The future of the country rested not only on Michigan and Pennsylvania, but also congressional districts where polls could only predict a tossup. New York’s Fourth District on the south side of Nassau County was one such example. While Donald Trump carried the majority of Long Island’s vote, in this district his party’s incumbent Rep. Anthony D’Esposito lost to Democrat Laura Gillen by 1.7 percent. Truly every vote mattered.
“We took what we did in Westchester and brought it to Long Island. We came in as a nonpartisan operation to mobilize Jewish voters. We really moved the needle very far when we saw over 75 percent of Jewish voters in a district where 67 percent voted,” said Long Island Unites coordinator Sydney Altfield. “The shuls had over 84 percent of their voters turning out, some to mid- to high-nineties. The real success was that the community stepped up. We did traditional, institutional, and relational outreach.”
Earlier this year, the Orthodox Jewish nonprofit Teach NYS successfully mobilized voters in Westchester County’s Democratic primary, ousting leftist Jamaal Bowman in favor of pro-Israel challenger George Latimer.
“Traditional outreach is phone and door, texting and mail. Institutional outreach is working with schools and shuls – getting volunteers to be the megaphones in the community. Relational is an app with captains and volunteers as the peer-to-peer contacts. This is changing the culture of voting in the entire Jewish community. It is about building a voting culture,” Altfield said.
In contrast to the primary in Westchester, both D’Esposito and Gillen promised to continue supporting Israel and combating anti-Semitism, and there was no doubt that New York would offer its electoral votes to Democrat Kamala Harris, while most Orthodox voters in the state chose Trump.
“We aren’t just building a community on presidential elections, but for every election, empowering them to understand the importance of voting,” Altfield said.
Having gained voter outreach experience in her hometown of Scarsdale earlier this year, Davida Fried joined Altfield in the Long Island campaign. “The message was clear in the chats that followed: We showed up as a community. Of all the minorities, look at the Jewish vote.” She noted that not all Orthodox votes went for D’Esposito, and Gillen understands that as the community grows, she will be paying more attention to its concerns, as members of Congress run every two years for reelection. “I fully expect ongoing conversations. The Jewish vote triumphed.”
Having received the message from multiple sources, community members stood in long lines at the early voting sites, studying the names of the federal and state candidates, and flipping the ballot to mark their choice on the proposition question. The Young Israel of West Hempstead, the community’s largest shul, reported a record turnout of 93 percent among its voting members, with Bais Torah U’Tefilah reporting 90 percent, and Eitz Chayim of Dogwood Park at 95 percent.
It really proved that when we push hard, we have historic turnout. This is the best that we’ve ever had, and we are going to be seen,” said West Hempstead resident Aaron Zelig. He noted that shuls of all sizes had record turnout. “House of Torah and Rabbi Greer’s Beis Medrash of West Hempstead, which are recent and smaller shuls in size, also contributed to the overall result.”
“There are three ways to connect with politicians: lobbying, giving, and the biggest is voting,” said Woodmere resident Cal Nathan, who participated in the Long Island Unites campaign. “The community finally understands the importance of being politically active. It is a turning point. It was the last frontier that we’ve conquered.”
In Westchester, Teach NYS encouraged registered Republicans to enroll as Democrats in order to unseat Bowman, teaching voters the importance of participating in primaries. The organization then opened offices in Florida, Maryland, Nevada, and Pennsylvania, so that candidates in both parties prioritize the concerns of Jewish voters in those electorally important states.
Looking ahead, Nathan said that schools that encouraged parents to vote will also be registering high school seniors as new voters, while highlighting how offices across all levels of government impact the community. “When we vote in a presidential election, we’re voting for Israel; it’s not about voting for more funding for yeshivos, and security in shuls and schools. This funding is on the state and local levels.”
Having gained experience in Orthodox Jewish voters’ outreach across Westchester and Nassau Counties, Altfield spoke about next year’s Orthodox voter campaign. “We are looking at New York City, where every Jewish community has the opportunity to make a difference.” In June, a crowded Democratic primary is expected, in which incumbent mayor Eric Adams is challenged by progressives Brad Lander and Zohran Mamdani, among others.
“When politicians know that this is one of the highest voting demographics, they will have to pay attention and listen to the community’s needs,” she said.
Fried said that the perception of Orthodox Jews as party line voters does not reflect in the results, as many districts with Orthodox Jews voted “red at the top, blue on the bottom. It’s not about party. It’s based on who’s better for them.” Examples include Kew Gardens Hills, where Trump carried the top office, while Democrats Grace Meng and Assemblyman Sam Berger were elected by the same voters.
“They’re voting down the ballot for the best candidate. That we vote is the most important thing.”
By Sergey Kadinsky
