My father is my hero and I live every day to make him proud.

The Teaneck that I moved to over 45 years ago is very different from the Teaneck we live in today. This is because of people like my father, David Lew, who were always willing to step up and get involved in the community and found ways to overcome the obstacles they were facing.

You wouldn’t know it based on the many shuls and other Jewish institutions we have in Teaneck today, but back then, to be able to build was far from easy. Numerous stories have been told to me from people who were “in the trenches” with my father when they collectively fought to gain approval from the town to build Teaneck’s first mikvah. With that victory, they continued to advocate for institutions such as Torah Academy, Ma’ayanot, and Yeshivat He’atid, which benefit many in our community.

My parents taught me to always get involved, that no job is too small, and any level of assistance that could be provided was well worth the effort. With that being said, I was also taught that some gestures are grand, some go unknown, and some may seem like nothing to us but can make a huge difference in the life of another.

My good friend, Mendy Schwartz, is cut from the very same cloth as my father. I often see many comparisons between the two of them, be it their charitable contributions or the time they have dedicated to the greater community. In the eight years that he has selflessly served on the township council, and even before that in his leadership capacities with numerous other organizations, on any project he works on, he has unending energy for finding a solution to accomplish goals and complete the job for the good of the whole community. At times, I don’t think he sleeps.

I am so proud of the hours he puts forth and what he has accomplished for Teaneck. On any given issue, whether he agrees with you or not, he is always willing to give of his time and listen. While he may not always be able to fix a situation, he will spend all of his energy trying and will take the time to explain why he may not have been successful.

Along with Michael Pagan, I am extremely proud to not only be Mendy’s running mate, but also his friend. We are sad to see our beloved mayor, Mohammed Hammeduddin, stepping down. We have learned so much from his dedication and leadership, but we are confident we will continue to see great things from him and we will strive to make him proud.

This year’s municipal election is vote by mail. Ballots will be arriving at your homes over the next few days. Please make sure to vote, and I humbly ask you to vote to keep Moving Teaneck Forward and vote lines 4, 5, 6: Orgen, Pagan, Schwartz.