The four major candidates for New York City Democratic
Party's nomination for mayor presented themselves and their
visions to a gathering of an estimated 150 Orthodox Jewish
activists last week in lower Manhattan.
The "invitation only" forum, co-sponsored by Agudath Israel
of America's political affairs and young leadership
committees, featured Bronx Borough President Fernando
Ferrer, New York City Public Advocate Mark Green, City
Comptroller Alan Hevesi and City Council Speaker Peter
Vallone, each of whom made a short presentation and took
questions and comments from those in attendance.
Mr. Vallone, who spoke first, was introduced by Agudath
Israel activist and former Koch administration official
Avrohom Biderman; Mr. Hevesi, who was next to take the
podium, was introduced by Dovid Moskovitz, a New York
businessman and president of the Masores Avos school in his
native Hungary; Yati Weinreb, co-chairman of Agudath
Israel's Vaad Hanhala, introduced Mr. Ferrer; and Menachem
Shayovich, co-chairman of Agudath Israel's Commission on
Legislation and Civic Action introduced Mr. Green.
Agudath Israel's executive vice president for government and
public affairs, Chaim Dovid Zwiebel, chaired the evening
forum.
The candidates recounted their records on an assortment of
issues of general concern, as well as matters of special
interest to the Jewish community and especially the Orthodox
community. Much attention was paid, both by the candidates
in their formal remarks and by questioners in the audience,
to the subject of governmental aid to nonpublic schools --
"an issue of vital importance to our community," said Mr.
Zwiebel, "especially in New York City, where we have nearly
100,000 students enrolled in more than 200 yeshivos." While
there were nuances of difference between the candidates, the
consensus among the four was that they would not support
school vouchers but that they would seek other ways to help
financially strapped nonpublic school families.
Other issues that were discussed included relations between
the Police Department and minority communities, intergroup
harmony among the city's diverse ethnic and racial
populations, moral issues like abortion and government
funding for offensive art, and the special housing and
social service needs of the Orthodox community.
Said Mr. Zwiebel: "This was a useful exercise. We had an
opportunity both to see and to be seen -- to get a sense of
each of the candidates' vision for the future of New York
City, and also to convey to them some of the priority
concerns on our community's agenda."
A spokesman for Agudath Israel stated that the organization
plans to engage in similar dialogue with other candidates
for high office -- including contenders for the Republican
mayoral nomination "as soon as we know who they are."
