Rabbi Boteach May Run for Congress
Rabbi Shmuley Boteach has sent a letter declaring his intent to run for Congress in New Jersey’s newly formed 9th District.
Boteach sent the letter of intent to the offices of the Bergen County Republican Organization by the Jan. 31 deadline. But he has not decided definitively to run, the New Jersey Jewish Standard reported.
He would face the winner of the Democratic primary between U.S. Rep. Steve Rothman and U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell. Two other potential Republican candidates have also submitted letters of intent, according to the PolitickerNJ website.
Boteach told the Jewish Standard that one of the factors that will go into his decision of whether to run will be how much money he can raise for the race. He said he will make up his mind in the next two months.
He told the newspaper that he wants to “bring Jewish values into the political discourse.”
Boteach has been working, unsuccessfully so far, to get the city of Englewood, N.J. to rezone his house as a synagogue.
He is a syndicated columnist and has written several books. The Jewish Standard said that if he becomes the declared candidate that it would discontinue his column until after the race.
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning journalism this Passover.
In this age of misinformation, our work is needed like never before. We report on the news that matters most to American Jews, driven by truth, not ideology.
At a time when newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall. That means for the first time in our 126-year history, Forward journalism is free to everyone, everywhere. With an ongoing war, rising antisemitism, and a flood of disinformation that may affect the upcoming election, we believe that free and open access to Jewish journalism is imperative.
Readers like you make it all possible. Right now, we’re in the middle of our Passover Pledge Drive and we need 500 people to step up and make a gift to sustain our trustworthy, independent journalism.
Make a gift of any size and become a Forward member today. You’ll support our mission to tell the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
Our Goal: 500 gifts during our Passover Pledge Drive!