our ancient leaders always behaved, giving proper honor to the secular powers that be (as long as we’re in Galus.)
According to Rashi, Moshe Rabbeinu gave honor to Pharaoh, although he was a degenerate, because, after all, he’s the king.
But it’s a BIG DIFFERENCE supporting/promoting a candidate that will increase To’eva in this world by propagating and proliferating genuine Znus BEFORE they come to power!
The differences are really simple to understand.