The group that mobilized Jews to vote in droves to help defeat New York’s anti-Israel “Squad” Rep. Jamaal Bowman hopes to now dramatically boost turnout in the Big Apple’s mayoral and council elections.
“New York City has the largest Jewish population in the country. There are growing universal concerns about antisemitism and safety,” said Maury Litwack, head of the Teach NY Coalition.
“We want people to turn out so our issues are not ignored. A bigger Jewish turnout could have a tremendous impact on New York City elections,” he said.
The group’s participation certainly affected the recent Bowman-George Latimer race for Congress — in which the lefty incumbent was roundly defeated in the Democratic primary by challenger Latimer, the Westchester County executive.
“I’m proud of the Jewish community for turning out to vote in the 16th District. It was a proud moment for us,” said Rabbi Joseph Potasnik, executive vice president of the New York Board of Rabbis.
“This is a model, a roadmap for us going forward. The Jewish community can’t be taken for granted.”
The Teach NY Coalition is emerging as a powerful counterbalance to the hard left and its supporters within the Democratic Socialists of America, who are anti-Israel. The groups have largely given Palestinian Hamas terrorists a pass for their Oct. 7, 2023, atrocities against Israel and even supported the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement against the Jewish state.
A Teach NY/Westchester United analysis claimed the turnout of Jewish voters in the Bowman- Latimer primary in the 16th House District running from Co-Op City in The Bronx through the leafy suburbs of Westchester surpassed 60%, while non-Jewish voter turnout was 27%.
While making up only 9% of the population, Jews accounted for 23% of all votes.
Jews voted early — accounting for a staggering 52% of all early mail-in votes and 29% of all early in-person votes.
The group worked closely with rabbis and targeted congregants at three dozen synagogues.
The turnout of Democratic voters at these synagogues ranged from 73% to 89%.
The effort early on also included encouraging Jewish voters who were registered independents and Republicans to re-enroll as Democrats to vote in the Bowman-Latimer primary.
One in 6 Jewish voters targeted by the re-enrollment campaign enrolled as Democrats before the Feb. 14 deadline, or 2,010 voters.
While not legally a partisan group pledging support for or against a candidate, Teach NY targeted voters who were not fans of Bowman.
Litwack said his group, which has deep ties in New York, can scale up to replicate the successful template from Westchester to increase the turnout of Jewish voters in the Big Apple and elsewhere.
He said the group’s canvassers can focus on parents with kids in yeshivas as well as through hundreds of synagogues in the city,
“We have 100,000 students in yeshivas in New York City,” he said.
Mayor Eric Adams is expected to seek re-election next year. He is set to face a likely Democratic primary challenge from city Comptroller Brad Lander, former Comptroller Scott Stringer and Brooklyn state Sen. Zellnor Myrie.
Guardians Angel founder Curtis Sliwa, the Republican Party nominee in 2021, is expected to run again. Junior’s Restaurant owner Alan Rosen is also mulling a run on the GOP ballot line.
