In any election, at the federal, state or local level, the Jewish community has a lot at stake. And the elections this year are no different.

As Dr. Ben Chouake, national president of NORPAC, shared in a wide-ranging interview with this reporter, his organization is keeping a close eye on a bunch of races, both in the New Jersey/New York area and across the country.

In New Jersey, NORPAC strongly supports the reelection of Congressman Josh Gottheimer (D-5th District), who Choake deemed “very solid on our issues.” Chouake was one of nearly 50 Jewish community leaders in Bergen County who signed a full-page letter (printed in The Jewish Link October 27) in support of Gottheimer, praising his steadfast support of Israel, opposition to BDS and willingness to differ from his party in opposition to the flawed Iran deal.

Chouake also signaled NORPAC’s support for the reelection of Congressman Bill Pascrell (D-9th District) and Congressman Donald Payne (D-10th District), and the election of Rob Menendez (D) for the Congressional seat in New Jersey’s 8th District. He said that State Senator Tom Kean (R) looks likely to win in the close race with Congressman Tom Malinowski (D-7th District).

Looking at the broader region, Chouake expressed NORPAC’s support for the reelection of Congressman Glenn Ivy (D) and Congressman Steny Hoyer (D) in Maryland; Senator Maggie Hassan (D) in New Hampshire; and Congresswoman Elaine Luria (D) in Virginia (“She’s great on our community issues, faces a tough race”) for their strong support of Israel and other Jewish community concerns.

On the national level, Chouake said that NORPAC stands solidly behind the reelection of Congresswoman Shontell Brown and Congressman Don Bacon in Ohio, Congresswoman Morgan McGarvey in Kentucky and Senator Ron Johnson (R) in Wisconsin.

Chouake offered a cautionary note about news reports on some of the tight election races, stating that he suspects that polling is often inaccurate because Republican voters may be less likely to respond to calls from pollsters.

Gideon Taylor, CEO and executive vice president of the Jewish Community Relations Council of NY (JCRC-NY), offered the following statement to The Jewish Link: “As a 501(c)(3), JCRC-NY does not endorse candidates. We strongly encourage the New York Jewish community to head to the polls on Tuesday and make their voices heard. With support from the UJA-Federation, we have made nonpartisan efforts to increase awareness of the importance of voting in traditionally underserved communities that speak Yiddish and Russian, by making calls into households by culturally sensitive individuals who speak those languages.

“The Jewish community is certainly watching the gubernatorial, congressional, and other NYS races with great interest. JCRC-NY’s sincere desire is to work with all candidates once elected to increase awareness of the needs of the Jewish population in New York.”

“The JCRC in Northern New Jersey is closely watching the 5th and 9th district Congressional races, as we have worked closely with these districts on nonprofit security grants and community resource funding,” said Alana Burman on behalf of the Jewish Community Relations Council of the Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey. “Additionally, we are eager to see the outcome of the open 8th Congressional district seat. Regardless of the outcomes, we are supportive of those who are aligned in the fight against antisemitism and BDS, as well as those who help nonprofits provide valuable services to the community including security and safety net programs.”

“Every race matters, as Federation is committed to supporting all elected officials in understanding and meeting the needs of the Jewish community across Monmouth and Greater Middlesex counties,” said Dan Rosette, manager of Community Relations and Israel Engagement at the Jewish Federation in the Heart of New Jersey.

“This is an enormously important election year for New York,” said Sydney Altfield, director of Grassroots Engagement for Teach NY, part of the Teach Coalition, which is affiliated with the Orthodox Union. “A wide range of positions are on the ballot, from governor to several state senators to numerous state assembly members. The candidates who win these seats will determine funding for our children’s schools; the best ways to combat rising antisemitism and many other issues that are important to our community. This year’s race for governor is neck and neck. That means every single vote will count in determining the future and direction of New York.”

“In this election, Teach NJ is focusing on voter turnout,” said Katie Katz, executive director of Teach NJ. “When we demonstrate high voter turnout in our community, we show legislators that we are paying attention, and they in turn pay attention to our priorities. There is a saying in politics, ‘If you are not at the table, you are on the menu.’ When we don’t show up at the polls, we are telling our legislators that it is OK for them to not show up for us.

“Every year, there is a new state budget and legislators have the chance to increase, decrease or maintain funding to nonpublic schools,” Katz continued. “In order to fight for increases for our children and grandchildren’s education, we need to vote every single year. People love to complain about tuition affordability, but if you want to actually do something about it, go vote. Now is the time for every parent, grandparent, and community member to do their part by going out to vote in each and every election.”

Harry Glazer welcomes your input on this story. He can reached at [email protected]