Crown Heights Community-Wide Voter Registration Drive

Every vote is extremely important — yes, that important.

On September 7, Elul 14, over 60 Crown Heights Shuls, schools, and organizations will unite for an all-important week-long voter registration drive, led by the Jewish Future Alliance (JFA). The initiative is part of a broader significant effort across New York’s Jewish communities to increase civic participation.

The situation is so important that in some Brooklyn schools, parents are required to register to vote as part of enrollment, with children not accepted if their parents are not registered — underscoring the seriousness of the campaign.

The effort is organized in partnership with the Crown Heights Shuls Association, Crown Heights N’tzigim, Vaad Hakohol, and a coalition of local women-led organizations and community leaders. Residents are being urged to help friends and family register to vote.

This week, the Crown Heights Beis Din issued a public letter emphasizing the urgency of voter participation:

“In recent years, it has become clearer than ever how urgent and impactful voting truly is. Decisions made by elected officials affect our families, our schools, our safety, and the future of our community… Let us each do our part, as individuals and as a community, to fulfill the Rebbe’s instruction and strengthen the presence of our community’s voice in the public square.”

Rabbi Yaacov Behrman of the JFA highlighted the progress made and the work that remains:

We’ve made real progress. Anash voting is up 600% since 2013, yet thousands of eligible voters are still unregistered. Among 18–22-year-olds, we should have 2,000 registered; fewer than 900 are. We must do better for ourselves, our community, and our city.

Rabbi Laizer Avtzon of the Crown Heights Shuls Association emphasized the need for unity:

“This is a moment that calls for unity. I’ve always valued the uniqueness of each shul and the importance of their independence and growth, but there is also a time to come together as a community. This has become a fight for survival — and there is no greater cause to unite behind.”

Shmuel Rosenstein of the Crown Heights Jewish Community Council (CHJCC) added:

“This is not about one election — it’s about the future of our children, our safety, and our voice as a community. Please make sure everyone in your family is registered. It literally takes two minutes.”

The week-long voter registration drive aims to strengthen civic engagement and ensure the community’s voice is heard in upcoming elections.

Click here for resources to share. The most effective way to help is by reaching out to your contacts—both in person and through WhatsApp groups—to encourage them to register. One by one, we can work together to get every eligible voter registered by the end of the week.

A special thank you to UJA-Federation of New York for their assistance with this project and their citywide efforts to support voter registration.