Rabbi Daniel Alter’s explanation in his article, “Why I Chose to Endorse Yitz Stern, Rosemary Hernandez Carroll for State Assembly District 37 Race” (May 15, 2025), of why he chose to endorse one candidate over another rang hollow with me, not because I disagree with his opinion, but because there is something troubling about educators, especially heads of schools, endorsing candidates.
Their role is to inculcate in students the virtue of civic participation and the idea that good people can disagree without being attacked for taking the so-called “wrong” position on an issue. Within our Orthodox community there are many voices and opinions on how to best fight antisemitism and fund day school education; there is not only one “correct approach.” School leaders should not take public positions on these matters, especially when it divides our community.
If it were their role, one might have expected strong opposition to a candidate whose personal values, behavior and policies go against nearly everything that the Torah stands for. But of course that was not the case, and frankly, I would object to that too, and for the same reason: it is not their role. We must stop acting as if our community is monolithic and that the only Jewish values are those dictated by certain self-selected groups. We must insist that our education leaders respect different political opinions and encourage voter participation without taking sides.
As for groups like BCJAC and TeachNJ, they would do a valuable public service by publishing voter guides with all candidates’ responses to questions on issues of concern without editorializing. Frankly, there is a dearth of information, and getting candidate’s unfiltered positions would be very helpful. With this information, I can make up my own mind, thank you.
