Over the past few weeks, I’ve noticed many comments on the Scoop asking the same question: Why are we, once again, voting for Avi Schnall when he’s a Democrat?
And if we’re voting for him, what about voting for Sherrill?
As someone who has identified as a Republican for decades, I understand the hesitation. After all, great Gedolim like Rav Avigdor Miller zt”l were outspoken against supporting Democrats. But context matters. In Rav Miller’s days, there were no frum, Torah-observant Democrats who aligned with Torah values or represented our community’s interests. The world — and the political reality — has changed.
Today, it’s less about the letter next to someone’s name and more about their track record, their integrity, and their willingness to fight for the tzibur. Take Meir Lichtenstein, for example. He’s a registered Democrat as well, yet he enjoys broad support across our community. Why? Because he’s proven that his priorities are not liberal talking points, but the real-life needs of our families and institutions.
In my opinion, same is true for Avi Schnall. His agenda is not a “Democratic” one — it’s a Lakewood one. Whether it’s advocating for funding for our mosdos, standing up for parental rights, or working to ease the financial pressures our community faces, Avi has been in the trenches for us. He aligns with our values. That’s what matters.
Sherrill, on the other hand, in my opinion, has no aligned or shared values with Lakewood. Sure, she showed up yesterday to show her face, but Ciattarelli has returned time and time again to Lakewood, despite facing backlash for his visits. That displays strength of character. And in my opinion, that deserves support.
Political parties are tools, not identities. They can shift, evolve, and sometimes fail to represent what they once did. But our unity as a tzibur is far more valuable than any political label.
The bottom line? Don’t get distracted by party affiliations. Look at the person, their values, and their record. Let’s stay united and keep that streak going.
A Yid.
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100 percent true
The reason he’s a democrat is because the dems hold all power in NJ. So, if he wants to make any change he needs to align with then and vote with them. a Nj republican assembly member is worthless.
Jus wait till Ciatterelli wins and the Democrat assembly members will be worthless.
That is not how it works. The Democrats still hold control of the house.
Who says they still will? They are all up for relelection
If we manage to help get Ciattarelli elected to the governorship, he will need our help to flip the state Legislature to support the Republican agenda. Sadly, Avi’s allegiance is to his Democrat comrades. Therefore, his election would run counter to the goal of breaking the Dem’s majority grip on NJ governance. Do we really need a frum Yid helping the shmutz Democrats to remain in power? Now how much sense does that make?
He can change parties if that helps the community. That has been done in the past.
look at fetterman. You can believe in certain aspects of a parties platform and disagree on others, why is this so hard to understand?!
Fetterman is not a frum Jew, why do you expect from him as much as should be expected of Avi?
That doesn’t mean vote with them on every single shmutz bill.
He didn’t.
He did
Avi explained to me yesterday that for some reason during roll call there was a glitch that showed Avi voted yes although if you look at the actual state site on his record it shows a no vote. For some reason it’s not allowing me to post the link here but it’s a lie that he voted pro…
Sounds like an excuse to me…
Not sure what you mean, “his agenda is not a democratic one” .
He may be socially conservative but he is fiscally liberal. He is a democrat.
If you like high taxes, vote for Schnall.
avi schnall is running as a democrat only because the democrats are in power and he’ll have more say not because he shares the same value as democrats
Then way did he vote in favor of the Shmutz bill?
What “Schmutz” bill are you talking about???
Motzi Shem Rah, look it up yourself, he obstained.
The word is abstained not obstained. And abstaining is just as bad. What type of frum Yid doesn’t protest against such toeivah?
See my comment above. He voted against the bill.
No he didn’t. He didn’t vote.
Did he vote a big fat NO for all the world to see? See a Frum Yid stand up for Torah and morals? no. That’s the same as a yes vote.
He aligns with democrats on all fiscal issues….
100%
Which are disastrous. All fiscal issues for Democrats are about raising taxes on the hard working middle class. Fiscal issues also involve funding Shmutz ideaology.
I will Never vote Democrat, unlike many years ago the party has been hijacked by the extreme left !!
That is all great if you can tell me what Avi has done for me to get his vote? Taxes still going up, building not stopping, tuition bills going up… Nothing that got pushed through with the big beautiful bill will make a difference to the middle class. The more they spend on marketing that’s needed for us to vote for him again seems to prove my point (including this article).
what a dumb comment. I always find it amusing that people seem to think that the moment ONE individual gets elected the entire world will change.
Its beyond naïve, and too many use this faulty logic as a cudgel against people who spend their entire time trying to make a difference.
Can you even explain what you mean by that?
Lets flesh this out, what is Avi supposed to do about tuition (that he isnt already doing, i.e. advocating and lobbying)?
And your complaining about the “big beautiful bill” in context of Avi schnall? The bill is from the conservatives, he is a democrat. The bill is federal, he is state. Gosh!
For perspective the argument that Avi is just one person what is he going to do about tuition is actually what his opponents were saying when he first ran. Now it is being used in his defense… To continue the argument of it’s
about the person, not the party. Say Avi was a non-Jewish politician. Would there be the same push and assumption of support for him in our community?
And the answer remains the same. One person will engage, lobby, and strike deals. THAT is what he can do. The fact that it hasnt happened is not failure, its process.
Your moronic question about a non-jewish politician is obscene. Yes, if a non-jewish politician showed deference and respect to our concerns, and has demonstrated trustworthiness we would push to vote for them just the same. as happens in every election.
Abstaining from voting NO on a pro toeivah bill is not showing deference and respect to our concerns
The BBB contains much junk that he and Aguda proudly campained and pushed for. Things that sound good on paper, but cost money and resolve nothing.
He promised all those stuff when he ran last time.
Now that he hasn’t delivered, you are making excuses. If he couldn’t do it, he shouldn’t have promised it.
He didnt promise, he said he would fight for. He has helped MANY people who’ve turned to him, and your cynical attack on him is reminiscent of a kindergartener saying the teacher is picking on them if the milk delivery truck failed to show up that day.
I remember from 2 years ago and he did promise. Anyone who says otherwise is either in denial or has amnesia.
He got an extra 8 million dollars for Lakewood.
The big beautiful Bill has tuition vouchers in it.
He got the approval to widen the 9 which for some reason no one wants to talk about.
He got more funding for busing.
The BBB has zero vouchers in it. A total lie. Funding for bussing is a total joke. The funds nmeed to go directly to the schools, and the schools need to get their own private fleet. Expanding LSTA isn’t the answer.
Should you be voting republican in light of all the conservatives who would happily destroy you?
Short list:
Tucker Carlson
Candace Owens
Nick Fuentes
The Young Republicans of NY
Steve Bannon
Paul Ingrassia (Trumps Liaison to DOJ)
Ed Martin (Appointed to DOJ)
Andy Biggs (Congressman)
Hodge Twins (Famous conservative commentators)
So how about voting for good people regardless of the Party?
a few anti semetic Republicans as oppose 98 percent of democrats
Wow, A few Republicans. The only Democrat that cares for Jews is John Fetterman of Pennsylvania. I think you need to get your priorities straight.
apparently shmendrik isn’t your nickname.
You can argue the example or argue the point, the point is true, so you argue the example, like a dog who chomps at the whip not the wielder.
The fact remains that Avi is there to lobby and engage with those in power.
That means Democrats.
You get as far as curtis sliwa by trying to fight the establishment instead of engaging in give and take.
You think R; Meir Shapiro joined the Polish Sjem because all the ministers were pro orthodox Jewry?
apparently tissues isn’t your name
Rav Avigdor Miller said it is assur to vote for a Democrat.
R Meir Shapiro did not join the pro Toeiva Democrat party. He is probably ashamed that you are trying to justify this using his name
If he actually cared about standing up for parental rights he would have voted against bill A-3346 (freedom to read act) but unfortunately he is a democrat and can’t go against his party even if it’s against everything we believe in
What is that bill “Freedom to read act”???
A bill to allow any book in school libraries, even ones that have immoral pro toeivah messaging.
Very well said,
YES Avi NO Sherril.
Avi Has done many things for this community, from families that need help with insurance to funding for school programs!! Yes we don’t agree with the dems, but Avi as a person we should put our full backing!!!
thanks again Avi,
let’s keep ourselves together!!
I should add that “advocating for funding for schools” and “working to ease the financial pressure of struggling families” are strictly democratic priorities. Republicans routinely vote to cut those programs, while democrats fight to preserve and strengthen them
Advocating for more public school funding are democratic priorities. Private school funding, not so much….
Democrats don’t support private education funding. They actually are the ones preventing the funding from happening. Republicans support private education as many of them send to parochial schools themselves.
Avi has to get out HIMSELF to earn our votes and not have others campaign for him.
If you ever have ANY issue and you reach out to him he helps. Try it and then vote for him. He’s totally there for the tzibur! He personlly helped me a few times!
He personally blocked me when I tried taking him to task for some of his bills.
Avi voted to support June being LGBTQIA+ month despite promising he would not support such agendas.
This is INCORRECT!!
He voted “No Vote” on Bill AR138. Please verify your facts prior to posting…
This can be verified on the NJ state legislature website.
http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/legislative-roster/482/assemblyman-schnall/votes-by-subject.
He votes no vote last year and yes this year. Try again bud.
Picture of Vote
Why didn’t he vote against it? No Vote is complicit in it.
He voted NO. Above picture is a fake website!
Well this one is for sure real – no vote doesn’t mean he voted no.
You are trying to find excuses.
He didn’t vote against it, that’s a vote for it.
He abstained from the vote. He did not vote yes.
You are being motzi Shem Ra on him. This is a sheker being publicised on other sites.
Abstaining is just as bad. Stand up for our values and vote NO against such horrible things!
I actually just looked at this. 7 REPUBLICANS voted yes to the bill. Avi did not. I happen to take issues with Avi for other reasons but this isn’t one of them. Like it or not, we live in an extremely liberal state and any assemblyman voting against this bill would face local backlash and risk losing reelection in their own district, not to mention support of fellow liberals who they may enjoy a good working relationship with. It’s so incredibly naive to look at this in a vacuum and then utilize it to gaslight.
On a separate note could someone start recognizing straight people? They represent a much larger percentage of people. I’m really starting to feel discriminated against.
Why would Avi face backlash for voting against horrible Toeivah? He answers to us his voters and not the rest of our liberal state.
your question shows profound ignorance of the way politics works. You will not be excused for berating Achicha about his performance due to your lack of comprehension.
Your response show profound ignorance about how Klal Yisroel works. When it comes to Toeivah we must stand up against it without letting up. If not it is a great Chillul Hashem.
What is he campaigning on? What is he promising to do for us in the coming term?
Definitely do not vote Democrat at all. It’s all about money and gets worse and worse.
Who are you to have your own opinion? Are you a Rov or Rosh yeshiva? The Democrat party has become much more immoral t6han it was in Rav Mikllers days. Absolutely do not vote for a Democrat.
Says the person speaking the opposite of every Lakewood rov
What are you talking about? I have not spoken against the Rabbonim. Only against the nameless Vaad.
The Republican party has also become more immoral since then, much worse than anyone would have imagined 20 years ago (they seem to run around 10 years behind the Democrats in terms of morality). We have no idea, maybe Rabbi Miller would tell us not to vote for any of them?
So you are saying to vote for the democrat which is definitely against Rav Miller instead of the republican who maybe would be against Rav Miller? That makes no sense
Republicans are left of where Democrats were 50+ years ago. But Democrats are left of where Socialists were at that same time. Republicans in general support our Moral ideaologies, even if they don’t live them. Democrats are against any form of morality. They support shmutz open in the street.
Thank you! As someone who leans center-left (think Hubert Humphrey attitudes, which I note is less common), the common frum loyalty to the Republican Party is disheartening. As is loyalty in other communities to the Democratic Party, both are extremely surface-level and don’t address actual issues.
Jewish Republicans frequently criticize Jews who sometimes vote for Democrats, saying that such loyalty is old-fashioned, and that the New Deal era is over. I agree with that statement and rarely vote straight down one party line. On the other hand, the sincere supporters of religious liberty (especially Judaism) in the Republican Party are getting older and fewer. The younger demographic tends to want a more Christian (read: exclusively Protestant) America. Many younger Democrats view Jews as White European Colonizers.
Register with a party, or don’t. Just don’t rule out an individual candidate because of a D or R. On a communal level, as applied to political parties and factions (not necessarily individuals), Jews have no permanent friends. We only have permanent interests.
Democrats today do not represent our interests at all. A jew who leans center left needs some major guidance. Center is far left of Torah and Judaism. Even Republicans are in many cases left of Torah values.
Does using the campaign street signs from last election mean he still trying to get the original things done?
If you own nursing homes or daycare centers you should definitely vote for Avi
ENOUGH WITH THE SWAMP DEMOCRATS, all they are good for the people getting handouts on the shoulders of HARD WORKING PEOPLE, enough with the lazy non working welfare system
Good headline! 👍 Hooked me right in because I thought it was going to be some upside down rant but it was a fine post. Simcha Felder is also “Democrat” in zipcode 11230 but the one people vote for for years because it’s not about the letter.
Simcha Felder runs on all party lines. I checked him off on the Consewrvative party when he was my district.
No one better represents the needs of Lakewood than Avi Schnall. He is a person that follows Daas Torah & is doing his best to help the Tzibur. His reason for running last time to get tuition relief was unfortunately naive, but he is still a wonderful person whom I would definitely vote for. I ignore the bitter people who have been knocking him for 4 years already for not delivering on tuition relief. Get past that & move on.
Which Daas Torah told him to abstain and not vote against that horrible toeivah bill?
You say to get past the tuition relief? That was his entire platform last time. We trusted him and voted him in and he didn’t deliver on his big promise.
So you have an assumption that he didnt, and based on that you attack him? Idiot.
It is not an assumption. It is on the record that he abstained. Calling me names doesn’t help the conversation.
well, this is shameful how people are criticizing Avi. He is a great person doing a great job, and you guys should educate yourselves, before posting a comment. You guys don’t understand a word to politics how shameful
While I agree he is a very nice person how can you say he is doing a great job? All he has done is pass more democrat government handouts which raises the taxes of those of us who work and try to make money ourselves instead of relying on those government handouts.
A comment of no substance that is only telling people that you are too stupid to understand the situation know what is good for you like this one is very manipulative. The similar limited substance pro Avi comments here which just say nothing other than “he is great guy who works very hard for the community” make me even less likely to support him. Why are his supporters and campaign workers posting here so vague about why he should be reelected?
Apparently you seem to think that the way it works is you get your man elected, and then he can deliver whatever it is you want. You seem to be uncapable of comprehending how one must work with others to promote advocate and sometimes, make deals to attain the goal he seeks.
as far as what he has accomplished, it is to actually establish rapport, relationships, and a place to turn to for the common man, I have utilized his services myself.
I am glad for you that you have utilized his services. For me all he has done is raise my taxes. I will not vote for him.
The only thing I’m uncapable of comprehending is why I should support Schnall.I ask for a reason to support him that isn’t insulting and vague so of course I get another insulting and vague response. These type of posts and the Schnall ads that I see in the Lakewood papers could have been written about any and every candidate.
Please don’t vote for Sherrill. Women don’t belong in politics. She will get into office and have no idea what to do for the community. She has no skills to offer Lakewood
Sherrill wants to crack down on food stamp fraud…. Do not vote for her