September brings a distinct shift in rhythm. As summer fades, families face the hectic transition back to school, marked by chaotic schedules and academic pressures. Simultaneously, the High Holidays arrive, bringing a dense season of reflection, family gatherings, and community expectations. While this time of year can be rich with meaning, the combination of major routine shifts and intense holidays creates a perfect storm for stress, anxiety, and depression.

When seasonal pressure mounts, it can be difficult to distinguish between temporary holiday burnout and a deeper mental health concern. To help clear up this confusion, professionals look at a structured framework to evaluate emotional well-being: Intensity, Duration, and Frequency (I.D.F).

Intensity: The Volume of Your Emotions

Intensity refers to the severity of the emotional distress you are experiencing. It measures how deeply an emotion or state of mind impacts your daily functioning.

Everyone experiences holiday stress or seasonal anxiety. However, normal stress usually allows you to maintain your routines. High intensity means the volume of these emotions has been turned up to a disruptive level. You might find that anxiety prevents you from participating in family gatherings, profound sadness makes it impossible to focus at work, or irritability strains your closest relationships.

When emotional pain peaks to the point where it impairs your ability to work, socialize, or care for yourself, the intensity indicates that standard self-care is no longer sufficient. Therapy provides a safe space to de-escalate this intensity and develop healthy coping mechanisms.

Duration: The Persistence of the Struggle

Duration tracks how long the emotional distress has been occurring. A difficult, overwhelming week during the peak of holiday preparation is a natural reaction. But when that heavy cloud stretches long past the season without relief, or persists even when the stressor itself wasn’t particularly intense, it may signal a formal mood disorder.

In clinical settings, the length of time a symptom persists helps differentiate between temporary situational stress and conditions like clinical depression or bipolar disorder. Diagnostic guidelines typically require symptoms to last consistently for weeks or months before a mood disorder is identified.

If you realize you have been feeling “off,” hopeless, or constantly overwhelmed for weeks on end, you are dealing with a prolonged duration. Therapy can help identify if a mood disorder is present, disrupting these long-standing cycles so a temporary autumn transition does not solidify into a chronic struggle.

Frequency: The Consistency of the Incidents

Frequency examines how often the distress or negative behavior occurs within a given timeframe. It measures the regular occurrence of your symptoms.

Experiencing a single panic attack during a chaotic week or having an occasional sleepless night due to a busy schedule is manageable. However, if panic attacks occur weekly, or if emotional crashes happen multiple times a week, the high frequency demands attention.

When negative thoughts, bursts of anger, or tearful episodes happen regularly, they chip away at your resilience. Tracking the frequency helps you see patterns that are otherwise easy to minimize. A high frequency of distress means your mind and body are continuously operating in a state of alarm, and a therapist can help you identify and address the underlying triggers.

Listening to the Signals

The I.D.F framework removes the guesswork from mental health care. You do not need to wait for all three metrics to reach a critical maximum before you deserve support. A high score in any of these areas is a valid reason to connect with a professional counselor. Listening to these signals early allows you to take control of your well-being and begin the healing process.

Eddie Esses

Sometimes the most meaningful victories are measured not by headlines, but by the thousands of families whose daily lives become just a little easier.

One year after Governor Kathy Hochul signed New York’s Universal School Meals program into law, the impact is undeniable. More than 42,000 additional nonpublic school students are now receiving free breakfast and lunch each school day, helping families save money, eliminating the stigma of “lunch shaming,” and ensuring that every child, regardless of where they attend school, has access to nutritious meals.

For New York’s Jewish community and the broader nonpublic school community, this represents one of the most significant education victories in recent memory.

A Promise Finally Fulfilled

For years, advocates pushed for New York to recognize a simple principle: every child deserves access to healthy meals at school, regardless of family income or whether they attend a public, charter, or nonpublic school.

Hochul made that vision a reality by securing $340 million in the FY2026 State Budget to establish truly universal free school meals across New York.

Today, every participating public, charter, and nonpublic school can offer free breakfast and lunch to every student, with New York State covering the remaining cost for students who were not previously eligible for free meals.

The result is exactly what supporters hoped for: greater participation, healthier children, and meaningful financial relief for families.

Dramatic Increase in Nonpublic School Participation

Between March 2025 and March 2026 more than 42,000 additional nonpublic school students are now benefiting from the program statewide, a remarkable increase that demonstrates both the demand for and the success of universal school meals. The nonpublic school increase includes 33,000 children attending yeshivas and Jewish day schools in NYS (and within that figure, 4,000 children attending Sephardic yeshiva schools).

More Than Meals

Universal school meals are also delivering substantial savings to working families.

Analysts have estimated that nonpublic school parents are collectively saving approximately $60 million annually through the program – averaging a savings of up to $1,440 per child.

For families already making significant sacrifices to provide a Jewish or other faith-based education for their children, these savings are meaningful. Every dollar families no longer spend on school meals is a dollar that can instead go toward tuition, housing, childcare, or other household expenses.

Senator Sutton’s Advocacy with the Governor

Long before taking office, Senator Sam Sutton championed universal school meals as President of the Sephardic Community Federation (SCF), recognizing that thousands of middle-income families were falling through the cracks. Many families earned too much to qualify for traditional meal assistance but still struggled with the rising cost of living and private school tuition.

SCF also fought to end the harmful practice of lunch shaming, a problem that affected children across every community. Although New York City had been legally authorized since 2017 to provide universal school meals, including kosher and halal options, implementation stalled for years despite persistent advocacy.

After being elected to the State Senate, Senator Sutton continued making funding for non-public schools a top priority, working closely with Governor Hochul and legislative leaders to continue bringing additional funds to our yeshivot.

Senator Sutton has developed a close and productive partnership with Governor Hochul, one that has consistently translated into meaningful investments for New York’s Jewish communities. Whether securing increased security funding, expanding educational support, or advancing initiatives that ease the financial burden on families, that strong working relationship has delivered tangible results where they matter most.

Another Major Win for Nonpublic School Families

Hochul’s commitment to New York’s nonpublic school community extends beyond universal meals.

Just this past month, she also committed New York to opting into the new Federal School Choice Tax Credit, allowing donors to nonprofit scholarship organizations to receive a $1,700 federal tax credit for eligible contributions.

For New York’s Jewish community, this represents another landmark achievement. Once implemented, the program is expected to generate tens of millions of dollars in scholarship funding that will directly help families offset the cost of nonpublic school tuition. 

Combined with Universal School Meals, these initiatives represent one of the most significant reductions in the cost of nonpublic education that New York families have seen in decades.

Senator Sam Sutton

“A free breakfast and lunch for every school child in New York State is now a reality and [is] showing impressive results. NYC and NYS nonpublic school children are saying goodbye to lunch shaming and hello to a nutritious breakfast and lunch regardless of income.”

QUESTION:

Dear Rabbi  Ali,

I have been married for many years and things have never been good. I don’t think there’s much to do since my husband will not join me for counseling. We fight all the time and I know without help nothing will change. Do you have any advice for me?

R’ ALI’S RESPONSE:

You mention that nothing will change without both of you present in front of a counselor. This is one of the greatest misconceptions concerning marriage and all interpersonal relationships. I have seen countless people get help in their marriage without their spouse accompanying them to a counselor. Of course, it’s ideal to have both spouses going for help and working together to better the marriage, but it does not mean that you cannot get help if your spouse is not interested in going.

The reasons for this are simple. Both husband and wife have an obligation to do what’s right and beneficial for the success of the relationship. This obligation has nothing to do with your spouse’s obligation. If they are failing to do what they need to do, that doesn’t  absolve you from doing your job. For example: a man must work to provide for his family. Whether his wife is fulfilling her duties as a wife, a husband still must provide. 

Although, this concept has its upside (that you can work on the relationship by yourself if need be), the downside is that people have a hard time working on the relationship when they don’t see their spouse working on it, too. However, I have never met someone who says they decided not to work on the relationship. Everyone is trying hard to make the relationship work. Whether or not they’re doing the proper work is another issue. 

It’s also important to watch out for some of the pitfalls of getting advice without your spouse. One is that sessions without your spouse can turn into a weekly venting session without actually making progress. Remember – the goal is to try to understand yourself and your spouse and to come up with new ways to navigate the relationship.

Also, you have a better chance of getting your spouse to join you if you approach the topic in a gentler way. If you have been telling your spouse, “We need help,” he might take it as if he is the problem. Being vulnerable and proposing the idea as though you want help and would appreciate it if your spouse join, will yield better results.

This way of communicating works wonders. Many times, people are resistant to pressure and not so much the actual idea or request. In short, get help with or without your husband.

You and others in your situation should understand a few facts that many struggling couples should know. First, there is a strong possibility that you are not understanding your spouse. Second, know that fights are mostly misunderstandings that are emotionally charged. Third, asking a third party about your situation in an honest and sincere way could be helpful in seeing another perspective. Instead of telling your spouse how he’s failing at his job, you should ask a third party if you’re correct in your assessment of the situation. Much friction would be avoided if people would approach a rabbi or a counselor with this approach. 

In conclusion, speak to a third party. In addition, try your best to understand your husband, see things from his point of view, and learn tips and tools on how to have healthy interactions with him.

We are all familiar with the teaching that the word “Elul” – the name of the Hebrew month devoted to repentance in preparation for the High Holidays – is an acrostic representing the verse, “Ani ledodi vedodi li – I am for my Beloved, and my Beloved is for me” (Shir Hashirim 6:3).  This allusion points to the notion that acknowledging Gd’s great love for us is crucial for the teshuvah experience.

This idea comes into sharper focus when we considered another – far less known – allusion to Elul in the Bible.

Consolation Before Repentance

Each morning, in the final section of the shaharit service, we recite a series of verses that begins with a verse from the Book of Yeshayahu (59:20): “Uva leTzion goel, ulshaveh fesha beYaakov – And the redeemer shall come to Zion, and to those in Jacob who have repented from sin.”  The word goel ends with the letters alef and lamed, and the next word – ulshaveh – begins with the letters vav and lamed.  These four letters, of course, spell the word “Elul.”

What is the special significance of this allusion?  Is this verse associated with Elul simply because it mentions repentance – “Ulshaveh fesha” – or is there a more specific point of connection?

To answer this question, let us look at the sequence of the haftarot read on the Shabbatot during the summer and early autumn.

During the period of the Three Weeks, which we spend reflecting upon the destruction of Jerusalem, we read a series of haftarot prophesying the calamity.  On the first two Shabbatot, we read prophecies from the Book of Yirmiyahu, and on third Shabbat, the Shabbat immediately preceding Tishah B’Av, we read the famous first chapter of Yeshayahu (“Hazon Yeshayahu ben Amotz…”).  Then, on the seven Shabbatot that follow Tishah B’Av, we read haftarot of nehamah – consolation.  These are seven beautiful, uplifting prophecies from the Book of Yeshayahu that speak of Gd’s eternal and unconditional love for the Jewish Nation, and His promise to ultimately end our sorrow and bring our final redemption.

Then, on the two Shabbatot after these seven weeks, as we begin the new year, we read two haftarot devoted to the theme of teshuvah, prophecies exhorting us to repent and to return to the service of the Almighty.

Surprisingly, the Rabbis who instituted this sequence determined that we should first focus on the theme of comfort and redemption before focusing on teshuvah.  We would have expected that after the period of mourning and grief, we should be immediately urged to do teshuvah, to work to improve so we are worthy of redemption.  But instead, we are first repeatedly reminded of Gd’s promise of redemption before we hear the call to repent and make ourselves deserving of it.

The reason for this is that we need Gd’s encouragement and reassurance to motivate us to repent.

For thousands of years, we’ve been despised, ridiculed and targeted.  We’ve been accused – and are still accused – of all kinds of horrible wrongs.  We have been told that we cannot possibly be Gd’s “chosen people,” and that even if we had been chosen in the past, we forfeited this status through our misconduct, and we are now His rejected people.  We have always been a tiny minority viewed with suspicion and disdain – and this is increasing, alarmingly, in our time.

At a certain point, Jews might begin asking themselves if perhaps there is some truth to all this.  They might consider yielding to this pressure, and thinking that perhaps Gd truly did reject us, perhaps the rest of the world is right and we’re wrong, perhaps all the tragedies and persecution that we’ve suffered prove that Gd has forsaken us, that our nation has no future, that it is time to move on and forget about Gd and His Torah.

We would likely have entertained such thoughts – if not for the beautiful, stirring words of our prophets that we read each and every year during the weeks after Tishah B’Av.  After reflecting on the fall of Jerusalem and the numerous catastrophes that have befallen our nation ever since, we are immediately reminded of Gd’s unconditional love for us, and reassured that a glorious future awaits us.  The prophecies we read during these weeks emphasize that Hashem has not abandoned us, He has not rejected us, and He will redeem us.  This message is necessary to motivate us to repent and do what we can to be worthy of redemption.

This idea may help us explain the verse “Uva leTzion goel…” and its connection to the month of Elul.

This verse begins with the promise of redemption – “Uva leTzion goel” – and then continues with the theme of repentance – “ulshaveh fesha beYaakov.”  Once we are assured of the future redemption, after we receive Gd’s promise that He has not rejected us, we have the motivation to move forward and to put in the work needed to make ourselves worthy of redemption.

The word “Elul” is embedded in this verse for the same reason it is embedded in the verse “Ani ledodi vedodi li” – because this month is about reminding us of Gd’s unconditional love for our nation.  In order to be driven to repent, we need a reminder not to believe to what the antisemites say about us.  We need a reminder that we are unconditionally loved by Gd, that we are a special nation, that our many imperfections do not define us and do not break our everlasting bond with the Almighty.  During the month of Elul, we prepare for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur by reminding ourselves of Hashem’s love for us, by reminding ourselves that “Uva leTzion goel,” that He is still committed to us, that He cherishes us and wants us to improve.  In fact, on the Shabbatot during Elul, we are still reading the haftarot of consolation – because this is the crucial first step to teshuvah: realizing that Hashem still loves us is prepared to bring our redemption.

The Redemption Unfolding Before Our Eyes

In our times, this love can be easily seen – because we are, very clearly, already deep into the redemption process.

Although this has not received much publicity, the Jewish Nation has recently reached a major milestone, a historic tipping point.  For the first time since the end of the First Commonwealth, there are more Jews living in Eretz Yisrael than throughout the rest of the world. 

For millennia, Jews read the promises in the Torah and the Prophets about kibutz galuyot – the ingathering of the Jewish exiles – and wondered how this could possibly happen.  How could Jews from across the globe, dispersed among so many different countries, and in places so far from Israel, all return there?  But this is, in fact, happening, right before our eyes.  The Prophets foresaw the Land of Israel lying barren and then suddenly coming to life with the return of its people – and this is happening.  For example, on the second day of Rosh Hashanah we will read Yirmiyahu’s prophecy (31:4) – delivered before the destruction of the First Temple – about how vineyards will again be planted in Shomron (Samaria).  Sure enough, today you can visit several successful wineries in Shomron that grow grapes and produce award-winning wine.  Prophecies that our ancestors believed were true when they seemed impossible are being fulfilled right before our eyes.

We are witnessing the process of “Uba leTzion goel” – and we must therefore respond with “ulshaveh fesha beYaakov,” with greater efforts to improve.  The more Hashem shows us His eternal love for us, the greater the responsibility we have to show our love and dedication to Him.  Now that we see with our very eyes the fulfillment of the prophecies of redemption, it behooves us to invest in teshuvah, in the process of spiritual growth.

A Time for Giving

We conclude with one final allusion to Elul in the Tanach.

Toward the end of Megilat Ester, the Megillah tells of how Purim was established as a day of festivity, and a day for “mishloah manot ish lere’ehu umatanot la’evyonim” – sending food packages to one another, and giving gifts to the poor (9:22).  The first letters of the final four words of this verse (“ish lere’ehu umatanot la’evyonim”) spell the word “Elul.”

Of course, Purim is celebrated in Adar, many months before Elul.  But Elul is alluded to in this verse – which speaks of the mitzvot of giving that apply on Purim – because generous giving is a crucial part of the Elul experience.  We show our commitment to teshuvah and our desire for closeness with Hashem through sacrifice – by giving of our time, of our energy, and, yes, of our money, to important causes.

This includes giving to those on the “front lines” of the process of “ulshaveh fesha beYaakov,” those who devote their lives to outreach and to Jewish education, to bring Jewish children and adults closer to observance.  They are leading the effort to accelerate the process of redemption, and they deserve our full support.

A verse in the Book of Daniel (12:3) says that matzdikeh harabim – those who bring merit to the public – are comparable to the stars.  The Gemara (Baba Batra 8b) explains that this refers to the schoolteachers, those who invest a great deal of time and effort to educate Jewish children so they become knowledgeable, committed Jews.  It has been suggested that schoolteachers are compared to the stars because they are often undervalued.  A star appears in the sky as a tiny dot, but it is actually enormous, several times larger than our planet.  Likewise, too many people view educators as “small” and unimportant – when in truth they are doing the most vital work of all, teaching our children.  They deserve our recognition and appreciation – and, most of all, a respectable income.  People doing the most important work should not be earning the lowest salaries.

As part of our teshuvah efforts, let us together resolve to give more to those who are leading our nation’s spiritual growth, and leading the struggle against the pervasive negative influences to which our youngsters are exposed.  Let us do what we can to embolden the matzdikeh harabim of our time, so they can succeed in their work to bring the Jewish People forward and make us worthy of our final redemption, amen.

What every host, parent, and guest should know before the first splash

Frieda Schweky

Every summer, the community’s center of gravity shifts. Families pack up from Brooklyn and head to the Jersey Shore. Backyards with pools become the backdrop for nearly everything – playdates, birthday parties, engagement parties, casual weeknight hangouts, and everything in between. With that shift comes a lot more time spent in and around water. Before the season gets underway, it’s worth talking seriously about pool safety.

Drowning Incidents

According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, an average of roughly 370 children under age 15 die in pool or spa-related drownings every year in the United States, and thousands more are treated in emergency rooms for nonfatal drowning injuries. The overwhelming majority of these incidents involve children younger than five, and most happen not at public pools with lifeguards, but at private, residential pools – often during ordinary, unplanned moments rather than scheduled swim time.

Research shows that most child drowning victims were out of sight for five minutes or less before they were found, and the large majority were not even expected to be near water at the time. Drowning is also silent. Unlike what is often shown in movies, a child in trouble in the water typically can’t call out or splash for help – their body is using whatever energy it has just trying to keep its airway above the surface. That means a drowning can happen within arm’s reach of a group of adults, without anyone noticing until it’s too late.

Most pool drownings happen during the summer months, and during the day. The hours between 12pm and 6pm see the most incidents – exactly the time when backyards tend to be busiest. Weekends and holidays see a noticeable spike as well, driven by the simple fact that more people, more children, and more distractions are gathered in one place at the same time. And having adults present is not the same as having a designated, undistracted watcher. Data from Safe Kids Worldwide has found that the vast majority of children who drowned had an adult somewhere nearby at the time. Presence alone does not prevent tragedy – active attention does.

For a community that spends a concentrated stretch of summer clustered around pools – often including multiple households, multiple ages, and multiple gatherings a week – these numbers are not abstract. They are a call to build safety habits into the rhythm of the season, the same way sunscreen and pool floats already are.

Layers of Protection

Pool safety organizations generally recommend thinking in terms of layers, since no single precaution is foolproof on its own.

Barriers:  A four-sided fence with a self-closing, self-latching gate – separate from the house itself – is one of the most effective tools available. Research has found that homes with a properly installed four-sided isolation fence see dramatically fewer drownings than homes with no fence or a fence that uses the house as one of its sides. Pool covers and gate or door alarms add additional protection, particularly for households with young children or frequent young visitors.

Supervision: Assign a “water watcher” any time children are in or near the pool – one adult whose only job, for a set period, is watching the water. No phone, no conversation, no drink refills. Because supervision fatigue is real, especially at longer gatherings, rotate the role every 15 to 20 minutes rather than assuming one person can hold focus for hours.

Equipment: Keep life jackets, a shepherd’s hook, a throw rope or rescue tube, and a stocked first aid kit within easy reach of the pool – not in a garage or shed. These tools are only useful if they can be grabbed in seconds.

Water Competency: Swim lessons remain one of the most effective long-term investments in a child’s safety. Even strong swimmers benefit from ongoing lessons, since panic, exhaustion, or a sudden injury can affect anyone in the water.

Emergency Preparedness: Know CPR. Keep a charged phone at poolside. And post a sign near the pool with the direct emergency number for Hatzalah of the Jersey Shore – (732) 531-9988 (or the local Hatzalah in your area) – along with the pool’s exact address. In an emergency, seconds spent searching for a phone number or fumbling to describe a location are seconds that matter. A visible, permanent sign with the house number is a simple step every pool-owning household in the community can take before the season starts.

Additional Precautions

Beyond the core layers of protection, a handful of smaller habits go a long way.

Diving and Depth Awareness – Guests, especially teenagers, should know exactly how deep a pool is before jumping or diving in. Head and spinal injuries from diving into shallow water are entirely preventable with a quick check beforehand and clear signage marking depth.

Drains and Entrapment –  Make sure pool drains have compliant, up-to-date covers, and teach children to stay away from drains, pipes, and other openings where suction can trap hair, swimsuits, or limbs. If a drain cover looks cracked, loose, or missing, the pool should not be used until the drain cover is fixed.

Weather – Clear the pool at the first sign of thunder or lightning, and do not let anyone back in until at least 30 minutes after the last rumble. Water conducts electricity, and an approaching storm is not worth waiting out poolside.

Alcohol –  Adults supervising children or swimming themselves should be mindful that alcohol slows reaction time and impairs judgment in the water just as it does behind the wheel. If drinks are part of a gathering, it is worth keeping the water watcher role assigned to someone who is not drinking.

Inflatables and Toys – Pool floats, noodles, and inflatable toys are fun, but they are not safety devices and should not be treated as substitutes for a life jacket or active supervision, especially for children who are not yet strong swimmers.

Non-Swimming Teens and Adults – It’s easy to assume that anyone old enough to be at a teen or adult gathering can swim well enough to handle themselves in the water, but swimming ability varies widely at every age. A quick, casual check of who’s comfortable in deep water – without singling anyone out – can prevent an awkward situation from becoming a dangerous one.

Nighttime Swimming –  Pools that are lit and used after dark should have working lighting both in and around the water. Depth, obstacles, and distressed swimmers are all harder to spot at night, so evening gatherings call for extra vigilance.

Proper Supervision

A backyard with three children and two attentive parents is a very different environment than a backyard hosting forty guests for a simha. It helps to think about supervision differently depending on the size of the gathering.

Small, Family-Style Gatherings (under 10 people):  It is tempting to assume that with so few people around, someone is always watching kids in the pool. In practice, this is often the type of situation when supervision lapses happen, because everyone assumes someone else has it covered. Designate the water watcher explicitly, out loud, so there is no ambiguity.

Mid-Sized Gatherings (10–30 people). This is often the highest-risk category, since there are enough children in the water to make tracking difficult, but not necessarily enough structure to assign clear roles. Consider designating two water watchers on rotating shifts, and do a headcount of children in and around the pool every 15 minutes or so.

Large Events (30+ people)  At this scale, informal supervision breaks down almost entirely. Hosts should consider hiring a certified lifeguard for the duration of pool access, closing the pool to swimming during parts of the event when supervision cannot be guaranteed, or roping off pool access if it is not the focus of the gathering. A closed or covered pool during a large event removes the risk altogether without anyone needing to actively monitor it.

A Season Worth Protecting

The Jersey Shore summer is one of the best parts of the community calendar – a season built around family, connection, and a lot of pool time. None of these precautions are meant to dampen that. They are meant to make sure every one of these summers ends the way it is supposed to: with good memories, not close calls.

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Sources: U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) drowning and injury reports; CDC WISQARS data; Thompson & Rivara, New England Journal of Medicine, on pool fence effectiveness; S.P.L.A.S.H. (Safety Pool Layered Awareness for a Safer Home), a local water safety organization; Hatzalah of the Jersey Shore.

Linda Sadacka

Political movements rarely emerge overnight. Long before they produce headline victories, they recruit volunteers, organize neighborhoods, contest obscure local races, and patiently build influence where few people are paying attention. By the time the broader public notices, much of the work has already been done.

For many New Yorkers, the June 23, 2026 Democratic primaries were one of those moments.

The headlines the following morning focused on the winners and losers. Brad Lander defeated Congressman Dan Goldman. Claire Valdez prevailed in Brooklyn. Darializa Avila Chevalier unseated five-term Congressman Adriano Espaillat. Viewed individually, each race reflected the political character of its district.

Taken together, however, they revealed something far more consequential. Every congressional candidate endorsed by Mayor Zohran Mamdani emerged victorious, signaling that the coalition surrounding him had matured into one of the most disciplined and influential forces within New York Democratic politics.

For some New Yorkers, the results represented the rise of a new progressive coalition. For others, they reflected a profound shift in the direction of the Democratic Party itself.

How Did This Happen?

For New York’s Jewish community, however, the election prompted a different question altogether.

How did this happen?

The answer is not found in one charismatic candidate or one successful campaign. Nor is it the product of a single election cycle. How this happened is the result of years of disciplined organization.

One of the defining characteristics of successful political movements is that they understand something many voters do not: political power is rarely won from the top down. It is built from the ground up.

While many New Yorkers focus on presidential elections or high-profile mayoral races, highly organized activists devote equal attention to the contests most people ignore – local party organizations, judicial races, Democratic clubs, neighborhood campaigns, and the civic institutions where future political leaders are first identified and developed. Those elections rarely generate headlines, yet they determine who builds influence long before the broader public realizes the political landscape has shifted.

Grassroots Strategy

That strategy has been central to the Democratic Socialists of America’s growth over the past decade. Rather than focusing exclusively on national politics, the movement invested heavily in grassroots neighborhood organizing, volunteer recruitment, labor alliances, tenant organizations, and candidate development. Supporters see those efforts as grassroots democracy functioning exactly as intended: citizens organizing around shared priorities and participating consistently in civic life. Critics view them as a long-term effort to reshape the Democratic Party from within, patiently building influence one local victory at a time.

Regardless of one’s political perspective, one conclusion is difficult to dispute. The strategy has produced results. The June primaries did not create this movement. They revealed how much it had already grown.

That reality explains why these elections cannot simply be understood as another chapter in the familiar contest between Republicans and Democrats. Increasingly, some of the strongest warnings about the Democratic Party’s future have come not from Republicans, but from prominent Democrats themselves.

Veteran Democratic strategist James Carville has emerged as one of the party’s sharpest critics of its Democratic Socialist wing. He is a veteran political consultant, author, and television pundit who has strategized for numerous Democratic candidates running for public office. Carville has argued that candidates aligned with that movement no longer reflect the Democratic Party he spent decades helping to build, pointing to positions he believes fall well outside its traditional mainstream. As Carville put it, “That’s just not who I think the Democratic Party is.”

His concerns extend beyond domestic policy. Carville, a non-Jew, has repeatedly distinguished between legitimate criticism of Israeli government policy and questioning the legitimacy of the State of Israel itself.

“Attack the government of Israel all you want to,” he said. “I don’t like it. I can’t stand it. But I like the State of Israel. You can’t conflate the regime with the people.”

At the same time, he has been unequivocal in rejecting candidates who deny Israel’s right to exist. “I don’t want to be in a political party that denies the right of the State of Israel to exist.”

An Unfolding Dabate

Those remarks matter not because they come from a conservative commentator, but because they come from one of the Democratic Party’s best-known strategists. They underscore that the debate unfolding in New York is no longer simply between Democrats and Republicans. Increasingly, it is an internal struggle over the Democratic Party’s identity and future direction.

For New York’s Jewish community, however, those political debates intersect with concerns that are far more personal.

Since the October 7 Hamas massacre, anti-Semitism has risen dramatically across the United States. New York has witnessed anti-Israel demonstrations, harassment on college campuses, and increasingly heated rhetoric surrounding Zionism.

Many Jewish organizations have expressed concern that language once directed primarily at Israeli government policy has expanded to encompass Zionists more broadly, creating an environment in which many Jews feel that support for Israel has itself become grounds for public hostility.

Public Safety and Political Apathy

At the same time, many New Yorkers have grown increasingly concerned about public safety, criminal justice, policing, and quality of life. Several candidates aligned with the Democratic Socialists of America have advocated significant changes to policing and criminal justice. Supporters argue those reforms seek to create a fairer and more equitable system. Critics fear they could weaken deterrence and reduce accountability at a moment when many residents already feel less secure.

Whether one agrees with either perspective is almost secondary. The larger reality is that a political movement with a distinct vision for New York has demonstrated an impressive ability to translate disciplined organization into electoral success.

Perhaps nowhere was that lesson clearer than in the numbers themselves. In New York’s Tenth Congressional District, fewer than 50,000 Democrats cast ballots in the primary. Brad Lander received just over 30,900 votes, while Congressman Dan Goldman received approximately 17,300. In a district representing hundreds of thousands of residents, the political direction of the community was effectively determined by a relatively small electorate.

Summertime and Political Reality

Those figures illustrate an important political reality. Elections are not always won by persuading the greatest number of people. More often, they are won by identifying supporters, organizing them, and ensuring they actually vote. The June primaries demonstrated that disciplined organization can outweigh complacency, even in one of the nation’s largest cities.

For New York’s Jewish community, that lesson carries particular significance. New York’s election reforms moved the primary calendar to June, a change supporters argued would modernize elections, improve administration, and expand participation through measures such as early voting. Whatever the intent behind those reforms, the practical effect has been that many primaries now take place just as much of the Orthodox community begins leaving the city for the summer.

By late June, families have already departed for Deal, the Catskills, the Hamptons, or elsewhere. Summer schedules replace political ones. Meanwhile, organized political movements have been preparing for these elections for months, educating their supporters about early voting, absentee ballots, and the importance of primary turnout.

That contrast is difficult to ignore. It is not an excuse. It is a lesson. For generations, many voters treated the Democratic primary as little more than a preliminary contest. The election that mattered, they assumed, would come in November. That assumption no longer reflects political reality in much of New York.

In district after district, Democratic registration so heavily outweighs Republican registration that the primary has effectively become the decisive election. By the time voters return to the polls in November, many of the most consequential races have already been decided. That reality demands a corresponding change in the way our community thinks about civic participation.

Primary Elections Determine Political Direction

Voting in a Democratic primary is no longer simply an exercise reserved for political enthusiasts. In many parts of New York, it has become the moment when the city’s political direction is determined.

The June primaries were not an isolated example. They reflected the same political dynamics that helped propel Mayor Zohran Mamdani to victory. His success did not emerge suddenly. It was built over years of organization, coalition building, and consistent participation in the contests that many occasional voters overlooked.

The lesson is larger than any individual candidate. Communities that understand where political influence is built are far more likely to shape the future than communities that engage only after the most consequential decisions have already been made.

For New York’s Jewish community, that may be the single most important political lesson to emerge from the June 2026 primaries. Understanding how this happened, however, is only the first step.

The more difficult question is what these political changes may mean for the future of New York and for the Jewish community that has long called it home.

Where Do We Go From Here?

If the June primaries revealed anything, it is that political landscapes can change long before most people recognize that they have changed at all.

Understanding how we arrived at this moment is important. Understanding where we go from here is even more so. For many in New York’s Jewish community, that conversation has already begun.

It is taking place around Shabbat tables, after minyan, at weddings, in school parking lots, and over family dinners. Questions that would have seemed almost unimaginable only a few years ago are now being asked with increasing frequency.

Do We Still Have a Future in New York?

Some families have already left for Florida. Others are exploring New Jersey. Some are taking steps to make Aliyah. Many have chosen to remain, while quietly wondering whether the city they love is changing into something fundamentally different.

No one can answer that question with certainty. What can be said with confidence is that New York is changing. Perhaps the greatest danger, however, is not the change itself. It is our remarkable ability to become accustomed to it.

There is an old metaphor about a frog placed in gradually warming water. Whether or not the story is scientifically accurate is beside the point. Its lesson has endured because it reflects something profoundly human. When change occurs gradually, each individual step appears manageable. Only when we look back do we realize how dramatically the landscape has shifted.

Many New Yorkers would argue that they are already experiencing that phenomenon. Riding the subway has become a source of anxiety for many commuters. Encounters with homelessness and severe mental illness have become increasingly common in neighborhoods where they were once rare. High-profile crimes involving repeat offenders have intensified debates over bail reform, prosecution, and accountability. Security outside synagogues and yeshivot, which was once exceptional, has become routine. On many college campuses, Jewish students now think carefully before expressing support for Israel publicly. None of these developments occurred overnight.

New York Is Not the Same

Nor can they all be attributed to one election, one policy, or one political movement. Taken together, however, they have created the unmistakable sense that the New York many people experience today is not the New York they remember from even a decade ago. The June primaries did not create those concerns. They crystallized them. They forced many New Yorkers to confront a question they had quietly been avoiding.

If this is where New York is headed, what does that mean for our future? It was several years ago, as I watched many of these changes beginning to emerge, that I found myself wrestling with that same question. Should Jewish families consider leaving New York?

One Answer: Strengthen Ourselves

Seeking Torah guidance, I received an answer from my rabbi that has remained with me ever since. The message was simple. The yetzer hara exists everywhere.

A person can move to Miami, New Jersey, Israel, or anywhere else. But if he is not engaged in the lifelong struggle against his own evil inclination, he has not solved the real problem. Conversely, a Jew who strengthens his Torah, his mitzvot, and his relationship with Hashem carries that spiritual protection wherever Hashem places him.

Because, while elections determine who governs a city, they have never determined the destiny of the Jewish people.

Torah Perspective

Ignoring politics is not a Torah response. Neither is becoming consumed by it. That balance was beautifully articulated by Rabbi Joey Haber when I asked him how Torah views elections whose outcomes may visibly affect our lives. He replied:

“The Torah always teaches us two things:  1) We do our best. 2) Hashem is in control.  So, when there is an election that visibly can affect our lives, our job is to do step one and leave the rest up to Hashem.

Which means we have a responsibility to vote – not with hysteria, just with the attitude of, ‘I’m doing what I need to do.’”

Perhaps that is the enduring lesson of the June 2026 primaries.

Politics has never been the foundation of Jewish survival. Empires have risen and fallen. Governments have come and gone. Political movements have reshaped nations throughout history. Yet, the Jewish people have endured because our ultimate security has never depended solely on political power. It has depended upon our relationship with Hashem, our commitment to Torah, and our willingness to strengthen ourselves even as the world around us changes.