3:23 pm Oct. 11, 20121
A reader passed along these photos of Democratic and Conservative State Senate candidate Simcha Felder's new campaign office, at the intersection of 13th Avenue and 53rd Street in Borough Park, a remarkably busy spot in the neighborhood.
It's across the street from Congregation Shomrei Shabbos, which, the Times noted, is "a 24-hour synagogue where a service begins every 15 minutes."
Felder is an Orthodox Jew, like a substantial and growing number of voters in the district.
Storobin, who is also Jewish, defeated a Democrat to win the seat earlier this year by relying on votes from the area's Russian immigrants, whose collective voting power may have been diluted in the redrawing of this district.
Senator Storobin did get a lot of support from the Russian Jewish community in Brooklyn but did not win because of the Russian community. Gregory Davidzon, in an unfortunate show of how influential money is, betrayed his friends and members in the community, and unfairly used his media empire to split the Russian vote.
In reality, Senator Storobin won the election in March because of the Orthodox Jewish vote. Senator Storobin was backed by influential Rabbis in the community and by a number of powerful organizations including Agudath Israel and Council of Jewish Organizations of Flatbush. Orthodox Jewish voters back Senator Storobin because he promised to oppose legislation that goes against strong families and traditional Jewish values. In a surprising move by a politician, Storobin actually voted in Albany the way he promised he would to his constituents.