Declaration of the Rabbisof the Sephardic-Syrian

To Our Beloved Community,

We, the undersigned rabbinic leaders of the Syrian Jewish community, write to you with a message of responsibility, urgency, and obligation. At this critical juncture in our city’s history, we declare without hesitation: every eligible member of our community must vote.

This is not about politics. It is about our sacred duty, to our families, to our schools, to our yeshivot, to our synagogues, and to our way of life. Voting is not merely a right. It is a halachic and moral responsibility. It is a declaration that we care, that we are engaged, and that we will not stand idly by while the future of our people is at stake.

The decisions being made in the coming elections, for mayor and other critical offices, will shape the future of our yeshivot, synagogues, schools, neighborhoods, and religious freedoms. We cannot afford silence. We cannot afford apathy. We dare not be passive when our way of life is on the line.

We are living in a time when the values that have allowed our community to flourish are under growing threat. The upcoming elections will have real and lasting impact on the safety of our neighborhoods, the strength of our institutions, and the ability of our children to grow up proudly and freely as Jews. To sit this out is to abdicate our communal responsibility.

This is not optional. It is a mitzvah. It is a communal obligation, like tefillah, like tzedakah, like educating our children. When we stay home and do not vote, we weaken the very foundations of the blessings we have built over generations.

Over forty years ago, Rabbi Moshe Feinstein zt”l expressed this obligation with clarity:

“The rights guaranteed by the United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights have allowed us the freedom to practice our religion without interference… Therefore, it is incumbent upon each Jewish citizen to participate in the democratic system which guards the freedoms we enjoy. The most fundamental responsibility incumbent on each individual is to register and to vote.”

We are blessed to live in a country that has allowed Torah to thrive. But that blessing must not be taken for granted. It must be protected with commitment, with unity, and with action.

We therefore implore and expect every member of our community to do the following:

Community of NY and NJ regarding voter registration

Register to vote. Show up to vote. Ensure your children, your siblings, and your friends vote. Speak about it.

Take it seriously. Treat it as a mitzvah, because it is. Our strength has always come from our dedication to Torah, to family, and to each other. With pride in our past and responsibility for our future, let us stand together, firm in our values and united in action.

May Hashem bless our community with continued protection, unity, and strength.