New York holy calling: to be counted, vote and influence

Gabbaim of the Batei Midrash throughout New York published this week a holy calling of the Council of Torah Sages of America and heads of the Agudat Yisrael of America to public voters – to come out and be counted.

Tomorrow (Tuesday) is the last day the parties can be counted to vote and influence in the primaries for mayor of New York and head of the other cities which will take place on September 10. Mayoral election itself will take place on November 5.

Orthodox voices contractor, a senior functionaries in New York, explains to B'Chadrei Charedim: "This time the candidates know that the one who will determine the balance in the municipal elections is ultra-Orthodox, because New York is the largest city in the U.S. in terms of concentration of Jews, and the public is going to point out that the identity the mayor's important to him. We, the Haredi public, it is important to show the politicians that we have electoral power at least on the municipal level."

Indeed, most of the candidates for mayor and senior officials in New York, have visited in recent months the various Rebbes, in the camps and Catskills and elsewhere. There were those even who went to pray at the grave of the Lubavitcher Rebbe of blessed memory, to win the votes of Chabad Chassidim. Others promised to address the issue of circumcision and other issues that plague the Haredi community in New York.

According to the 2010 census, 67% of the population of New York is not white, and according to the opinion of commentators, the election will be decided by the vote of what is termed the "majority of minorities" - segments known as high political awareness and party affiliation, who tend to vote at a higher rate. Special interest evoked in the mood of Hispanics, Asians and Orthodox Jews immigrants - who grew considerably in recent years. City Council Member Stephen Levin, who represents an area that includes the vote area of Williamsburg neighborhood, told The Times "he believes" the voting rate among Satmar leaped by more than 30%.

Candidates:

Not less than 12 politicians and a politician - nine Democrats and three Republicans – lift their eyes to the post of Mayor of New York City, and participate in the primary on September 10.

Most of the candidates are relatively unknown, and their names are not particularly familiar to residents of the city. Well-known ones: Anthony Weiner Jewish Chairman Christine Quinn City Council - supported by the lobbyists and politicians Satmar including veteran activist Moshe David Schneiderman, former city Comptroller William Thompson, Comptroller John Lee and current Republican candidate Joseph Lotte, who until recently served as CEO of the city's public transport authority, John Katzmitidis - a Greek businessman and Erik Salgado - professional politicians but are lacking inspiration and vision.

After 12 years with Michael Bloomberg, New Yorkers yearn to see new and fresh character as mayor. Although most political commentators maintain that befits a successful business man accumulated a fortune of billions, Bloomberg was a good "CEO", and will be remembered as someone who managed to preserve the achievements inherited from his predecessor Rudolph Giuliani, especially in maintaining the volume of crime rates. Nevertheless, according to the polls , residents are looking forward to the municipal elections in hope of seeing new faces at City Hall, city Hall located downstream of Manhattan.

'בחדרי' גם ברשתות החברתיות - הצטרפו!