Yitz Stern, a longtime Teaneck community leader, is running for the New Jersey General Assembly in District 37 with a grassroots campaign focused on amplifying underrepresented voices in Trenton. Appearing on “The Jewish Link’s Pitch Meeting” podcast, hosted by Co-Publisher Moshe Kinderlehrer, Stern laid out his vision for inclusive, coalition-driven leadership in the state legislature.

“We’re not affiliated with any gubernatorial candidate, nor are we supported by any county organization,” Stern said. “The incumbents are supported by the Bergen County Democratic Organization, but we’re running a community-based slate.”

A core tenet of Stern’s campaign is a strong stance against antisemitism, especially in the wake of escalating incidents. “Particularly since October 7, anti-Zionism is just another form of antisemitism. There’s no question about it,” Stern said. A longtime advocate for Holocaust education, he is urging the legislature to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism, which includes certain expressions of anti-Zionism. “In the Assembly, there are currently 56 sponsors or co-sponsors out of 80 members on the IHRA bill. So, a majority would support it,” Stern explained.

Drawing on his experience in law enforcement administration, Stern emphasized the importance of legal clarity. “A police officer knows what burglary means, knows what speeding means because they have a definition,” he said. “If they want to charge someone with violating a law against antisemitism, it needs to be defined.”

Stern is also focused on pushing New Jersey to support tuition tax credits to help families offset the cost of private education, which is currently not tax-deductible.

He addressed concerns that such policies could negatively impact public education. “Nothing could be further from the truth,” Stern said. “I, my running mate and so many others in the community are very strong believers in having a very strong public school system … our children are entitled to go to public schools and receive the education that they provide.”

He continued that whether children attend “a private school environment for religious reasons or special education reasons, they should be entitled to have the state help fund … not the religious part of the education, but the secular part.” That would include STEM programs, special education and school security.

Stern’s campaign extends beyond the Jewish community. His goal is to build bridges among the district’s many communities, including Hispanic, African American and Korean American constituencies. “We need to work together to ensure everyone’s voice is heard,” he said.

His commitment to unity led him to partner with Assembly candidate Rosemary Hernandez Carroll, whom he describes as “an energetic young mom and realtor, born and raised in Hackensack.” Stern noted that the Jewish and Hispanic communities share core values, including a deep respect for family, tradition and religion.

“The Latino community in District 37 makes up about 20 to 25% of the population,” he noted. “I don’t believe there has ever been Latino representation at the state level in this district.” Hernandez Carroll would be the first to represent another core constituency in this diverse district.

Stern also reminded voters how narrow margins can decide elections. “I once lost a race by just 55 votes. Every single one matters,” he said. Kinderlehrer echoed the sentiment from the host’s chair: “It also shows the power of the community. Just 50 to 100 more voters can make a huge difference.”

Kinderleher added: “You have a lot of friends in the community. Unfortunately, many of them are Republican … I know there was a campaign to try to get them to switch back to the Democratic party to be able to vote for you … several hundred were switchers.” Despite party differences, Stern’s leadership and vision resonate across political lines.

Stern’s record of service is long and impressive: 12 years on Teaneck’s Town Council, including two as deputy mayor; 27 years on the township’s Planning Board; and 25 years in Bergen County’s public safety division, where he currently serves as chief fiscal officer. He has also served on the New Jersey Commission on Holocaust Education and the New Jersey-Israel Commission.

Locally, he helped expand the Teaneck-Bergenfield eruv and was instrumental in launching Fairleigh Dickinson University’s yeshiva and seminary program, which enables students to transfer credits from their year abroad in Israel.

During the podcast, Stern also shared a personal milestone. “Today is actually my 45th wedding anniversary, which also marks 45 years since I moved to Teaneck,” he said. “We started out right around the corner from here [Queen Anne Road] and eventually bought our home and raised our four children, and now some of our grandchildren here as well.”

With a record of public service, a commitment to Jewish values and a bridge-building approach to leadership, Stern believes he is the right candidate to bring balance, experience and compassion to the Assembly.

Early voting begins Tuesday, June 3, and the Democratic primary is set for Tuesday, June 10.

Yitz Stern’s episode of “The Jewish Link Pitch Meeting” is available on YouTube and all major podcast platforms. More information about his campaign with Rosemary Hernandez Carroll is available at: https://www.togetherforbergen37.com

Rachel Abramchayev is the assistant editor at The Jewish Link.