Cruz Campaign Press Release - Jewish Leaders Endorse Ted Cruz for President

HOUSTON, Texas – Presidential candidate Ted Cruz today announced the formation of a Jewish leadership coalition featuring a diverse group of rabbis, business, and community leaders from around the country.

"Since the day we announced our campaign, we have been honored to see tremendous support from the Jewish community." Cruz said. "I have been privileged to speak at synagogue services from New York to California to Florida, to celebrate Passover Seders with my friends in Texas, and to participate in events with Elie Wiesel and Rabbi Shmuley Boteach. My commitment to the nation of Israel and the Jewish people began long before my days as a senator or presidential candidate: it began with the experience my father had as a refugee fleeing oppression in Cuba to come to this country. As president, I will stand unapologetically with Israel, prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, move the U.S. embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, and cut off federal funding to any institution that adopts B.D.S. measures."

Last summer, Cruz brought together Jewish, evangelical, and conservative groups in an attempt to stop the disastrous Iran nuclear deal.

Sarah Stern, President of the Endowment for Middle East Truth, said, "I have worked with many congressional offices for many years, and there is no stronger advocate for Israel and the Jewish people than Ted. We have worked closely on bringing justice to victims of Iranian and Palestinian terror and stopping the Iranian nuclear deal. Speaking as an individual, I cannot wait to work with President Cruz and turn our country around."

Rabbi Zev Reichman, Rabbi in Englewood, NJ, and director at Yeshiva University said, "Ted Cruz has impressed me with his deep respect for people of faith, his dedication to protecting the US homeland, and his unflinching support for America's greatest ally in the Middle East, the nation of Israel. A few months ago I had the privilege of spending time with Ted. He displayed a deep regard for daily Talmud study and Jewish religious practice. His respect for the beliefs of others is inspiring. I feel confident that President Cruz will defend religious liberty and preserve our First Amendment rights."

"America and the West face an existential threat to our way of life from radical Islamic terrorists," Reichman continued. "Cruz has been a leader in identifying this threat and boldly taking action to protect American lives. Ted has demonstrated foresight, understanding, and good judgment. Most importantly, he has demonstrated time and again that he is a leader with integrity, strength, and courage. He has introduced legislation to prevent terrorists from coming to the US and to choke off their funding. Most significantly, when the Iran deal was coming to Congress for a vote he led the efforts to stop this catastrophic deal.

"On October 6, 1943 hundreds of Rabbis marched in Washington pleading with elected officials to step in and address the dangers to Jews in Europe. President Roosevelt refused to meet with them. Their pleas for help fell on deaf ears. Millions of Jewish lives were lost.

"The Iranian regime threatens to do in six minutes what Hitler did in six years. They openly declare their hope to wipe Israel off the map. The Iranian nuclear deal has awarded this hideous regime billions of dollars, international legitimacy, and hundreds of billions of dollars of future economic growth. On September 9, 2015, hundreds of Rabbis returned to Washington to plead with elected officials to step in and reject the Iranian nuclear deal. Ted Cruz stood with us and led at that moment. President Cruz will tear up the Iran deal on his first day in office. The stakes for America, the West, and the Israel have rarely been higher. I hope and pray that the Almighty will help Ted Cruz become the next President of the United States and leader of the free world."

This Jewish leadership coalition is in addition to a group of 25 Orthodox rabbis who endorsed Senator Cruz in December of 2015.

The following individuals are part of the leadership coalition:

Ken Abramowitz, Connecticut

Raanan Agus, New York

Dr. Alan Berger, New Jersey

Dr. Marc Berger, New York

Dr. Ben Chouake, NORPAC President, New Jersey

Edward Czuker, California

Elissa Czuker, California

Rabbi Pini Dunner, California

Joseph Frager, New York

Saul Gamoran, Washington

Eli Gold, London Center for Policy Research, Maryland

Todd Hanik, Maryland

Rabbi Shmully Hecht, Founder, Yale Shabtai Society, Connecticut

David Horwitz, New York

Benjamin Klein, New Jersey

Batya Klein, New Jersey

Melissa Jane Kronfeld, New York

Hon. Adam Kwasman, Former Arizona State Representative, Arizona

Orit Kwasman, Faith & Freedom Coalition, Arizona

Eytan Laor, Florida

Barbara Ledeen, Maryland

Dr. Michael Ledeen, Foundation for Defense of Democracy, Maryland

Esther Lerer, New Jersey

Arie Lipnick, Washington, DC

Steven Mitzner, Texas

Ira Mitzner, Texas

Kevin Pailet, Texas

Rabbi Shlomo Pollak, New Jersey

Rabbi Elchanan Poupko, New York

Rabbi Zev Reichman, Yeshiva University, New Jersey

Rabbi Yaakov Rosenblatt, Texas

Dr. Pejman Salimpour, California

Dr. Joseph Schwartz, New Jersey

Chaya Schwartz, New Jersey

Trudy Stern, New York

Sarah Stern, President, Endowment for Middle East Truth, Maryland

*Titles and any affiliations of all endorsers are provided for identification purposes only.