Hempstead Town Clerk Nasrin Ahmad with Cedarhurst Mayor Ben Weinstock and a local family applying for passports. Last June, Nasrin held a “passport day” in Cedarhurst Village Hall at which 400 passport applications were processed in a few hours.
Hempstead Town Clerk Nasrin Ahmad with Cedarhurst Mayor Ben Weinstock and a local family applying for passports. Last June, Nasrin held a “passport day” in Cedarhurst Village Hall at which 400 passport applications were processed in a few hours.
Hempstead Town Clerk Nasrin Ahmad  and Senior Councilman Anthony Santino  at the 5TJT office this week
Hempstead Town Clerk Nasrin Ahmad
and Senior Councilman Anthony Santino
at the 5TJT office this week
Mayors from South Sudan, Uganda, Tanzania, and Haiti in Tel-Aviv at a previous conference
Mayors from South Sudan, Uganda, Tanzania, and Haiti in Tel-Aviv at a previous conference

By Larry Gordon

These days, where can you find government officials genuinely concerned with the good and welfare of the people? At a time when politicians are consulting the latest polling data to determine what they should feel and think, genuinely reflecting the will of your constituents can unfortunately be considered a lost art form.

That is, only until you meet those like Anthony Santino and Nasrin Ahmad of the Town of Hempstead, an area that includes the Five Towns out here on Long Island.

Tony knows this community extremely well. And he goes back a long way, to the early years of the formation and evolution of the Orthodox Jewish community out here. In fact, Tony speaks fondly of a time in the Five Towns when if you referred to the Orthodox community out here, that meant Rabbi Binyamin Kamenetzky, who arrived out here in the mid-1950s.

While the rabbi is still an influential force, the community out here has branched out in numerous directions and has become extremely dynamic and multifaceted. And most have at least this one thing in common–when it comes to needs of the community that require interfacing with local government, you can call on Tony Santino and other good friends of the community such as Bruce Blakeman and Town Clerk Nasrin Ahmad, who as part of a Town of Hempstead government team are well connected to the area’s Jewish communities.

Now, Tony Santino is moving up as he runs for Supervisor of the Town of Hempstead on the Republican line in the upcoming election on November 3, seeking to replace longtime Supervisor Kate Murray, who is running for Nassau County District Attorney.

So while you may be unaware of the services provided and the domain overseen by this branch of local government, be assured that so many things that we take for granted in our communities would be a lot more complicated without their thorough, professional management. Their responsibility is largely about infrastructure here in the Five Towns and in neighboring villages.

Santino brought Nasrin to my office to introduce her to me. We are sitting in the 5TJT offices on Sunday morning, it’s quiet, the building is mostly empty, the streets outside are just beginning to show signs of life and upstairs we are talking with Santino and Ahmad about the vision for the future of these communities. It’s about making sure our roads and traffic devices are functioning and keeping us safe. These can be simple yet important things like seeing to it that sidewalks are properly repaired and maintained so that we can wheel a baby carriage along Broadway or Branch Boulevard without stumbling over hazardous terrain.

And while Tony Santino is seeking the Supervisor position, which is the equivalent perhaps of being like a governor of an area of close to a million residents, he also pays close attention to the big picture, that is events in the dangerous world we live in today.

Tony Santino and the team at the Town of Hempstead government are very supportive of the State of Israel and events in our communities that help support that country and its people. They are always in attendance at local events in support of Israel, like those sponsored by Israel Bonds, Friends of the IDF, and so on.

I mention to Tony and to Nasrin that the reality in New York is that regardless of the level of government you serve in, it is required that you cobble together some kind of foreign-policy position, in particular when it comes to Israel. That is just the way it is, and they do not disagree with the supposition.

On that subject, Tony launched into a quick analysis as to how he sees matters unfolding today in the Middle East. He says without any hesitation that in his estimation, Barack Obama is the worst president the U.S. has ever had. He says that this country needs to have absolute support for Israel, the one democracy and our staunchest ally in the Middle East. “As Americans it is our moral obligation to support Israel,” he says, noting that is especially true today during these very trying times.

The Town of Hempstead oversees a good deal of Nassau County infrastructure and works closely with many state and federal agencies to see to it that services are delivered in an efficient and timely manner. This was especially true during and in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, when Mr. Santino and his staff rose to the occasion to assist residents in a myriad of matters.

Nasrin Ahmad’s position as Town Clerk–a position for which she is seeking reelection–has a somewhat different purview than that of Mr. Santino, but on many levels is just as important. Ahmad’s Town Clerk title brings to mind paperwork, long lines, and a faceless bureaucracy. The description of her office’s functions–issuing, recording, filing, and safeguarding all vital town records, including marriage licenses, death certificates, passports, and permits–does little to dispel this impression. Nasrin is fully aware of this reputation, and immediately after becoming Town Clerk, after 18 years at the Town of Hempstead, set out to reverse it.

But first, a little history: Nasrin was born in Uganda and moved with her family as a toddler to the UK, where she grew up and was educated (her delightfully proper British accent makes her English upbringing immediately apparent). She arrived in the United States well over 25 years ago, becoming a naturalized U.S. citizen as soon afterward as possible.

Until she arrived in the United States, Nasrin says she often felt like a foreigner. She cherishes the embrace of freedom and opportunity she feels as an American, and sees her role as a public servant as an opportunity to give back to and strengthen her nation. Her experience feeling different as a youth in the UK causes her to reflexively seek to understand and accommodate the unique culture and qualities of every community she serves. Nasrin’s familiarity and sensitivity to the unique needs of Five Towns’ residents is clear.

For instance, she knows very well what a hachnasas sefer Torah is, and what she can do to make planning these processions as painless as possible. The clerk’s office processes the parade permit application. Nasrin’s desk staff, just hearing the term “Torah procession,” fully understands the concept and what is needed to approve the permit. She speaks glowingly of attending a sefer Torah dedication at the Sephardic Temple in Cedarhurst and how she was able to facilitate the process as well as participate in and observe the celebrations.

For whatever reason, passport issues disproportionally arise in the Orthodox Jews community. Nasrin instituted programs that bring the Hempstead Town passport office to communities. The most recent event took place in June, when hundreds of Five Towns residents packed the Cedarhurst Village Hall basement, where a team from Nasrin’s office facilitated on-the-spot passport applications, including pictures and payment processing.

A notable passport issue materialized last year, when two children faced missing a Sunday-night flight from Israel to America, just days before Rosh Hashanah, and a week before the older child’s bar mitzvah. Thursday evening before the flight, the parents realized the children’s passports had expired. Because of the time difference, there was a window of about three hours between the time the U.S. passport office in NYC opened and the U.S. consulate in Jerusalem was to close until Monday morning. Nasrin called the head of the NYC passport office at home, at 7:30 in the morning, to explain the situation. They worked out a solution, and the children received their passports the same day, and made their flight to America.

It’s impressive to find such dedicated people serving us in our local government, and having Nasrin Ahmad at the helm of the Hempstead Town Clerk office is a rare opportunity for our community. So is making the effort to use your vote to make sure she remains there.

Both Santino and Ahmad are there to serve residents of the villages and town that make up Hempstead. They are proud of their hard work and what they have accomplished. They are always there and ready to serve. They are not just elected officials or friends in high places; we can all consider them good friends. v

Mayor De Blasio In Israel

It was December 1990 when Ed Koch, the late, great mayor of New York, was on a walking tour of the Old City of Jerusalem with Jerusalem mayor Teddy Kollek. The news emanating from an otherwise innocuous and not newsworthy stroll down a narrow street in the ancient city was that Mr. Koch was clunked on the head by a rock thrown at his group from a distance.

“The rock could not have been directed at me,” Koch said at the time, “because everyone likes me.” Perhaps considering events of the last few days, this all might be appropriately categorized under the heading of “the more things change, the more they stay the same.” Whether the rock-throwers knew Mr. Koch or not was and is still irrelevant.

This weekend, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio will be in Jerusalem as part of the annual American Jewish Congress mayoral conference, which will include over 35 mayors from major cities around the world. In addition to De Blasio and other American mayors, mayors from Latin and South America, Europe, Asia, China, and Africa will be part of the group. The mayors will be in Israel from Friday until Sunday touring Jerusalem and also visiting Haifa. The itinerary also calls for a meeting of the mayors with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with the discussion no doubt to revolve around the recent spate of murderous violence by Arabs against Jews.

So why the focus on mayors now? Well, first it’s noteworthy that this is the 30th anniversary of the mayoral conclave. Jack Rosen, president of the American Jewish Congress–the sponsoring organization of the meetings–says there are several reasons to focus on mayors of some of the world’s largest cities. “Mayors are on the front line of many cities,” Rosen told the 5TJT on Monday. “And very often they run for higher office, can become governors or even members of Congress.”

In addition to being briefed on the security situation in Israel, the mayors will visit several high-tech firms to familiarize themselves with some of the exceptional technological innovations that come out of the Jewish state.

About the current terror attacks against so many innocents and its impact on the mayoral trip, Rosen said that the mayors and specifically Mr. de Blasio made the point that it was specifically at this time that he wants to be in Israel.

The mayor’s trip is being underwritten privately by businessman Baruch Eliezer Gross, who resides in both Israel and Brooklyn. Security is being provided for the mayor by the NYPD at city expense.

Comments for Larry Gordon are welcome at editor@5tjt.com.

 

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