Congressman Ritchie Torres, a rising star in the Democratic Party and a stalwart supporter of Israel, spoke to students and alumni of Touro University in an interview with Touro President, Dr. Alan Kadish. The Bronx native spoke candidly about growing up in public housing, his struggles with mental health, his journey into politics, his support of Israel, and confronting his colleagues who seem to take every opportunity to speak out against the Jewish state.
Addressing an audience composed primarily of undergraduate students, Torres shared the pivotal moments that shaped his life, his political career, and his vision for the future.
“I was raised by a single mother who had to raise three of us on minimum wage, which in the 1990s was $4.25 an hour.” Torres, 36, credited his mother for instilling the virtues that have guided his career. “When I won my Democratic primary in June of 2020… I publicly said that before I’m a congressman or councilman, I’m first and foremost the son of my mother.”
Torres’ first job in politics was as an intern when he was 16. Almost a decade later he took a “leap of faith” and ran for a seat in the New York City Council, winning and, at 25, becoming the youngest elected official in New York City by age 25. He told Dr. Kadish about the uphill battle of that first campaign, which was fueled entirely by grassroots door-to-door engagement.
“I spent a whole year doing nothing but knocking on doors,” Torres said. “I went into people’s homes, I heard their stories, and I won my first campaign on the strength of face-to-face campaigning.”
But his rise to political prominence wasn’t without personal struggles. In his early twenties, he said he battled depression and substance abuse after dropping out of college, and he was only able to overcome his problems after seeking help.
“I would not be in Congress and alive today were it not for the power of mental health treatment,” Torres said.
In 2020 Torres was elected to represent New York’s 15th congressional district in the House of Representatives. “I never thought, by the grace of G-d, I would have a fighting chance to rebuild my life, and then seven years later, become the youngest elected official in America’s largest city, and then seven years later, become a member of the United States Congress,” Torres said. “And so for me, the lesson learned is, even in your moment of greatest darkness, never lose hope. And I feel like only in America is a story like mine possible.”
Though Torres has established a reputation as a close friend of Israel, a sharp break from many young politicians in his party who veer to the left, he said that for most of his life he had almost no knowledge of Israel or the Jewish community. That all changed in 2014 when, after joining the City Council, he was invited on a trip to Israel by the Jewish Community Relations Council. It was transformative, he said.
“I came away from that first trip with a profound empathy, not only for the plight of the Jewish people, but for the complex security situation that Israel faces,” said Torres, who visited several historical sites, as well as Yad Vashem and the Gaza border. “Here you have Israel, a tiny democracy the size of New Jersey, surrounded by enemies that want to wipe it off the map.”
Dr. Kadish asked him how he addresses his colleagues in the Democratic Party who are critical of his pro-Israel stance. “I tell them, before you rush to judge Israel, you should actually go there.” Moreover, he said, he instructs them speak with Israeli Jews, Israeli Arabs, and Palestinians. “If you have an open heart and open mind, I guarantee you that you will come to a view of Israel that’s far more nuanced than the caricature that percolates on social media platforms and on college campuses.”
The interview ended with Torres urging those in attendance to remain engaged in politics and civic life. Afterward, several students introduced themselves to the congressman, and he took a few moments to speak to them individually before leaving campus.
Zippy Cywiak, who is in her last year at Touro’s Lander College for Women, said she particularly appreciated Torres’ spirited support of Israel. “I’m not sure exactly how the Democratic Party feels about it, but it’s striking to see someone like the Congressman take a strong stance for Israel,” said Cywiak, a history major and political science minor living in Teaneck. “It takes a lot of courage. I don’t necessarily know if all Democrats have such courage, especially on such a public platform, to be pro-Israel in tumultuous times like these.”
Philadelphia native Simcha Kaplun, a poly sci major in his second semester at Touro’s Lander College for Men, echoed Cywiak’s praise of Torres’ willingness to break with his party.
“I’m a Republican, and it was incredible to see a Democrat who shared so many of our values,” he said. “I really appreciated hearing his thoughts, especially since he’s such a strong supporter of the Jewish community and the State of Israel. My mother’s from the Bronx so I was interested in hearing what he had to say, and it was great to have a representative of the Bronx speak on matters pertaining to so many of us. I thought it was really powerful.”
{Mayor Sam Nahmias and State Senator Patricia Canzoneri Fitzpatrick Announce Grant To Fix Lighting On 878 Near AB Bridge
{IMG County Executive Bruce Blakeman, Deputy Mayor Tammy Roz, Assemblyman Ari Brown, Senator Patricia Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick, Village of Lawrence Mayor Samuel Nahmias and Village Trustees Aaron Parnes, Aaron Felder and Steven Gottesman
{Caption County Executive Bruce Blakeman, Deputy Mayor Tammy Roz, Assemblyman Ari Brown, Senator Patricia Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick, Village of Lawrence Mayor Samuel Nahmias and Village Trustees Aaron Parnes, Aaron Felder and Steven Gottesman
On Friday, February 7, Mayor Sam Nahmias held a joint press conference with State Senator Patricia Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick to announce crucial infrastructure improvements. Senator Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick helped secure a $150,000 grant to fix lighting along 878 near the Atlantic Beach Bridge. Assemblyman Ari Brown, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman and Lawrence Deputy Mayor Tammy Roz, and Lawrence Trustees Aaron Parnes, Aaron Felder, and Steven Gottesman, whose input helped towards reaching this goal, were on hand to applaud the announcement.
Mayor Sam Nahmias noted, “Over a year ago, while leading the Nassau County Bridge Authority, I addressed the dangerous lighting outage along 878, a problem that has persisted for much too long. Now as mayor, I’m proud to announce significant progress in resolving this issue. Patricia Canzoneri Fitzpatrick, I want to thank you for securing a vital grant that will improve the lighting infrastructure along 878 which will avoid accidents and increase safety for those travelling in and out of our village. Today we announce a partnership with our state senator. With her great work, we received a $150,000 grant to fix and correct the 878 lighting. We look forward to continuing to work with our state senator. This collaboration between local and state government is a powerful reminder of how effective we can be by working together and continuing these efforts to further improve our village infrastructure.”
State Senator Patricia Canzoneri Fitzpatrick commented, “I commend you mayor and your board for being an advocate for this grant even prior to your election as mayor, when you were on the Bridge Authority, and now we have success. We have $150,000 to improve the lighting on the 878 Expressway which will improve the safety for every resident who travels over that bridge. I am really grateful to all of the levels of government that worked together to secure this grant and I am grateful, mayor, that you have taken on this project and will make sure it is brought to fruition. This is the perfect example of when all levels of government work together for the safety of constituents. I look forward to a long partnership with your village and the state senate.”
Assemblyman Ari Brown commented, “As ranking member of the local governments committee and a village elected, I can tell you that infrastructure is the biggest expense that we face each and every day. Roads, lighting—[the funding] is just never there so we’re happy to get our yearly CHIPS money. When you have a grant like this that the senator secured, it makes such a big difference. We have little budgets of $5-10 million for a typical village, so when you get $150,000, it really contributes a lot to our local economy.”
County Executive Bruce Blakeman concluded, “Thank you for being so tenacious that we fix this safety issue. Working with our colleagues, in local, state, and federal levels is what we do at the county. Our job is to solve people’s problems and make for safer and more affordable communities.”
To watch video of the press conference, visit https://youtu.be/MFOl0HW8PEg?feature=shared. For more information visit VillageofLawrence.org.
{Albany Republicans Challenge Democrat Legislation To Delay Special Election
Assemblyman Ari Brown joined his Assembly and Senate Republican colleagues on the Million Dollar Staircase to bring attention to A.4881 (Heastie) and its Senate counterpart, S.4588. Brown notes, “This brazen legislation is nothing more than a calculated attempt to delay a special election in New York’s 21st Congressional District, potentially leaving more than 750,000 New Yorkers without representation for as long as nine months—all in the name of political gain.”
With Rep. Elise Stefanik expected to vacate her seat to serve as U.N. ambassador, state law requires Gov Kathy Hochul to call a special election within 10 days. Brown accuses Democrats of “scrambling to change the rules in the middle of the game and rigging the system to benefit their party while disenfranchising the North Country.”
During the press conference, Republican leaders posed critical questions that Democrats have yet to answer: If this bill is truly about “voter fatigue,” why are Democrats only concerned about it when a Republican seat is at stake? How can they claim to “protect democracy” while simultaneously silencing more than 750,000 New Yorkers by delaying their right to vote? Governor Hochul claims other states leave congressional seats vacant for long periods—since when is New York supposed to follow bad examples? Are Democrats admitting they can’t win a fair fight, so they have to manipulate the election calendar instead? If this is about “efficiency,” why not ensure a swift and fair election rather than prolonging voter disenfranchisement? Why are Democrats prioritizing their own political advantage over the right of North Country residents to be represented in Washington? Is House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries now dictating New York’s election laws, or is Governor Hochul still pretending to be in charge? Will the media hold Democrats accountable for this blatant partisan stunt, or will they continue covering for one-party rule in Albany?
Assemblyman Brown and his colleagues are calling this “election interference” and noting, “The same party that screams about defending democracy is now actively subverting it.”
“New Yorkers should be outraged,” Brown said. “This is a disgraceful attempt to rewrite the rules for political gain. Our constituents deserve representation, and we will fight this shameless power grab every step of the way.”
Republicans are now calling for legal action, legislative pushback, and full public scrutiny of this corrupt maneuver.
OpEd: Expel, Arrest, and Prosecute. We Must Deter Anti-Semitic Hate
By Nicole Aloise, Candidate for Nassau County District Attorney
Just when it didn’t feel like there was any higher level than the hate we saw spewed at Columbia in April of last year, anti-Semitic students took it to a new level. Just last week, these criminals poured cement into the plumbing to protest Israel’s right to exist. Enough is enough.
Don’t take my word on calling it an “attack,” though; take it from the attackers themselves. With any attack, there must be action. As a former prosecutor and current candidate for Nassau County District Attorney, I implore Columbia University, the NYPD, and Alvin Bragg to expel, arrest, and prosecute these perpetrators.
This kind of reckless, immature behavior has been tolerated for far too long. It appears that our culture is trending toward a destructive form of leniency, which only serves to embolden this type of behavior. And that won’t stop until we, as a society, finally put our collective foot down and say that enough is enough when it comes to anti-Semitic hate. The actions of these self-proclaimed activists cannot go unpunished. Crimes were committed. These misguided, juvenile actors were so confident that they would not face consequences, that they brazenly filmed and distributed video of their activities. Shame on us as New Yorkers for making them this comfortable.
There has to be a culture change in our attitude that such behavior will no longer be tolerated. Now is the time for establishments like Columbia University to finally step up and set the example. Whether they do the right thing or not, law enforcement should.
Once these perpetrators are arrested there are a number of crimes they can (and should) be charged with including Criminal Mischief in the Second Degree as a hate crime. Under our law, they can be found guilty if they acted with intent to damage the property of another with no right to and caused damage in an amount exceeding $1,500 and intentionally selected the persons against whom the offense is committed in whole or substantial part because of race, religion, ancestry, or religious practice.
According to these activists’ manifesto, they poured cement down the “sewage lines of the entire building, forcing them to shut down business-as-usual” because of the expulsion of an anti-Israel student activist. Additionally, these students referred to the dean as a “killer.” They are, by their own admission, at the very least, guilty of this non-violent, class “C” felony.
Unfortunately under NY’s 2019 bail reform laws, once they’re arrested a judge cannot, in his or her discretion, set bail, even if the judge were to determine that these perpetrators are dangerous. The Governor now has proposed changes to this law that would allow judges to set bail for any reason, not just to ensure that people would return to court. I have been opposed to the bail reform laws as they are written since their inception and I ardently urge the NY State Legislature to pass these changes and, as Hochul has said, in doing so “giving judges the discretion necessary to ensure public safety.”
We have seen indiscriminately across the state the unfortunate repercussions of these progressive reforms and the inability of District Attorneys to function under them. Some DAs have managed better than others, teaching their prosecutors the nuances of the law and fully understanding what it means to prosecute something as a hate crime. The current administration here in Nassau simply spends time complaining and not taking action.
Nassau County deserves a DA who recognizes the importance of building a strong hate crimes unit with dedicated prosecutors who understand that it’s not just about prosecuting the cases that come to it. This unit must act on the premise that a hate crime isn’t only about the individual victim and can’t be taken on a case by case basis—there must be action on behalf of the entire community that was targeted to stop the systemic nature of hate itself.
