What’s at Stake

New Jersey, Jews, and the 2008 election

With Election Day less than 60 days away, NJ Jewish News is asking Jewish community leaders what issues they would like to hear the candidates address and what questions they want to have answered in a presidential debate.

June Fischer

Constituent service representative in the office of Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ), chairs the Union County Board of Elections and is board member of the Jewish Community Relations Council of the Jewish Federation of Central New Jersey

October 30, 2008

I have a simple question that I always consider when deciding for whom I will vote: Which candidate is going to represent my views and the best interests of my community? The answer to what is best for the Jewish community is not as complicated as it may seem.Read More

Meryl Frank

Mayor of Highland Park; chair, Obama Jewish Community Leadership Committee of New Jersey; member, Democratic National Fundraising Committee; national president, American Jewish Congress Women’s Division; board member, Jewish Federation of Greater Middlesex County

October 30, 2008

I think the possibilities are enormous for this election because of the economy and global warming and all the things that have been happening the last few years. People are concerned.Read More

Roy Tanzman

President, New Jersey Association of Jewish Federations; member of the national council of AIPAC; and former president of the Jewish Federation of Greater Middlesex County:

October 30 2008

I think people have to consider the social issues when deciding on which candidate to vote for. Jews are concerned about the same issues as other Americans. Israel really has to be taken out of the mix as an issue because both candidates have strong records supporting Israel.Read More

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Previous Installments

  • October 23, 2008

  • Max Kleinman, Executive vice president of United Jewish Communities of MetroWest New Jersey
  • Cheryl Halpern, Republican activist, Livingston resident, and former chair of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting

  • October 16, 2008

  • Dr. Gilbert N. Kahn, Professor of political science at Kean University in Union
  • Merle Kalishman, Chair of the Community Relations Committee of United Jewish Communities of MetroWest NJ
  • Robert Weisbuch, President, Drew University, Madison

  • October 9, 2008

  • Sharon Falkin, President of National Council of Jewish Women, Essex County Section
  • Warren Grover, Board member, New Jersey Historical Society; cofounder, Newark History Society; author of Nazis in Newark, former president, Jewish Historical Society of MetroWest
  • Azriel Fellner, Writer, film critic, former religious leader, Temple Beth Shalom, Livingston
  • Etzion Neuer, Director of the New Jersey region of the Anti-Defamation League

  • October 6, 2008

  • Rabbi Ira Budow, Head of school, Abrams Hebrew Academy, Yardley, Pa.
  • Lynn Sherman, Chair of the social action committee, Women’s Philanthropy of the Jewish Federation of Greater Middlesex County, and chair of the Sept. 21 Jewish women voters’ forum at Rutgers University

  • October 2, 2008

  • Paul Tractenberg, Professor, Rutgers School of Law-Newark
  • Herb Horowitz, President of the Central New Jersey Chapter of American Jewish Committee

  • September 25, 2008

  • Carol Simon, Attorney, graduate student in Christian-Jewish studies at Seton Hall University, Holocaust Council of MetroWest volunteer
  • Jacob Toporek, Executive director, NJ State Association of Jewish Federations

  • September 18, 2008

  • Stephen Flatow, Past chair, Community Relations Council of the United Jewish Communities of MetroWest NJ
  • Jon Shure, President, New Jersey Policy Perspective
  • Jared Silverman, Attorney, Republican Party activist, member of the Community Relations Committee of United Jewish Communities of MetroWest NJ

  • September 11, 2008

  • Allyson Gall, Executive director of the Metro New Jersey Area of the American Jewish Committee
  • Ben Chouake, President of NORPAC and delegate to the Republican National Convention
  • Shai Goldstein, Executive director of the New Jersey Immigration Policy Network
  • Rabbi Clifford Kulwin, Temple B’nai Abraham, Livingston
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