Ahead of mayoral election, Brooklyn synagogue demands voter registration to attend High Holiday services

Congregation Shaare Zion, a large Orthodox synagogue serving the Syrian-Jewish community in Brooklyn, is taking an unprecedented step in the run-up to New York City’s mayoral election: Members and their spouses must show proof of voter registration before they can secure seats for the High Holidays.

One of the largest Sephardic synagogues in the country, Shaare Zion announced the requirement in a letter to congregants last week that framed the election as a moment of acute risk for Jews in New York.

“In approximately two months, New York City will be electing its next Mayor,” the synagogue’s executive committee wrote, according to a copy obtained by Yeshiva World News. “The outcome of this election could result in very serious problems throughout the city and, in particular, the Jewish communities across the city including our own. The safety and quality of life for our community and our institutions may be at serious risk.”

The letter continued: “As a result, we have no choice but to require that all of our members and their spouses provide proof of voter registration prior to securing their High Holiday seats.”


https://www.jta.org/2025/09/08/politics/ahead-of-mayoral-election-brooklyn-synagogue-demands-voter-registration-to-attend-high-holiday-services