Flatbush Picks Erick Salgado; Votes Like Ovdai H' And Not Avodi Askoniem

Light blue are areas (EDs) where Erick Salgado won a plurality of all votes

The Jewish Community in Flatbush voted strongly for Erick Salgado showing the world that the Jewish people oppose toevah.  Mr Salgado's best area in the city were in Flatbush where he was pulling over 20% in most Election Districts (ED).  Salgado's best ED (numerically) in the whole city was in Flatbush where he got 41.6% The very Strong support for Erick Salgado is in a large part due the backing of many rabbaniem there especially the Sefardic Rabbaniem.  The largest credit goes to Rav Nelkenbaum the Mirrer Rosh Yeshiva and Posek who was moser nefesh for this campaign.  His last robo call urging Jews to vote for the Torah got many Jews to vote for the Torah and Kavod Shamiem.

Salgado's best ED in the city (second best percentage)

Click on map to see percentages for all of Flatbush

Hamodia Hypocrisy, Rabbaniem Should Get Involved In Politics Now That Erick Salgado Went To Rabbaniem

highlights are mine

Yesterday we reported that a study shows that most stories in the media about Toevah "marriage" in the media are positive towards toevah, we asked "what about the Orthodox media?" Hamodia today show they are against candidates that oppose Toevah showing they also support toevah

A Meeting Is Not an Endorsement

Written anonymously though all evidence supports that Hamodia writer Avraham Heschel wrote this article Avraham Heschel called up many people involved with this story to "prove" the rebbe didn't support Erick Salgado.  In at least one of his conversations he "paskened" yesterday that we shouldn't vote for Erick Salgado based only on the polls.  He specifically had a problem that Mr Salgado's chances were not discussed at the meeting.  He also lied saying that if the Rachmastrivka Rebbe would endorse a candidate he would lose his tax exempt status, which would only be true provided he endorsed as part of a non profit, every single person can legally endorse a candidate as a private individual. 
Tuesday, June 18, 2013 | י' תמוז תשע"גFor years, a stop at the home of a prominent Rebbe or Rosh Yeshivah has been an integral part of the itinerary of candidates for political office. Some actually talk about issues that are important to the community, but few of those who go on to win the election come back — until their next campaign.  rov of the time the politicians never talk about the important issues (Torah) because they are bad on them.
 
In the past, campaigns were usually cognizant of the fact that, as a general rule, spiritual leaders don’t make political endorsements. Rav Nelkenbaum (Rosh Yeshiva of Mir) sure seems like he's endorsing Erick Salgado in this video Some candidates chose to publicize the fact that they received a blessing, avoiding the fact that these leaders grant some sort of blessing to virtually all who ask for it. most Rabbaniem will not give a bracha to a pro toevah candidate  Others sufficed with a photo of themselves with the spiritual leader. which has always been seen as an endorsement
Some in the community have expressed doubt regarding the appropriateness of these visits how come you didn't complain about Satmar with Coumo or Munckatz with Weiner? They wonder whether anything tangible is accomplished, and whether involving Gedolim — even tangentially — in political campaigns impugns kvod HaTorah only a complete idiot/apikores would think that rabbaniem being involved in political campaign impugns kvod HaTorah when issues like Toevah and freedom of religion are what was being discused.

In recent years, however, this practice has reached a new, unacceptable level. when the endorsements are based on Torah you have a problem?

On Tuesday, Hamodia, along with numerous other media outlets, received a press release from a candidate for mayor that stated that on Monday night he had received the endorsement of a prominent Rebbe in Boro Park. Last week, a candidate made the same dubious claim about a different Rebbe. how come you ignore the Weiner endorsement?

It didn’t take our staff long to confirm with others who were present during the meeting that while the candidate did indeed visit the Rebbe, he didn’t receive any sort of endorsement. The Rebbe, whose counsel is sought in many areas, doesn’t intervene in political issues. the issues that were discussed were religious not political one was toevah, and the second was MBP

Since the Rebbe speaks in Yiddish, a language with which the candidate is not acquainted, this particular release can be chalked up to a misunderstanding or faulty translation. even though there was no official endorsement by the Rachmastrivka Rebbe he was clearly supporting him!

But this is only the latest inaccurate claim from politicians on both sides of the political divide, and it is high time for those who serve as liaisons between candidates and our community to put an end to these shenanigans. It seems your only against this now that the candidates who's getting rabbaniems endorsements are not the picks of our askoniem, but people who choose to follow the Torah!

If and when our spiritual leaders choose to instruct their followers how to vote, they will do so directly and not through the press releases of political campaigns. Would you be in favor reporting it?

(Hamodia) This is an attack on this "anonymous" writer not all the writers at Hamodia many of who follow the Torah when reporting

Rosh Yeshiva Of Mir, Rav Avrohom Yaakov Nelkenbaum Gives A Shiur On Why It's A Mitvah To Vote For Morality

Last night there was a fundraiser for mayor candidate Erick Salgado.

The rabbis who spoke were as follows:

The first speaker was the Mir Rosh Yeshiva, Rav Avrohom Yaakov Nelkenbaum, who missed seder to speak.

 He applied the Gemara in Shabbos daf 54B (kol me sheyaish biyado limchos, veainoh moche, nitfas beoso avon  If someone has it in his power to protest and prevent someone from doing a transgression and he doesn't, he's also punished for that transgression) to voting for pro morality candidates.

 He provided an additional insight, based on a vort from Rav Shmuel Berenbaum ZT"L, on the Rashi in Netzavim (Dev. 29:16-17) "vatiru es shkutiem v'ais gelulahem" - "and you saw the their disgusting thing and dung like idols... (and you'll be draw after those idolatries).  Rav Shmuel asked: why would you be drawn after such disgusting things?  He explained that when you see other people doing things - even disgusting things - you think that if everybody else is doing it, then there must be something to it.  So too, we, in the Jewish community, are affected by our surroundings.

He ended by reminding people that both Bob Turner and David Storobin "had no chance", but God runs the world - and they won.


The next speaker was Rabbi Auziel Admony, assistant Rabbi of Bnai Yosef Torah Center, who spoke. He said "This is not considered a political event. It's a religion issue. It's a religious obligation
to be here tonight and support the campaign of Mr. Salgado."  Afterwords Rabbi Admony gave Erick a 100$ check for his campaign.

The next speaker was Rabbi Beni Rachmanov, a Bukharian Rabbi in Queens. He compared Jews in America today to Jews in Spain before the expulsion.

Finally Rabbi Romi Cohen a Holocaust survivor and noted mohel described how he came to this country - specifically because the first amendment guarantees freedom of religion - a liberty currently under assault.  He ended off by describing Mishkav Zachar as the avariah of the flood (Bereishis Rabbah 26-9)
more on this event

for more on this event

Erick Salgado with the Mir Rosh Yeshiva, Rav Avrohom Yaakov Nelkenbaum

Rav Avrohom Yaakov Nelkenbaum's Contribution Card

Rav Avrohom Yaakov Nelkenbaum's Contribution Card

 As we recently reported Rav Avrohom Yaakov Nelkenbaum, The Rosh Yeshiva and Posek of the Mir Yeshiva (son in law of Rav Avraham Kalmanowitz) donated 36 dollars, to mayoral candidate Erick Salgado's campaign.  He paskened that to do donate to his campaign was a mitzvah.

Rav Avrohom Yaakov Nelkenbaum's Check

Rav Nelkenbaum (Mir RY) Donates To Erick Salgado's Campaign (2013 NYC Mayoral Election)

Rav Avrohom Yaakov Nelkenbaum's tzeddaka donation to Erick Salgado's campaign

Rav Nelkenbaum Leading By Example

In light of the recent attacks on "morality and religious freedom," HaRav Avrohom Yaakov Nelkenbaum, Rosh Yeshiva of Mir, joined with 7 other rabbis, including HaRav Yisroel Neuman, Rosh Yeshiva of Lakewood Yeshiva (the largest yeshiva in the world), issuing a statement on his mayoral campaign.  The statement which was read, at Erick Salgado's kick-off ,stated "it is a Mitzva Chiyuvis (religious obligation) to support" Erick Salgado's campaign.

Highlighted in their statement was the mitzva of "volunteering and donating" to Erick Salgado's campaign "as you would to any other charity".  The rabbis also urged that anyone who is not yet registered to vote should do so, in order to vote in the democratic primary.


The last day to register to vote is Friday: AUGUST 16, 2013 (10th of Elul).

To illustrate the importance of this mitzvah, Rav Nelkenbaum specifically had the check released publicly.

According to NYC Campaign Finance Law, for any resident of New York City who donates between 10-175 dollars the city gives the campaign 6 times that amount.

Letter with Rav Nelkenbaum's last minute emendations and signature. (Rav Haim Benoliel)