New York Synagogue requires Voter Registration for High Holiday Access, Sparking Debate
NEW YORK – Shaare Zion, New York City’s largest Syrian synagogue and a prominent institution within the Sephardic Jewish community, is requiring congregants to be registered voters in order to attend High Holiday services. The unprecedented move, communicated via a letter to members, has ignited discussion regarding the intersection of religious institutions and civic participation.
The letter does not endorse any specific candidate or party, but warns of “very serious problems” for the Jewish community depending on the outcome of the upcoming mayoral election. As a result, the synagogue states it has “no choice” but to implement the voter registration requirement.
Scholars of church-state relations report being unaware of any prior instance of a house of worship enacting such a policy. Mark Valeri, a professor of religion and politics at Washington University in St. Louis, noted the implication of “divine sanction for voting and perhaps leaning one way or the other.” Valeri surmised the synagogue’s action stems from concerns about the potential election of Zohran Mamdani, who won the Democratic primary in June.
These concerns are echoed by Mark Treyger, CEO of the Jewish Community Relations Council and a former city councilmember. He stated the anxieties surrounding Mamdani relate to public safety, policing, handling protests, and the security of Jewish institutions like synagogues and schools.
While the letter’s wording avoids explicit political direction, raising questions of legal challenge, religious scholars are debating the permissibility of the requirement under Jewish law.
Rabbi David Bleich, a highly respected rabbinical authority at Yeshiva University, questioned the basis for linking religious practice with civic duty. “On what grounds would a religious institution impose all sorts of conditions that have nothing to do with religion or spirituality?” he asked,drawing a parallel to requiring Sabbath observance for synagogue entry,calling the voter registration requirement “a little bit ludicrous.”
Synagogues commonly have membership requirements, and Rabbi Bleich affirmed the importance of voting. Though, he expressed discomfort with combining membership and voter registration, suggesting the synagogue would need to claim a religious duty is being violated to justify the policy.
