Voter Registration in the Sephardic Community
Senator Sam Sutton
Over the past few months, I have had the privilege of helping coordinate one of the most important initiatives our community has ever undertaken: ensuring that every eligible member of the Sephardic Community is registered to vote.
This is not just a civic project, but a mission rooted in our values, our responsibility to the future, and our unity as a community.
The Pivotal Meeting at West Deal Shul
One of the most important moments of this initiative came when we gathered at Magen David of West Deal. Spearheaded by the Sephardic Community Federation (SCF), along with Rabbis and Community leaders, we discussed a groundbreaking idea— a Rabbinical Proclamation, declaring a religious obligation to register and to vote. The commitment from our leaders was overwhelming. That meeting set the tone for what has now become a historic community-wide effort.
I am proud to share that with the help of TEACH NYS, we have launched an initiative, paving the way for our yeshivas to play a direct role in this mission. By identifying parents who are not yet registered and guiding them through the process, we are weaving voter registration into the very fabric of our educational institutions. This ensures that families who benefit from our schools also lend their voices to securing our future.
This effort has required hundreds of hours, countless phone calls, and presence at nearly every community event this summer. I want to give special recognition to Linda Ebani and her extraordinary team, who leave no stone unturned. They are on the ground day after day, registering thousands of new voters, demonstrating true dedication.
A special thank you goes to Magen David Yeshiva, which took the lead early on. Led by Gladys Haddad and Morris Missry, they were the first to step up and set an example for others. They proved once again why they are a cornerstone of our Community.
Our most recent major meeting, hosted by Haim Dabah and Marshall Aronow brought together over 40 Community leaders and Rabbis to discuss next steps of this initiative, beginning after Labor Day. With so many voices aligned, I am more confident than ever that our Community is on the right path.
We have the capacity to make a tremendous difference if we register and we vote. Considering the collective challenges that are before us, this initiative is proof that when our Community comes together with clarity and purpose, we are unstoppable.
State Senator Sam Sutton represents New York’s 22nd Senate District in South Brooklyn. A lifelong community leader, he served as president of Sephardic Bikur Holim, co-founded the Sephardic Community Federation and Teach NYS, and has been deeply involved in education, healthcare, and social services. He also served on the CUNY Board of Trustees, helped launch the New York Cancer Center, and is a founding board member of the SAFE Foundation.
