The Jewish Community Forum of Raritan Valley (JCFRV), formerly known as the Orthodox Forum, hosted a presentation by Rabbi Avi Schnall, a member of the New Jersey state assembly, on Saturday evening, Jan. 4 at the Shaarei Tzion Girls School in Highland Park. In addition to the nearly dozen people viewing the event on Zoom, more than 50 people attended in person to hear Schnall, who represents the 30th district that includes Lakewood, Howell, Wall and several other Jersey shore towns. Schnall also serves as the director of government education affairs for Agudath Israel of America.

In his welcome and introduction, JCFRV Co-chair Josh Caplan noted that prior to his election to the assembly in 2023, Schnall led efforts to increase government funding for New Jersey’s non-public schools and was the driving force behind the establishment of the groundbreaking Lakewood Student Transportation Authority that provides busing for yeshiva students in Lakewood and surrounding communities.

The session, “A Jewish Agenda for New Jersey: Antisemitism, Security, School Funding and More,” promised to address issues that impact the Jewish community and the effects of actions made by state government. After acknowledging rabbis and elected officials in the audience, Schnall began by dedicating the evening’s session in memory of Rabbi Isadore Rivkin, Ph.D. Rivkin had been instrumental in the growth of the Highland Park/Edison communities by shepherding the process of building an eruv and acknowledging the importance of the Jewish community in the local, state and national political arenas.

Noting that topics such as education in general and security could easily take several hours each, Schnall focused on perceptions and perspectives on antisemitism. He quoted American singer and songwriter Tom Lehrer’s song about ethnicities and groups that don’t get along that has a line containing “Everybody hates the Jews.”

“Antisemitism isn’t anything new, it exists and will never go away” and while the uptick in incidents since Oct. 7 is frightening and the worst it has been in the United States in a long time, we should acknowledge that things also haven’t been as good for Jews in America for hundreds of years. “Yes, there are bad things happening and saddening statistics, but there are mezuzahs on doorposts, active and visible Jewish observance, and rights that we’ve never had before,” said the rabbi.

Schnall added that the Asbury Park Press asked him to write an opinion piece after Oct. 7 and likely expected something about how bad things are for Jews. They were not expecting a piece that focused on the positive. “On Oct. 8 I received loads of messages from lawmakers and colleagues in Trenton who asked how I was doing and if I had friends or relatives in Israel who were affected.”

While public opinion rapidly shifted against Israel, he never heard or experienced anything negative or derogatory in Trenton. “Some people compare what is happening now to what happened in Germany in 1939. This isn’t 1939, and while anything can happen, we still have to be grateful for what we do have.”

On the positive side, Schnall noted that he lit a Chanukah menorah in Trenton with six other Jewish legislators. “I don’t see any benefit to fear mongering. We still have it very good.”

Additionally, the 2025 state primary election was moved a week later from its originally scheduled date that was to be on Shavuot. “With early voting and absentee ballots, this did not need to happen. It sets a positive precedent for our community.” This is particularly noteworthy when acknowledging the immense amount of paperwork and other tasks involved in changing the date of the election for a holiday that “90% of the citizens of the state (including Jewish ones) know nothing about.”

Schnall presented statistics that showed how every vote matters, especially in a primary election that many people ignore. He urged everyone to vote to show elected officials that the Jewish community is one to acknowledge. If elected officials are not supported by Jewish community votes at election time, they are likely to be less willing to support Jewish interests in the future. “We should show up for those candidates that supported us” and become more politically active by attending local council and board of education meetings,” he urged.

Janet Rivenson of Edison attended with her husband, Fred. “I want to hear what the government is doing to combat antisemitism and what can be done to help with the cost of tuition,” she said. While Eric Leibman of Highland Park noted that he is aware of what lawmakers are doing, but hoped to learn what he and the community could do to be more of a “presence.”

Highland Park Councilperson Matt Hale described the session as “inspiring” and appreciated the optimism of the session which emphasized religious freedoms and opportunities. “As bad as things are, America is a great place to live. We don’t hear a lot of optimism.”

The Orthodox Forum is a grassroots organization and relies on community donations to fund their programs. For more information visit www.orthodoxjewishforum.org.