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10 Takeaways from a Conversation with our State Assemblyman David Buchwald on his Candidacy for Congress

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David and Lara Buchwald
Photo By Sarah Merians Boutique Photography, courtesy of David Buchwald

In keeping with our Top Ten theme, here are ten key takeaways gleaned from my interview with David Buchwald, shortly after our 41 year-old legislator (Assembly District 93) announced his candidacy in October for the 17th Congressional district held by Nita Lowey for the last 31 years. After he was among the first to enter the race*: the interview took place over a 45-minute session seated at his dining room table in White Plains.

1. He is very enthusiastic about his candidacy and enjoys multiple corners of support. “I’m feeling excited because a lot of people approached me and said I’d be the right person to succeed Nita Lowey! Moving forward, it will be a pleasure to be able to fight for Westchester and Rockland Counties. We need a government in Washington that’s much more effective than it has been the last few years. That’s an important task that I’m up for.”

Upon deciding, David made his first call to his wife Lara, an attorney/litigator on the board for the Legal Aid Society. “She was very supportive. I couldn’t be in this line of work without a good support network.”

Outside his family, there’s no shortage of support or perception that Buchwald has earned this candidacy. Prior to his stint in the State Assembly, Buchwald served in local government, as a member of the White Plains Common Council, where he represented the entire city population of 57,000. He has also worked in support of municipalities throughout the State as a member of the Local Governments Committee of the New York State Assembly.

Since announcing, grassroots activists have already begun rallying on his behalf, and numerous and enthusiastic endorsements have been forthcoming including those from White Plains Mayor Tom Roach, North Castle Town Mayor Michael Michael Schiliro, Mount Kisco Mayor Gina Picinich, Rye Town Supervisor Gary Zuckerman, and New Castle Town Supervisor-Elect Ivy Pool.

Said Schiliro: “Throughout his career, Assemblyman Buchwald has been a responsive and trusted ally, as we’ve worked together to save taxpayers money, improve our libraries, and serve the people of North Castle I know he will be ready to undo the damage done at the federal level. David will be a leader we can count on in Congress.”

Pool expressed her pride in endorsing Buchwald commenting to me that “David is a tireless advocate on local issues, while also championing our shared values. He is smart, creative, and industrious, and I know he will continue to work hard on behalf of his constituents as our Congressman. David is a worthy successor to Congresswoman Nita Lowey who has been a friend to New Castle, and an inspiration to so many.”

David Buchwald with Amelia and Anna
PHOTO BY Grace Bennett/InsidePress

2. His two adorable preschoolers, together with Lara, too, are the lights of his life; plus, they make him cognizant of enhancing quality of life for all of his constituents. At the time of the interview, Anna, 4, and Amelia, 2 were outside playing with the family nanny. Post our conversation, I fell hard for their infectious smiles and unsolicited hugs.

“I love seeing life through their eyes… Also, If you are trying to create a brighter future for them, it means a brighter future for everyone. There may be things Lara and I can do individually for them, but there are things–like climate change–that we need to do together for everyone…

“Hopefully every child who grows up here in the Hudson Valley has access to all the amazing things in this area. One of the big challenges for any representative in this area is maintaining affordability for families. He hopes to see their children “stick around and come back after college.

Robust employers are looking to relocate where young professionals live, he noted, adding that he would promote the county’s transit system to attract those employers. “I used to live two blocks from White Plains train station. There’s not many places outside New York City that you can live without a car!”

He called Lara his “Number 1 advisor. She makes sure I stay level-headed. I like to think I don’t get too full of myself; she’s someone I draw inspiration from–an accomplished professional in her own right, and a passionate advocate for legal representation.”

3. He plans to hit the ground running and keep his door open. As he nears a 10-year anniversary of public service, Buchwald encourages residents to look closely at his record. “No issue is too small. My door is always open–if a constituent wants to connect with me, we always try to make that happen quickly.”

He said that he believes his constituents have viewed him as “always present, always paying attention…. I think that’s crucial to establish for this congressional race. Traffic willing, part of my goal in the campaign is to be everywhere my schedule allows.”

4. He expressed a commitment to building on the work and skills he has already brought to the table. “We will continue to fight for the environment, for a woman’s right to choose, and will make sure we bring resources to help those who are struggling to make ends meet…. I will put forward my vantage point as a tax attorney by trade to try to significantly improve and do right by those undermined by a Republican Congress and Trump’s SALT reduction. He said adjustments need to be made in recognition that the cost of living here is higher.

5. He will continue to wage battle against the gun violence epidemic. “It’s one of my main issues and what I ran on. I will try to bring my record of success in New York State to bear at the Federal level. The first vote I cast as a State Assemblyman was for the New York SAFE Act* which I co-sponsored. I have no doubt it has saved lives in New York.

He said he backed it up by a series of measures including expanding background checks and preventing “ghost guns…”  “Common sense safety measures have been stymied despite that most Americans support them. We’re getting to the point where New York State can only control so much because so much is tied to out of state…”

6. He aims to make it harder for any top government official in New York, including Trump, to hide their tax returns. Buchwald noted that he gained particular notoriety for a successful push, he explained, to adopt a law allowing the sharing of the New York State tax returns of top government officials, a law which Donald Trump is now suing to block.

He elaborated: “The law says New York State has a copy of tax returns of every filer in the state and that Trump as a New York state resident files his income tax returns. We already share those returns with the IRS, with tax departments in dozens of other states, so we said: “Let’s have that same sort of cooperation with our federal counterparts in Congress. So we passed my bill, and it’s now law, and Trump is suing to overturn that law. A New York motion to dismiss the case is pending…. I’ve always believed that open transparent government can make for better decision making.”

7. He will fight to protect a woman’s right to choose. “No matter what happens at the Supreme Court level, women in our region can have confidence that their rights will be protected. But, at the Federal level: there is an ongoing battle over basic principles that we’ve assumed for decades won’t have government interference–that we won’t make access to healthcare dependent on financial wherewithal. It’s very disheartening to think that means equates with health care; it’s antithetical to the right of a woman to consult with a doctor and make up her own mind.”

8. He will speak out against racism, hate and anti-Semitism. “I think Trump has tried to govern by division and the great thing about the United States is that we are a country that at our best brings people together from so many different backgrounds, and that creates a society that is stronger than any one group of individuals can create on their own. We have a lot of work to do to bring the country together.” He said he’d like to see a government “that does not use the Justice Department to undermine freedoms, or the Department of Homeland Security to tear homes apart. We need to ensure we have leaders who lead by example.”

“My role as an elected official now, and hopefully in the future, is to bring people together. We have great towns and cities with shared experiences that can be built on. If you try to pit one part of a community against another, that turns very dangerous very quickly. We’re seeing that with racism, with anti-Semitism… So, that’s part of why I’ve spoken up at any opportunity to denounce hatred and say that a threat to any one individual or community is a threat to all.”

9. As has been Nita Lowey’s long established commitment, he too will support Israel. “I’m a strong supporter of Israel and a progressive. To me, those things go hand in hand. We have to support our friends around the world who stand for those values we support as Americans. That includes democracy and basic notions of tolerance. Israel is a country that welcomes refugees. It used to be that America was also known for that. My wife and I serve on a refugee committee at our synagogue to help sponsor a family where the father/husband served as an interpreter for our troops overseas. A legal immigrant is what a refugee is: admitted under the law. To see Trump cutting back on legal immigration strikes me as going against the core of what our country should be about.

“It’s important for the United States to push for peace and stability in the Middle East and support the ability of Israel and Palestinians and other Arab neighbors to work through long established issues. Those who would seek to have the United States abandon their best ally in the region undermine the best aspects of Progressivism which recognizes the innate worth of people being able to make self-determining decisions.”

10. His Judaism shapes his general outlook and encourages him to fight against corruption. “I am cognizant that my religion teaches me to be humble in light of the fact that there are things in this world we can’t control. And that’s certainly true of campaigns. But if you put your best foot forward and determine you’re in it for the right reasons, there are people who will back you up. I find that very gratifying. I couldn’t have gone to Albany and affected change there without having people who have my back. I had to fight people who wanted to maintain the status quo and was lucky to have constituents who sent me there precisely to shake things up, namely, to strip corrupt officials of their pensions.* They said it couldn’t be done, and now it’s the law of the land. You can only engage when you have a sense that there’s a purpose. I like to think my religion supports that. My grandfather was a rabbi. I like to think he’d be proud of that.”

*Editor’s Note: This article conveys highlights of a conversation with our hometown legislator. Buchwald is a single candidate in the race with a number of new candidates vying for the spot too since the time of this writing. For additional information about any of Buchwald’s legislation mentioned here, or about his new campaign, from his perspective too, please visit DavidBuchwaldforCongress.com.

The ‘Jewhater’ Next Door

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Ethiopian Beta Israel arrive at the Ben Gurion airport, outside Tel Aviv on August 28, 2013. Some 450 new immigrants from Ethiopia were brought to Israel as part of the ‘Operation Wings of Dove ’ operation launched three years agoby the Jewish Agency to bring the remaining Falash Mura – Ethiopian Jews whose ancestors were forced to convert to Christianity – to Israel. Photo by Miriam Alster/Flash90.

By Debbie Hall

There are only 14.4 million Jews in the world. We were 17 million in 1939 and that fell to 11 million as of 1945 due to the genocide that was committed against us called the Holocaust. Because our numbers are small, and because we were genocided, we are a very small family, but make no mistake, we’re a family. We are all connected.

We are also highly aware of the hate that has been levied at us for millennia. The hate against us is the oldest hate on the planet. In every corner of the world, you can find Jewhaters. They can be found in Christian countries, Muslim countries, African countries, secular countries. Jewhaters can be found in Republican or Democratic homes. Jewhaters live among us in every country on this planet.

The only country in the entire world where Jewhatred is not tolerated is Israel. Israel is the only country whose government has a very primary goal of protecting the lives of Jews. When the beating of the antisemitic drum gets too loud, we have a place we can escape to-finally. This is why Israel is essential to the survival of the Jewish people. This is a good part of why Jews support Israel.

Another reason Jews support Israel is because it’s inherently part of the Jewish faith. Israel and Jerusalem are mentioned numerous throughout the liturgy of every Jewish service. Returning to Israel is part of Judaism. Jews who have already returned to Israel have a different set of rules to follow in Judaism because they’ve returned. Jews in the diaspora have two nights of Passover, whereas Jews in Israel only have one night. Every Passover, Jews recite “Next Year in Jerusalem.” It’s within us.

Most Jews have known that the antisemitism in the U.S. is a serious threat to Jews. As I watch Wolf Blitzer speak and say that his parents would’ve been shocked that this could happen here if they were alive, it’s sad to me that I knew this would happen here.

It’s happened here for centuries but in microdoses. This is the first macro, but I’m not surprised.

Israel isn’t perfect by any means, but it’s probably more perfect than the U.S. It didn’t invade a sovereign country to displace anyone (despite what you’ve been told), and it provides for its citizens, be they Arab or Jewish. When you demonize the only Jewish country on this planet, you’re engaging in antisemitism. Speak very carefully.

Debbie Hall is a writer and activist living in Florida.

How the New ‘WoMen for All’ is Fighting Anti Semitism and So Much More

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 *Issuing a Petition Urging Democrats accept the IHRA definition for anti-semitism

https://www.change.org/p/democratic-national-committee-democrats-say-no-to-antisemitism

* Offering authentic inclusiveness at future progressive and Democrat Marches

https://women4all.org/sistermarches/

Editor’s Note:  In the wake of the horrible massacre-leaving 11 dead and six others injured-during a bris service at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, we are calling attention to the new but impactful ‘WoMen4All,’ who have been courageously and consistently ringing the alarm that anti-semitism is a politically blind scourge affecting both party extremes, and that as Democrats and progressives, we ignore the fringe left wing variety at our peril. That is true too of any courting by politicians of virulent anti Israel, pro BDS activists and activities, which are intended to dismantle the Jewish state and whether by design or not, stir anti-semitic sentiment along the way. Meanwhile, in the current political climate, we have a president who is doing precious little to fight anti-semitism, a GOP body that remains silent while he continues to activate a base of loyal alt right supporters who in Charlottesville by the hundreds yelled, “Jews will not replace us.” The toxicity of the climate toward Jews should not be underestimated. It is also WoMen4All’s core belief that the hatred of the alt right escalated soon after Trump was elected, and that we desperately need leaders who will unify and not drive a wedge further.  Here, the story of WoMen for All….  – Grace Bennett, Publisher and Editor and WMFA Member

By Deborah Raider

October 28, 2018 New York, NY– Nisi Jacobs, a New York City-based 3D video editor and founder of WoMen For All, is no stranger to bigotry. Growing up in Binghamton, New York, in the late 1960s and early 70s, Nisi recalls being unwelcome into her neighbors’ homes because she was Jewish. When her group of friends would go have lunch together at one of their houses, she would wait outside on the steps. When Nisi was four-years-old, the neighbor across the street from her family’s home threatened to shoot her when he found her walking on his lawn boundary, “if I catch you dirty Jew walking on my lawn again, I will get my gun and shoot you.” At nursery school, she made a good friend and began to enjoy after-school playdates. One day, when she was being picked up by her parents, they were told the family had become ‘born again’ and Jews were no longer welcome in their home. Nisi’s family moved to New York City before she entered kindergarten.

With her memories of being discriminated against as a Jew and her long time liberal progressive Democrat history, with high hopes Nisi joined the tens of thousands of women who participated in the 2017 Women’s March challenging the Trump regime on a wide variety of issues—not the least of which was that Trump had attracted a deeply racist and anti-Semitic, alt-right following. 

So it was profoundly disappointing when the Women’s March began showing its own strain of anti-Semitism cloaked in its continuous anti Zionism proclamations and actual bullying of Israel-supporting, liberal Democrats.

Early on, at a lesbian march in Chicago, three women carrying Jewish pride flags–rainbow flags embossed with a Star of David — were thrown out of the event after their flags were called a “trigger.” Gradually, it became clear to Jacobs that the Women’s March—which purported to be a movement supporting equality, human rights for all, and transformative social change—was being severely compromised by what felt like anti-Semitism at the very top.

Jacobs decided that she “could no longer sit quietly on the steps.” She didn’t want to just quit and she didn’t want to stop marching for women’s equality and for full ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment. “I wanted to be part of a movement that truly represented all women’s right to resist.”

Jacobs’ group was first named ‘Women’s March For All’ but was repeatedly mistaken for the Women’s March, which led to accusations that Jacobs’ group was anti-Semitic. The group has since dropped ‘march’ from its name to become WoMen For All. Their updated mission page explains (https://women4all.org/mission/): “Everyone is welcome in the WMFA Including male allies. We are inclusive, not divisive. We welcome men who bravely champion women’s rights and value the contributions they have, and will continue to make, to our community. We recently dropped ‘march’ from our name as we had been accused too many times of #antisemitism which is one of the very reasons WMFA was formed.♀”

WoMen For All is the grassroots movement that advocates for equal rights and against all forms of bigotry and hatred. Jacobs’s board comprises a diverse, core group of decision-makers, all of whom felt marginalized by the Women’s March. “Our board includes people from all backgrounds, ethnicities, races, religions and gender identities,” notes Jacobs.

WoMen For All is primarily concerned with promoting equal rights for all. They advocate for gun reform, paid family leave, reproductive rights, an equal, gender-blind pay scale, and civil rights protections for all immigrants, amongst other things. Moreover, they vocally oppose racism, homophobia, religious prejudice, and police brutality.

And close to Jacobs’ personal experience, WoMen For All pursues the objective of making people more aware of the current wave of anti-Semitism in America and across the globe. “Anti-Semitism doesn’t seem to register to most people as an urgent issue,” states Jacobs, who is trying to make her audience aware of the danger of pro-BDS (Boycott, Divest, and Sanction Israel) candidates in the United States. The group is calling out the fringe “Democratic Socialists” who have adopted the BDS movement as part of their platform.

WoMen For All is also promoting the adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) definition of anti-Semitism and has launched a petition in support of this cause. “With the surge of anti-Semitism from both sides of the political aisle, I’m hopeful and staying optimistic that the the petition will persuade the Democrat National Committee does the right thing and adopt the IHRA definition, an internationally accepted definition,” notes Bennett. To sign the petition: https://www.change.org/p/democratic-national-committee-democrats-say-no-to-antisemitism

Ultimately, Jacobs hopes that WoMen For All becomes the “ideal Women’s March,” a positive movement promoting and protecting the rights of all. This is the movement that could have been the Women’s March. As Jacobs puts it, “if what happened with the Women’s March could have been a positive movement rather than a movement that encompassed prejudice and hatred.”

Please consider a donation today as well to the Tree of Life Synagogue. https://bit.ly/2Q2k97i

 

Get On Your Feet! Pantsuit Flash Mob Takes Chappaqua — And The “Movement” Continues

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PHOTO BY JEANNE MUNCHNIK
PHOTO BY JEANNE MUNCHNIK

When Katonah resident Maria Colaco saw Dawn Greenberg’s Chappaqua Friends of Hill & Tim Facebook post suggesting an Election Day flash mob honoring the hometown nominee by wearing her attire of choice, she jumped at the chance to organize and choreograph.

A former professional dancer turned social media/digital content creator, Colaco quickly created a Facebook group for anyone interested in participating, secured rehearsal space at Scattered Books in downtown Chappaqua, and chose a song (Justin Timberlake’s “Can’t Stop the Feeling”) from the official Hillary Clinton campaign playlist and a hashtag: #HRCPantsuitDance.  The whole thing–from idea to execution–came together in only 10 days. Colaco said it was “short, intense and passionate.”

Approximately 115 women came to two hour-long rehearsals, having to split into three groups to have enough room to learn the relatively easy steps that Colaco had choreographed. She recalled that even at rehearsals some participants were openly crying “because it was such a moment.”

At 1:30 p.m. on Election Day, the 115 pantsuit-clad dancers were joined by newcomers and children in front of Chappaqua Station for a joyful and electrifying performance that rapidly “went viral;” within hours, the video appeared on people.com, all of the major U.S. networks, and many domestic and international websites.

“We really tapped into something,” said Colaco, noting that flash mobs are usually associated with the young. “This is an amazing demographic, a fantastic group of women who joined to sing and dance as a medium for social empowerment, social change and social awareness.”

Even though the Facebook group was created as a centralized organization tool, it has turned into a community for its members in the aftermath of the disappointing election, now looking ahead as to how the Election Day energy can be harnessed and utilized effectively. Colaco is hoping to take the Pantsuit Flash Mob to the “next level” by teaching it via video to any group interested and repeating the event nationally on January 20 (Inauguration Day), which she has also proposed be a national day of Acts of Kindness–everything from public art, crafting with children and adults at local hospitals, painting rocks and leaving messages of hope around neighborhoods for people to casually find, playing music in nursing homes, to helping friends and neighbors or at a food pantry.
“We did something and made a difference,” Colaco said, inspired to continue this forward motion.” Everyone was “so incredibly passionate. It’s nothing you can teach or expect.  It just happens.”

Chappaqua resident Debra Hand is a longtime writer and editor for The Inside Press.

Teach Your Children Well

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No doubt about it, the tough job of responsible parenting was made all the more daunting recently as many here in Hillary Clinton’s hometown grappled with the shock of an unexpected election outcome. Our nation voted in a way that surprised most political analysts, advance polls and, certainly, the numerous loyal local supporters who gathered early on Election Day to perform an exuberant flash-mob pant-suit dance at the train station. As schools were closed, many of these celebrants had their children with them as well. The weather was brilliant, the mood was buoyant and all seemed lined up for voters to elect a first female president.

Then the numbers started coming in. People shook their heads and refreshed their browsers; what??? how??? And so it went. After a long night–following what felt like an over-long election year–many were stunned and deeply saddened, but they also knew they would need to gather themselves and move on. In fact, for many in our community and across the nation, the need to process and regroup was driven most by that which is primal to all parents–how to talk to our children.

According to Chappaqua Child Psychologist, Dr. Sheri Baron, the first thing parents need to do is check in with themselves because, regardless of what the issue is, “a child will pick up anxiety from the parent.” With parents emotionally invested in the election outcome, children may well end up feeling worried and fearful. Some may be able to verbally express their concerns, which will help parents begin a reassuring conversation.

However, others may not express their feelings directly; young children may exhibit stress physically, perhaps with a stomach ache or wetting the bed, while older children may become defiant. The critical thing is to ask questions, and try to figure out what’s upsetting your child. It could be election-related, but, then again, it may be something else. Baron cautions not to assume and remember that “if parents feel fairly centered, kids feel safe.”

Dr. Stephanie O’Leary, clinical psychologist and recent parenting lecturer at Seven Bridges Middle School, concurs that it’s of paramount importance to ask children what they think before offering an opinion, explaining “this will help you stick to the facts and issues that are on your child’s mind without introducing items that may not be relevant.”

love; beautiful hands of children holding green heart shape
love; beautiful hands of children holding green heart shape

She reminds us that younger children (eight and under) take things more literally than do adults and older children, so, for example, “moving to Canada” may loom larger and more realistic than its intended metaphor; speak carefully, explain fully.

Speaking of explanations, O’Leary suggests we make sure children understand our country’s system of checks and balances and that no one person, even the President, is all-powerful.
Last but not least, she reminds us to send a clear message that we are here for our children whatever their fears and concerns –about this or any other matter.

Founding director of Sinai and Synapses, rabbi and parent Geoffrey Mitelman remembers that when he kissed his children good night on the eve of the election, he also shared his wish that they would all wake up to a Clinton presidency. As adults, we know that wishes don’t always come true. Mitelman ended up processing the evening’s events with deep sadness but also an attempt to understand the alternate perspective, “And then I watched, in slow-motion, the unraveling and potential undoing of everything that I hold dear.

But I also have to believe that Trump supporters were voting from a place of their own pain and fear, and how they believed everything they held dear had already unraveled. Even as I deeply, deeply disagree with them on nearly everything, I need to at least try to understand the source of their pain. All I can think of is how the opening chapter of Genesis matches with what science teaches: the universe’s natural state is towards chaos. It’s on us to create order. And even more importantly, it’s on us to create goodness.”

How do we “create” order and goodness? For many, it’s not just talking the values and respect talk, it’s walking the walk; in other words, modeling behavior for our children.

One out-of-state, African American friend-of-friend (who spoke on condition of anonymity) explained that she sat and watched the election results coming in and felt heartbroken and distraught.

She started thinking about what she’d do after waking up and telling her kids who’d won, and reassuring them that things would continue to be ok. She wondered how to spread love and acceptance, and decided to find ways to make a difference by embracing marginalized groups that are feeling even more hopeless. She planned that she and her children would reach out to a nonprofit emergency shelter in her area for LGBTQ teens to see what supplies were needed that they could help collect. The next day, they’d find another group to help. As she put it, “we can stop hate from winning one small act at a time. Love can still trump hate.”

Action is also of paramount importance to Los Angeles mom and Pomona College Gender Studies Professor Kyla Wazana Tompkins. Tompkins, a Canadian citizen, has the unique perspective of one who watched the election closely while not being able to cast a vote. She allowed that she’d been ambivalent about becoming a citizen but now feels more strongly than ever that she must.

In fact, when asked if she’d consider moving (with her husband and 8-year-old-son) to Canada, her response was the essence of quiet conviction, “Now is not the moment to abandon your agency.” She then recounted a story from years past when, hearing that Bush won his second election and joking about moving home to Canada, she was brought up short by a student who pointed out that running away is not ok. So, in the aftermath of our 2016 election, Tompkins plans to “double down” on America and put herself on the line because “you don’t get to leave because it’s bad; you’ve got to fix it. My job is to fight for my kid.”

Moving from LA to right around the corner, local mom and Chappaqua Moms Facebook facilitator Georgia Frasch echoed the same fighting spirit when she spoke to her 12-year-old twins and nine year old daughter, “This is our home, our country. We don’t abandon it when the going gets tough. Instead, we work even harder We are really lucky that we have a vote. It doesn’t always go our way, but it’s our obligation to support our government and even more important to uphold our family’s values: kindness, compassion, respect. It has to start with us. Acts of kindness start with us and get paid forward.”

Rabbi Jonathan Jaffe’s immediate thought for his Temple Beth El congregation was to create a healing Shabbat service, one co-led by the 7th grade B’nei Mitzvah class, offering a “safe place for individuals of all political persuasions to gather, connect and be present for one another.”  On a more personal note, as a father, he too had to give careful consideration to the narrative he’d use to reassure his two young daughters. He carefully explained to them that though Donald Trump’s win would not immediately impact their lives, it might very well mean others’ lives would be made harder, and that they should consider themselves both fortunate and obligated to fight for the rights of vulnerable citizens.
Asked whether he’d considered the prospect of moving to Israel, Jaffe responded, “We’re American Jews, committed to our country. I don’t glorify leaving when times get tough. If people do choose to make Aliyah, it should be for the love of Israel and not the fear of America.” If his girls want to become dual American Israeli citizens, there is time for that later. For now, life moves on here in Chappaqua.

Chappaqua’s Beth Besen is a writer and editor, a parent and a concerned citizen who hopes that together with our children, we can create a better world.