The crucial role of Orthodox liaisons in New York politics today
It was about two weeks before the 2013 New York City mayoral election, and Republican nominee Joe Lhota was campaigning in Boro Park. He made his way down 13th Avenue, stopped in at a music store, glad-handed some passersby who grumbled about taxes, and listened as a woman demanded that he inject more “excitement” into his campaign.
On a whim, the campaign decided that Lhota would step into the famed Shomrei Shabbos shul for a quick visit. Because this was during Minchah, three female reporters were denied entry. Things deteriorated quickly.
The three took to Twitter to complain about discrimination, precipitating a mini-crisis for the campaign. Bill de Blasio, the Democratic nominee, dashed off a press release blasting Lhota, who earned a day’s worth of negative press for the move.
It was a lesson for Michael Fragin, deputy mayor of the Village of Lawrence and a storied Jewish liaison for Republican candidates going back a quarter century, including Governor George Pataki. Fragin, 49, was the Jewish campaign liaison who accompanied Lhota on that trip and he recalls the incident ruefully.
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