Important Letter to the Community

From (In Alphabetical Order): Jonathan Ehrenfeld, Michael J. Elman, M.D., Howard (Tzvi) Friedman, Avi Greenlinger, Gil Horwitz, Prof. Kenneth Lasson, Jan Loeb, Abba David Poliakoff, Yitzie Pretter, Jason Reitberger, Paul Volosov, Jerry Wolasky

Dear Fellow Community Member:

            We are faced with several very important elections that we cannot afford to miss. We urge you to get out and vote on April 26 – if you can’t vote then, vote during the early voting period or obtain an absentee ballot. These options are described below.

Our Recommendations

                        U.S. Senate – Congressman Christopher Van Hollen

                        Baltimore City Council – Yitzy Schleifer

                        Judges for Baltimore City – Karen (Chaya) Friedman, Shannon E. Avery, Audrey J.S. Carrion, Michael A. DiPietro, Wanda Keyes Heard, and Cynthia H. Jones

Elections and Candidates

U.S. Senate

On April 26, Marylanders will vote in the primary election for the Democratic nominee to fill the U.S. Senate seat held by Barbara Mikulski. The two principal contenders are Chris Van Hollen, the U.S. Congressman representing Maryland’s 8th Congressional District, and Donna Edwards, representing the 4th Congressional District. Van Hollen is the preferred candidate.

The records of the two candidates stand in stark contrast, particularly as they relate to votes on Israel. Van Hollen has voted consistently to support the security of Israel in opposition to Israel’s enemies, while Edwards has consistently failed to support such measures or has voted against Israel. Van Hollen has a long history of co-sponsoring and supporting letters, resolutions and legislation to condemn Palestinian terrorist attacks against Israel and Israelis; Edwards, however, with few exceptions, has refused to sign any such letters or support such legislation. The following is an example of this voting pattern:*

* Compiled by Behnam Dayanim, of the Greater Washington Jewish Community. 

In addition to the Israel issues, Van Hollen has proven himself to be a responsible and respected member of the Democratic Party, is known as a “team player,” and has been groomed for significant roles in the House of Representatives.  Moreover, Van Hollen has demonstrated that he is willing to cross party lines to develop creative solutions for the benefit of the country and his Maryland constituents.  On the other hand, Edwards’ positions are to the far left of mainstream Democratic values, and she is unwilling to compromise. Van Hollen has received the endorsement of African-American leaders, county and state officials, and even Rushern Baker, County Executive of Prince George’s County, Edwards’ home base.

We urge you to vote for Representative Chris Van Hollen for U.S. Senate.

            Baltimore City Council 5th District

            Yitzy Schleifer is a member of the Jewish community of Baltimore.  He is a member of the Baltimore City Democratic Central Committee, and a small business owner who understands that we need better quality jobs and lower property taxes to retain residents, create jobs and attract businesses and professionals to Baltimore City. Yitzy has long been an activist and leader in Northwest Baltimore, working hard to better all neighborhoods. A vice president of a neigh­bor­hood association and liaison to the State’s Attorney’s office, he travels throughout the council district to attend different community meetings to learn about and address neighborhood issues like recreation activities and parks, safer streets, and good housing. He also sits on a number of non-profit boards, and is involved in many community activities; this experience has enabled him to play an integral role in bringing the community’s priorities to the City’s leadership.  We believe that Yitzy is best capable of creating real solutions that will have a direct impact on building a better Baltimore and stronger community, and urge you to vote for Yitzy Schleifer.

            Sitting Judges

            Six currently sitting judges must stand for election in 2016: Karen (Chaya) Friedman, Shannon E. Avery, Audrey J.S. Carrion, Michael A. DiPietro, Wanda Keyes Heard, and Cynthia H. Jones. The retention of sitting judges in challenged elections is vital to the stability of the bench and to the ability to attract well-qualified men and women to seek appointment to the circuit courts throughout Maryland.  Each of the sitting judges was vetted by a gubernatorial nominating commission at the time of his or her initial appointment to the bench by the Governor. We recommend a vote for all the sitting judges.

The Primary Election and Your Vote

The date set for the primary election, April 26, is the second day of Chol HaMoed Pesach. As inconvenient as it may be, it is nevertheless vitally important, for the sake of our community and the sake of Israel, that we take whatever steps we need in order to vote, and to vote for a candidate who is favorable toward Israel. In the dangerous times in which we are living, we cannot afford to sit idly by and take our chances with Israel’s future, or with its relationship with and support by the United States.

Therefore, if you are planning to be out of town or otherwise will not be available to vote on April 26, you should either:

  • Vote in the early voting period:

Thursday, April 14, through Thursday, April 21, from 10 am to 8 pm, at:

Police-Public Safety Training Center, 3500 W. Northern Parkway, 21215

(Left from Park Heights onto Manhattan Ave, before Northern Parkway, behind Cheder Chabad – the old Beth Jacob Cong.)

  • Vote by absentee ballot:
  •  
    • Applications for absentee ballots may be obtained at:  http://www.elections.state.md.us/voting/documents/Absentee_Ballot_Application_English.pdf.  Information regarding absentee ballots may be obtained at: http://www.elections.state.md.us/voting/absentee.html.  Alternatively, contact one of us and we will send you an application for a ballot.
    • Requests for a ballot must be received by the state (not just mailed) by Tuesday, April 19, 2016, if you want to receive your ballot by mail or fax; or by Friday, April 22, 2016, if you download it from the State's website. 
    • Your ballot must be received by the board of elections by 8 pm on election day.

In Summary . . .

This election demands attention. The races are too close to call, and the consequences are dramatic. As for Israel, we may avert a stark change in the relationship of Israel with one of our two U.S. Senators by electing Chris Van Hollen for U.S. Senate.  For our community, your vote for Yitzy Schleifer is very important.

            For the benefit of our community and for the sake of Israel, please be sure to vote. We wish you a Chag Kosher V’Sameach, a wonderful, meaningful and enjoyable Pesach. 

 

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