House Speaker Mike Johnson traveled to Westchester County, NY, on Sunday to attend a pair of fundraisers for Rep. Mike Lawler (NY-17), who is up for reelection in 2024. Following the fundraiser, Speaker Johnson attended a meeting with various rabbanim and community leaders to discuss the left-wing assault on private education across New York.
Numerous rabbanim participated in the meeting with the speaker, including Rav Chaim Flohr, Rav Refoel Schorr, Rav Mordche Beck, Rav Simcha Yisroel Blum, Aron Yida Blum, the Rav Pinchas Eliezer Meislish, the Rav Chaim Leibish Rottenberg, Rav Yaakov Shapiro, Rav Moshe Kessler, Rav Bentzion Laub, the Satmar Dayan of Williamsburg, Rav Mordche Mecholowitz, and Rav Elya Ber Wachtfogel, who arrived just as the meeting concluded after having become stuck in traffic due to heavy rain.
The rabbanim beseeched Speaker Johnson to use the power of the federal government to push back against creeping leftist activism in New York schools, particularly as it pertains to Jewish education across the state.
The speaker, who is a deeply religious man himself, responded by affirming his support for private Jewish education in New York, noting that New York bureaucrats’ attacks against Orthodox Jewish schools are not only a serious concern for Orthodox Jewry, but for all religions.
Speaker Johnson then praised Rep. Lawler, saying that the Jewish community has “no better ally” than him in Washington, and invited the rabbanim to another meeting in the near future in Washington, which would include the participation of various other rabbanim, as well.
