In NY mayoral race, Orthodox key to the ‘Jewish vote’
Polls predict Bill de Blasio a clear winner, but is he good for the Jews?
NEW YORK — The power and importance of winning the Jewish vote is not underestimated on election day by both of New York City’s mayoral candidates, Bill de Blasio and Joe Lhota.
Although De Blasio is predicted to win today’s elections in the largest landslide in recent NYC history, both candidates have focused some of their final campaigning on the city’s diverse Jewish communities.
The question remains, however, where is the Jewish vote and who are the Jewish voters?
Over Rosh Hashanah the New York Times created an info-graphic breaking down the demographics of the city, anticipating where the votes are.
The graphic broke the Jewish vote into three denominations: Hassidic Jews, Orthodox Jews, and Non-Orthodox Jews, who are concentrated in Washington Heights, Riverdale, and the Upper West Side suggesting this faction is what other Jews refer to as Modern Orthodox.
This breakdown coupled with the fact that both candidates campaigned in densely Orthodox areas over the weekend suggests the target is not so much the Jewish vote as it is the Orthodox vote.
Also in the New York Times, the paper reported Sunday Lhota’s maternal grandmother was Jewish. Although already broadly known in the Jewish press, one could assume Lhota’s team publicized the fact so close to the election as a political a move to ingratiate him with members of the tribe.
Both Lhota and de Blasio have responded to questions recently regarding outgoing Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s ban on metzitzah b’peh, a part of the circumcision process that involves orally removing blood from an infant’s circumcised penis, which is carried out in some Orthodox Jewish communities.
Bloomberg, citing health officials who contend metzitzah b’peh can spread disease, attempted to implement a standard policy wherein the infant’s parents must sign consent forms. Religious leaders in the ultra-Orthodox community claim this infringes on their first amendment rights.
Both Lhota and de Blasio have openly agreed to reform the policy, hoping to adhere to the community’s concerns while still factoring in the health risks.
One area where these men strongly differ, however, is in terms of religious education.
Speaking on media bias against ultra-Orthodox Jews on the radio program Community Matters, de Blasio made his stance on yeshiva education quite clear: He “does not support vouchers or tax credits for yeshiva parents.”
His cameo on the radio station, which made de Blasio the first mayoral candidate to appear on a Jewish radio program, made waves throughout the community.
Hear it for yourself. #deBlasio strongly against vouchers and tax credits for Yeshiva parents (Listen at 7:40): http://t.co/zY7uL9547I
— Jews For Lhota (@jewsforlhota) November 3, 2013
While de Blasio’s statement is consistent with his education policies, which emphasize fixing traditional public schools and assisting failing schools, Jews for Lhota supporters took this one to the bank on social media, perhaps in hopes they would gain some last minute supporters for their mayoral hopeful.
In terms of education, de Blasio, like Lhota, is looking to be very accommodating to religions in the New York. For de Blasio, this may or may not translate into city funding for Jewish schools, but it would call for an end to vouchers for yeshivas.
Though the polls indicate a clear de Blasio win it is equally clear Jewish issues will be talking points for the new administration.
