The 2023 Primary Election Day got underway at 6 am Tuesday morning, with polls to remain open until 8 pm.
While there are few competitive races around the county, the mayoral race in Toms River has attracted widespread attention, contention, and even confusion.
The Toms River Jewish Community Council has declined to endorse incumbent Mayor Mo Hill, but did endorse his running mates in Colum A. A quiet campaign was then launched to endorse Hill challenger Geri Ambrosio, who along with Hill and another challenger, Dan Rodrick, has also been accused of antisemitism.
Hill responded by sarcastically congratulating Ambrosio for receiving the TRJCC’s endorsement, though TRJCC reps confirmed to the Asbury Park Press that they had not made any endorsement in the mayoral race, and were only endorsing the other Column A candidates.
However, flyers have been distributed on social media in recent days telling the frum community to vote exclusively for Column B candidates. The Column B endorsements are in direct opposition to the endorsements of rabbinic and communal leaders in both Lakewood and Jackson. Additionally, one Column B candidate, Sergio Fossa, is a Christian pastor who has given sermons calling anyone who isn’t of his faith “children of the devil.”
Moreover, representatives of several rabbanim whose names appear on the endorsement of Column B tell Lakewood Alerts that they are not, in fact, endorsing Column B. Rather, they issued calls for the kehilla to vote in unity, a call which some then used to falsely say they were endorsing Column B.
Frum residents of Toms River are now faced with no endorsement at mayor but also a shadow endorsement of Geri Ambrosio, and conflicting messages over whether to vote for Column A or Column B candidates.
Why are the Rabbonim of Lakewood and Jackson getting involved in Toms River? Let the TR Rabbonim deal with their own community
They are ALL whacked!!