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| Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson with Chicago's Agudah officials (Agudah bulletin) |
Some might find this praise of Agudah to be a bit odd considering my often critical comments about them. But I have never doubted the good they do. I have in fact supportrd most of their efforts in this regard. Even my criticisms are really only differences of opinion about whether a given policy was good or bad. I never doubted the sincerity of their claim that they were acting in the best interests of the Jewish people in everything they do Which – as I said – in most cases I support.
That happed again right here in Chicago – as noted in the Agudah bulletin which I receive daily:
Agudah of Illinois arranged for Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson to visit Yeshiva Tiferes Tzvi in Chicago, where he interacted with students in their three divisions.
Yeshiva Tiferes Tzvi is the elementary day school of the Yeshiva world here in Chicago. (And yes, they have a secular studies curriculum. All Orthodox day schools in greater Chicago do. Including Chabad and even the Satmar oriented Ohr Baruch. But I digress.)
Yeshiva Tiferes Tzvi students’ warm welcome of Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson was a Kiddush HaShem by any measure. Especially since the vast majority of the Orthodox Jewish community voted for his opponent, Paul Vallas. as I’m sure the Mayor-elect knows.
Sandy Eller authored a description of that event for Agudah’s bulletin. I’ve taken the liberty of excerpting an extended portion of it:
It was an education of a different sort for Chicago Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson, as the former teacher visited Yeshiva Tiferes Tzvi on May 5th, learning about the Windy City’s Orthodox Jewish community and its many local institutions and organizations.
Johnson had actively courted Chicago’s Jewish vote in the days preceding the April 4th runoff mayoral election. Shortly after his stunning victory over opponent Paul Vallas, Johnson’s transition team reached out to Agudath Israel of Illinois Director of Government Affairs Rabbi Shlomo Soroka, informing him that Johnson wanted to further develop relationships with the local Orthodox Jewish community.
Given the mayor-elect’s background as an educator, the idea of orchestrating a meet-and-greet at a local yeshiva resonated with Rabbi Soroka, who appreciated the importance of emphasizing the critical role that education plays within the Jewish community, as well as introducing Johnson to the many organizations that benefit both the Jewish community and the city at large.
Arriving at Yeshiva Tiferes Tzvi in the early afternoon along with Alderman Samantha Nugent, Alderman Debra Silverman and Cook County Commissioner Josina Morita, Johnson was welcomed warmly by second graders holding Chicago city flags, with enthusiastic middle schoolers joining in with a round of applause. Menahel Rabbi Nosson Muller spoke briefly, remarking that Johnson’s visit demonstrated his respect for freedom of religion, the Orthodox community, and its educational system, while simultaneously sending a clear message that all cultures and peoples are valued in Chicago.
As I said, Mayor-elect Johnson had to know how Orthodox Jews tend to vote and that we heavily favored his opponent. I voted for Vallas because of his strong support for law enforcement and his promise to do something about the crime that pervades certain sections of Chicago. Which are the mostly low income inner city black neighborhoods.
Most victims of violent crimes are black people. Often innocent young children that are caught in the crossfire between rival gangs. Or in drive by shootings. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve watched black parents crying over the loss of an innocent child that was shot and killed that way. Vallas promised to increase police presence in those neighborhoods to better protect those innocent children.
Johnson on the other hand is an avowed progressive who makes outgoing Mayor Lori Lightfoot look like a conservative Republican by comparison. A while back, Johnson was caught on camera saying that he supported de-funding the police. Something I vigorously oppose. As do most Orthodox Jews in Chicago. He has since moderated his view and says he no longer supports that. But I remain unconvinced that his policy based on treating the ‘root cause’ of crime (whatever that means) will be as effective as Vallas’s would have been.
That being said, I believe Johnson is a good man who wants to do the right thing. We just disagree what that is in the area of crime prevention and law enforcement.
I want to take this opportunity to congratulate Mayor-elect Johnson on his victory and am quite pleased that he has reached out to the Orthodox community. I also want to thank Agudah’s Rabbi Shlomo Soroka for making sure his visit was a success. I am quite pleased that the Mayor-elect liked what he saw.
I would like to wish him great success in his goal of reducing crime. I may not agree with his methods. But if he succeeds - that won’t matter. Good luck Mr. Mayor-elect. You’ll need it.
