An Orthodox Jewish candidate has won a 1-year unexpired term to the Jackson Board of Education, defying the odds and a coordinated write-in effort to sink his candidacy. 

The candidate, Tzvi Herman, was supported by multiple askanim and rabbanim in Jackson, who mounted a campaign to have Orthodox Jewish residents of Jackson vote for his candidacy. Included in this effort were numerous individuals who knocked on doors, making sure people were registered to vote, and as the election neared, a call center was set up with approximately eight people calling Orthodox Jews to remind them to vote for Mr. Herman.

Sources tell TLS that an “all-out effort” to derail Mr. Herman’s candidacy was mounted when anti-Orthodox Jackson officials realized that he was the only one on the ballot. A write-in candidate – Mike Braun – was put up and endorsed by the Jackson Teachers Union and the Chairman of the Jackson GOP, Todd Porter, and received backing from the entire Jackson establishment.

In an unprecedented move, the Jackson Teachers Union went canvassing door-to-door to have residents vote for Mike Braun over Tzvi Herman. Moreover, the canvassers did not even urge residents to vote for specific candidates running for the 3-year BOE terms; rather they only pushed for voters to elect Mr. Braun over Mr. Herman.

Despite it all, Mr. Herman emerged victorious, winning by at least 1,000 votes, although insiders believe the final result may be even higher.

“We look forward to Tzvi Herman accomplishing amazing things for all Jackson students,” Rabbi Avi Schnall, Director of Agudath Israel’s New Jersey office told TLS. “Jackson has about 8,000 students in their public school system, and there are over 2,000 Jackson students – approximately 20% of Jackson’s student population – who attend private school. It is only appropriate that those students have proper representation on the Board of Education.”