Westhampton Beach – Mayoral Candidates Vie For Bookings At Westhampton Beach’s Hampton Synagogue

Westhampton Beach – With a limited number of slots available during the summer months, mayoral candidates from all parties are scrambling for a booking at Westhampton Beach’s Hampton Synagogue, the summer house of worship for some of New York’s richest and most powerful movers and shakers.

The NEW YORK TIMES (http://nyti.ms/19kAf47) reports that the synagogue’s founder, Rabbi Marc Schneier, said he hosting a virtual “pageant” of candidates this summer at the relatively small congregation that boasts, among its membership, the likes of Ronald O. Perelman, Ronald S. Lauder, Russell Simmons, and Steven Spielberg.

“They all reach out to me,” Schneier said. “This is considered a very important stop on the Hamptons circuit.”

In describing the astounding mix of influential members a candidate might encounter upon receiving an invite, Schneier said, “When you’re speaking at a gathering of 200 people on a Saturday evening, it’s not just your—what’s the word I’m looking for—and it’s not your average Jewish family. I’ve said often, this is all chiefs and no braves. This is Scarsdale, the Upper West Side, Teaneck. It’s a community of communities.”

With limited dates available due to the short summer season, invitations went out early, with Democratic candidate Christine Quinn and Republican hopeful John A. Catsimatidis having already made early-July appearances.

This weekend is booked solid, with Republican Joseph J. Lhota scheduled on Friday, Democratic city comptroller John C. Liu on Saturday, and Democrat Sal F. Albanese slotted for Sunday in a make-up date for a July 6th scheduled appearance when he mistakenly went to the wrong synagogue, causing a cancellation.

Democrat William C. Thompson is scheduled for August 10th, and Independence Party candidate Adolfo Carrión Jr. slated for August 17th.

Democrat Bill de Blasio is currently in the process of booking a date.