A Jewish holiday falls on primary election day. Will Trenton change the date?

A group of more than five dozen Jewish faith and civic leaders is asking state officials to move the date of the 2025 primary election because it conflicts with Shavuot, where observant Jews are not permitted to use electronic devices, write, drive, or travel – something they say makes it impossible for them to vote on Election Day.

“While mail-in and early voting options are available, primary election day remains the most common time for casting ballots,” the faith leaders wrote. “The overlap of these dates means that, without intervention, a significant portion of our community will be disenfranchised.”

The primary election is on Tuesday, June 3, and Shavuot ends at sundown, 9:14 PM.   This won’t happen again until 2038.

Gov. Phil Murphy said he’s open to working with legislative leaders to move the primary date.

“The Governor is committed to ensuring that our democratic process remains inclusive and accessible to all New Jersey voters,” said Kiran Sheth, a spokesperson for Murphy.

Still, it’s unclear whether the request will become politicized, or tied to commitments on other issues.

“The right to vote is fundamental to our democracy. Every citizen must have an equal opportunity to participate in the electoral process, regardless of their religious observances,” the group of religious leaders said.  “The scheduling conflict for the 2025 primary elections poses a serious threat to this principle, as it effectively excludes observant Jews from exercising their right to vote on the designated day.”

The Jewish holiday could impact some contested primary elections, including the 37th district, where Tamar Warburg, a Teaneck Democratic leader and general counsel of the Jewish Community Foundation of MetroWest NJ, is challenging two incumbent assemblywomen in the Democratic primary.

New Jersey has changed primary dates in the past: in 2001, the legislature postponed Election Day for three weeks after late-arriving U.S. Census data delayed the drawing of a new legislative map; and Murphy move the 2020 primary to July to accommodate an all-VBM election.

The letter was signed by: Susan Antman, Executive Director, Jewish Federation in the Heart of New Jersey; Rabbi Brian K. Beal, Temple Beth Tikvah, Wayne; Rabbi Yisrael Bennish, Chabad of Bayonne; Rabbi Shmuel Bergman, Young Israel of Fort Lee; Rabbi Akiva Block, Kehilat Kesher; Englewood Rabbi Larry Brandspiegel, East Brunswick Jewish Center;  Rabbi Yitzchok Burnstein, Adath Jeshurun, Elizabeth; Rabbi Yosef Carlebach, Sons of Israel – Chabad of Greater Monmouth County; Rabbi Gabe Cohen, Temple Emanu-El, Closter; Rabbi Michael Davies, Congregation Sons of Israel, Cherry Hill; Nathan Diament, Executive Director, Orthodox Union Advocacy; Rabbi David Englander, Congregation Beth El, Voorhees; Robin Freedman-Kramer, Executive Director, Jewish Federation of West-Central New Jersey; Rabbi Daniel Fridman, The Jewish Center of Teaneck, Vice President for Community Affairs, Rabbinical Council of Bergen County; Rabbi Menachem Genack, Congregation Shomrei Emunah, Englewood; Rabbi Zev Goldberg, Bais Medrash of Bergenfield; Rabbi Pamela Jay Gottfried, Congregation Beth Tikvah; Rabbi Chaim Greenwald, Politz Day School: Rabbi Yehuda Halpert, Congregation Ahavat Shalom’ Teaneck Rabbi Dovid Harrison, Congregation Beth Shalom, Red Bank; Rabbi Haim Jachter, Shaarei Orah Sephardic Congregation of Teaneck; Rabbi David-Seth Kirshner, Temple Emanu-El, Closter; Rabbi Beni Krohn, Young Israel of Teaneck, President, Rabbinical Council of Bergen County; Rabbi Adam Lautman, Temple Har Zion, Mount Holly; Rabbi Mendy Lewis, Chabad of Old Tappan; Rabbi Eliot Malomet, Congregation Anshei Emeth; Highland Park Rabbi Mendy Mangel, Chabad of Camden and Burlington County; Rabbi Chaim Marcus, Congregtion Israel of Springfield, Co-President, Vaad Harabonim of Metrowest, NJ; Rabbi Randall Mark, Shomrei Torah WCC, Wayne; Rabbi Andrew Markowitz, Congregation Shomrei Torah, Fair Lawn; Rabbi Amy L. Memis-Foler, Adath Amanu-El ; Rabbi Jordan Millstein, Temple Sinai of Bergen County, Tenafly; Rabbi Steven Miodownik, Ahavas Achim, Highland Park; Rabbi Loren Monosov, Temple Emanuel of Pascack Valley, Woodcliff Lake; Rabbi Levi Neubort, Anshei Lubavitch Outreach Center, Fair Lawn; Rabbi Micah Peltz, Temple Beth Shalom, Cherry Hill; Rabbi Joel Pitkowsky, Congregation Beth Shalom, Teaneck; Rabbi Michael Pont, Marlboro Jewish Center; Rabbi Chaim Poupko, Congregation Ahavath Torah, Englewood; Rabbi James Proops, Synagogue of the Suburban Torah Center, Livingston; Rabbi Netanel Reed, Congregation Mount Sinai of Jersey City Heights; Rabbi Avi Richler, Chabad of Gloucester County; Steve Rogers, Chief Executive Officer, Kaplen JCC on the Palisades; Rabbi Larry Rothwachs, Congregation Beth Aaron, Teaneck; Rabbi Moshe Schapiro, Chabad Jewish Center of Hoboken and Jersey City; Rabbi Robert Scheinberg, United Synagogue of Hoboken; Rabbi Jennifer Schlosberg, Glen Rock Jewish Center; Rabbi Elliot Schrier, Congregation Bnai Yeshurun, Teaneck; Rabbi Yisroel Serebrowski, Torah Links Center, Cherry Hill; Rabbi Pinchas Shapiro, Executive Vice President, Jewish Educational Center, Elizabeth;  Jason M. Shames, Chief Executive Officer, Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey; Rabbi Steven Sirbu, Temple Emeth, Teaneck; Tara Speyer, Executive Director, YM-YWHA of Union County; Rabbi Yehuda Spritzer, Chabad House of Monroe; Rabbi Cy Stanway, Temple Beth Miriam, Elberon; Rabbi Chaim Strauchler, Congregation Rinat Yisrael, Teaneck; Rabbi Joshua Strom, Congregation Beth Israel of the Palisades, Fort Lee; Rabbi Michael Taubes, Congregation Zichron Mordechai, Teaneck; Rabbi David Vaisberg, Temple B’nai Abraham, Livingston; Rabbi Arthur Weiner, Jewish Community City of Paramus/Congregation Beth Tikvah; Jennifer Dubrow Weiss, Chief Executive Officer of Jewish Federation of Southern New Jersey; Rabbi Byran Wexler, Temple Beth Sholom, Cherry Hill; and Rabbi Eliezer Zwickler, Congregation AABJD West Orange, Co-President, Vaad Harabonim of Metrowest, NJ.