I am compelled to respond to recent negative messaging on behalf of the Stern and Hernandez-Carroll slate for assembly that falsely claims this is the only slate that stands with the Jewish community. As reported in this very paper (November 21, 2024 by Chana Fischer), Englewood native and Teaneck resident Tamar Warburg is running for assembly (alongside Tenafly Council member Dan Park).
That article itself describes Tamar’s commitment to the Jewish community, which even her opponents do not deny. Instead, the basis for accusing the Warburg-Park slate of not standing with the Jewish community is that they are supported by Steve Fulop, a gubernatorial candidate who voiced disagreement with the IHRA bill. This is the flimsiest of reasons to accuse Warburg and Park of not supporting our community. Moreover, Fulop himself has been a steadfast ally of the Jewish community and his disagreement with the content of the IHRA legislation does nothing to change this assessment. In any event, the charge against Fulop is false; he is on record as stating that as governor he would not veto this bill if passed by the legislature.
Further, for all the talk of commitment to the Jewish community, I can’t help but notice that Mr. Stern announced his candidacy months after Tamar did. True commitment to the Jewish community might have been demonstrated by assisting Tamar’s campaign to be the first Orthodox woman in the assembly, not throwing one’s own hat in the ring knowing that it will inevitably split the “Jewish” vote.
I have known Tamar for nearly two decades as someone with a sharp mind, a big heart, a willingness to speak out for what she believes is right, and with integrity to spare. We could not do any better for our community than to elect her to represent us in the assembly.
Separately, this paper has recently published a letter from local heads of Jewish day schools supporting specific candidates in the primary. The collective letter by heads of schools who “serv[e] the Bergen County Jewish community” and are “motivated by [their] deep commitment to Jewish education” creates the strong impression that our schools are improperly taking sides in a political contest between two community member candidates. The mere assertion that the signatories write collectively in their individual capacities does not remove the taint.
