New York – David Weprin: I Am Not Running For Rosh Yeshiva

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    New York – With less than a week to go until their special election, the congressional candidates in the 9th district formerly represented by Anthony Weiner tried to frame the race in the way that best benefits them. NY1’s Grace Rauh filed the following report.

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    If Democrat congressional candidate David Weprin had his way, the race to replace Anthony Weiner in Congress would not be focused on Israel and President Barack Obama at all.

    “The real issues in this campaign are preserving Social Security and Medicare and creating jobs,” said Weprin.

    His Republican opponent Bob Turner sees it differently.

    “For many, this is an important referendum on Israel. This government, the Obama administration, has pursued a course that is antithetical to the interests of Israel,” Turner said.

    The emergence of Israel as a major issue in this race is something of a surprise. Weprin is an orthodox Jew, yet some strong supporters of Israel are calling on voters to back his opponent.

    One of them, Democratic Assemblyman Dov Hikind, crossed party lines to back Turner.

    “I need something fresh. Bob Turner is something fresh,” Hikind said. “And the other side, the only way they think they can win, by the way, is to scare people.”

    Weprin has had trouble winning over some Jewish voters because of his vote in favor of same-sex marriage. He defended the vote in front of a largely Jewish audience at a candidate forum.

    “It has nothing to do with my personal religious beliefs. I am not running for Rosh Yeshiva,” said Weprin.

    Candidates David Weprin and Bob Turner will square off in a special debate on NY1 that will air at 6 and 10 p.m. Thursday.


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    28 Comments
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    Bigboy
    Bigboy
    12 years ago

    Very funny!

    Davethemave
    Davethemave
    12 years ago

    You don’t need to be a rosh yeshiva to know not to vote for same gender marriage. You just need to stand up for your beliefs.

    solakerman
    solakerman
    12 years ago

    “It has nothing to do with my personal religious beliefs. I am not running for Rosh Yeshiva,” said Weprin.

    This attitude is the problem, if a man has no commitment to his g-d, whom his very life is entrusted in, then he surely will not be committed to the needs of the people.

    We need to make a statement and vote for Turner…

    stockloss
    stockloss
    12 years ago

    Mr Weprin because your not running for Rosh Yeshivah or what they stand for please dont count on the talmidim of the Rosh Yeshivahs to vote for you. Hatzlocha to you in the private sector!

    chachom
    chachom
    12 years ago

    But he is running to as a person with moral judgenment, and in this area he has failed.

    12 years ago

    A Jewish man who can defend something that goes counter to basic Jewish law does not deserve any respect from his Jewish voters.
    As a jew, he is always running with a bible

    PinnyMeir
    PinnyMeir
    12 years ago

    ““It has nothing to do with my personal religious beliefs. I am not running for Rosh Yeshiva,” said Weprin.
    To anyone SERIOUS about their religious beliefs, EVERYTHING has to do with those beliefs, every action, every word, every thought. This remark reminds me of the stereotypical mafia-type remark when they’re going to ‘whack’ someone and they say “It’s nuthin’ personal, strictly business…” A ben-Torah is a ben-Torah “b’sheevtecha b’vaitecha, uv’lechtecha baderech”.
    And, “not running for Rosh Yeshiva” – Is he really TRYING to lose the frum vote?!?

    Berel13
    Berel13
    12 years ago

    He did the right thing. He was elected to represent other people not his own personal beliefs.

    notsofrummie
    notsofrummie
    12 years ago

    So people are not going to vote for him because he feels its ok for gays to get married. Hes not saying every guy marry dude – he is just ok with people who want to can. If he was in my district I would vote for the man based on that. A man who is thinking outside the box and not just saying what the frummie velt want to hear.

    12 years ago

    While Weprin’s position on gay marriage is clearly wrong don’t be duped by Turner and the tea party into voting against your own economic interests. The Bush tax cuts benefitted mainly the rich. The oil companies make record profits and have created few new jobs. The extreme right wants to gut social security, medicare and other programs for the elderly as well as schlarship money.We need tax cuts for the middle class and small businesses, raise taxes or those who can afford it and increase spending on on our deteriorated and dangerous infra structure to create jobs.

    12 years ago

    Weprin is representing everyone in his district and is trying to accommodate everyone as most politicians do. The gay rights bill allows civil marriages, not religious. So I don’t know why the religious Jews are so upset.

    NACHMAN
    NACHMAN
    12 years ago

    Even a Goy is prohibited from same sex whether by marriage or not (Mishkav Zochor) Sheva Mitzvot bnai Noach. Certainly a Jew should have voted against this bill certainly an orthodox Jew. Plus the Koch argument sending a message to Obama that we Jews will no tolerate his belitteling the Israel PM and his general policy towards Israel. It is a Kidush Hashem and imperative that Orthodox Jews turn out and Vote against weprin. You can make a difference.

    12 years ago

    If you are fixated on gay marriage as the only issue that counts to yidden, vote for Tuner, and then get some professional help with your single minded obcession on what people do in the private lives. If you are also concerned about the nearly hundred other mitzvot that deal with compassion and helping those less fortunate, than Weprin is the clear choice and Turner’s teabag philsophy is contrary to daas torah. I’ll take Weprin any day,nothwithstanding the fact he is wrong on this one issue.

    Raphael_Kaufman
    Raphael_Kaufman
    12 years ago

    Who said,

    “I’m frankly sick and tired of the political preachers across this country telling me as a citizen that if I want to be a moral person, I must believe in “A,” “B,” “C” and “D.” Just who do they think they are? And from where do they presume to claim the right to dictate their moral beliefs to me?”

    ncsyncsy
    ncsyncsy
    12 years ago

    Weprin is the party’s choice! Time to knock out the dictators.

    seagul47
    seagul47
    12 years ago

    The issue isn’t whether Weprin is becoming Rosh Yeshiva. His attitude shows in making the comment. That also reveals his contempt for “Da’as Torah.”

    Having been elected and with the experience behind it, when you vote in the Assembly you are expressing _your_ views–not those of the party. You may have to take into account political considerations.

    He did not say at any time that he felt political considerations were important in voting the way he did–that “might” be defensible but he never said that.

    But he did not take into consideration the views of his constituents who are largely against gay marriage.

    And that is why you should not vote for him.

    12 years ago

    He made a big mistake regarding the gay marraige issue, but Tea Party sorts like Bob Turner are bad in every way.

    Somebody who wants to do away with something like the Department of Agriculture, wants to have Medicare be financed even partially by its users & wants to cut deeply in other prime areas like health, social security, & other important social programs, fits perfectly into the Tea Party model.

    I have no idea why this preschool policy appeals to people. Not to insult young kids; they’re very intelligent & can learn vast amounts.

    YUBachur
    YUBachur
    12 years ago

    Please don’t pull out the “Da’as Torah” argument. Some people follow it, others don’t, but it’s a Hashkafic question. There are multiple views and people can choose which one they believe in most.

    I am not here to speak about the other campaign issues or the competency of any of the candidates.

    That being said, Weprin’s vote on gay marriage is unconscionable. As an orthodox Jew, he must realize that our duty to be “A light unto the nations.” It is our job to spread morality and proper ethics, as laid down in the Torah and Halakha. The Torah view of these sorts of relations is quite clear. That must be the standard. To condone this sort of behavior is evidently improper (even for non-Roshei Yeshiva).

    I do understand the difficult situation that people who have this orientation are in, and believe that we must do our best to aid them. As my Rosh Yeshiva says, “We must be sensitive to their sensibilities.” The caveat is that we need to make sure not to give any sort of sanction to this behavior.