Brooklyn, NY – The Jewish Press, one of the most widely-read publications serving the Jewish community in Brooklyn, today endorsed John Heyer for City Council.
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Below is from the Jewish press Editorial
The Jewish Press urges support for John Heyer. A devout Catholic, Mr. Heyer shares our community’s views on a broad range of issues, including family values and parochial education. By any measure his joining the City Council would be a positive development in terms of issues dear to our community.
There is, however, another important dimension to the race in the 39th district. We have long been turned off by politicians running for local office who, seeking our community’s support, express their undying support for Israel – though of course they know full well that foreign policy issues will never come across their desks. To be sure, having a plethora of public officials favorably disposed toward the Jewish state is not a negative. But the sheer pandering is what raises our hackles.
Yet it is a different order of business when a candidate for local office is on the public record as being virulently anti-Israel and derisive of Orthodox religious practice in his private capacity. To support such a candidate would send the message that public identification with anti-Israel and pro-Palestinian sentiment is not all that significant a matter to us. And that is not a good thing.
Sadly, Brad Lander, the current frontrunner in the District 39 race, is someone who has spoken out quite forcefully against Israel. In addition, he has voiced objection to Orthodox control of Israeli religious life and used derisive terms to describe certain Jewish practices – referring, for example, to bris milah as “religious violence” during his son’s circumcision ceremony. Incredibly, he has nonetheless garnered support from prominent members of our community, including at least one elected official. Mr. Heyer deserves our community’s support in terms of the issues facing the district. It is also important that our community sends a message of its own that we will not support anyone who opposes Israel.
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“I’m deeply honored by this endorsement,” said Heyer. “I grew up looking across the Gowanus Canal at the offices of The Jewish Press. So for me the Press represents not only a respected voice of the Jewish community, but a treasured Brooklyn institution. I look forward to working with the Jewish community, and to representing all the people of our great neighborhoods as our next representative on the City Council.”
WOW! Congraulations to Mr. Heyer for the Endorsment, we will all vote for him
WOW! Congraulations to Mr. Heyer for the Endorsment, we will all vote for him
Who else is running, is Simcha Felder in this race
I was going to vote for him, but now that the JP endorsed him, I am going with Lander
Kol Hakavod to the Jewish Press for standing up to Dov Hikind and the other machers who throw away their principles for political expediency.
I know the Jewish Press has its critics, especially in some yeshivishe circles, but it’s still the only frum paper that says it like it is — only now they’re doing it more eloquently than they ever did before.
You don’t like the JP?, fine. But their editorial is well-reasoned and to the point. What’s there not to understand? It’s slam-dunk. Heyer will stand up for OUR values. His opponent will stand up for everything the traditional heimisher yidden can’t stand.
i really don’t care what the jp is writing – i am going to vote for john heyer becose all the rabunim are saying to support him – but its good to here that olso the jp is behind the support of heyer
I will vote for anybody who is for “school vouchers”, One of the most important issues facing our community is paying tuition for yeshiva, while kids who attend public school are getting a free ride, we as tax payers deserve not less.
So if you believe that “it is impossible”, ” it will never work” or ” you can not fight the teachers union” then please stay home…BUT if you want to really help the community AND your self, then vote for JOHN HEYER for city council.
kol hakavod to the jewish press for saying the truth as it is. Go heyer!
Hamodia did not endorse Heyer but in their analysis of the candidates they praised Heyer to the hilt… its kind of a “non-endorsement endorsement”.
There is also in between the lines of Hamodia a thinly veiled criticism of Hikind for standing alone against all Rabbonim, Mosdos and the Agudah. According to the Hamodia, there are enough reasons to reject Lander for moral and local issues, without even discussing his being anti-Israel.