30 Sep Q & A WITH JOEY COHEN SABAN, CANDIDATE FOR NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY

Please tell everyone a little bit about
Joey Saban.
I was born and raised in South Brooklyn
as a first generation American with
proud Sephardic Jewish heritage. My
passion for community service began
when I was a student at the Yeshivah
of Flatbush where I regularly mobilized
young volunteers to take part in
projects and campaigns important to
the community. I then attended The
George Washington University where
I spearheaded campaigns combating
antisemitism, supporting survivors of
sexual violence, promoting interfaith
collaborations against social injustices,
and strengthening the US-Israel
relationship.
After graduating, I returned home to
South Brooklyn where my wife, Florence,
and I are raising our son, Hayim, and
daughter, Violet, on the same block
that I grew up. Giving back to my
community has become a staple of my
life. I work with community shareholders
to promote safe neighborhoods and
strengthen police relations and am
an active member of the board of the
Sephardic Community Federation.

Why do you want to be an
assemblyman & go into the world of
politics?
I have always been drawn to helping
others and improving the lives of my
neighbors. For years, I have been able to
do that productively as a private citizen.
However, as I watch our community get
left behind by an increasingly extreme
political environment, I feel like I have a
responsibility to do more. I am running
for Assembly because I know I can fight
to enhance the well-being of my fellow

community members.

Antisemitism is
rampant throughout
the world. What can
an assemblyman
in Brooklyn do to
prevent it?
Anti-semitism is
rampant and rising
because of a lack
of leadership and
proactive approach to stop it. I believe
elected officials should stop being
reactive and start playing offense to
prevent the rise of anti-semitism in our
state. I will proudly represent the Jewish
community in Albany, within my district,
and anywhere else. In Albany, I will fight
for legislation that protects New Yorkers
from rising Antisemitism. Within my
district, across the State, and online, I will
use my platform as an Assemblymember
to speak out against Antisemitic acts
and attacks against Israel. As the Jewish
people in my community and across the
world see hate rise against them, I will do
everything in my power to protect and
defend them.

How do you plan on helping our local
yeshivas & schools get more funding
from the government?
As a product of the yeshiva system, this
is an issue that I strongly believe in, and
I will employ a multi-faceted strategy
to help our local yeshivas and schools.
I will forge a like-minded coalition of
lawmakers and activists who I will work
with to create real policy change in
Albany. I will work with New York City
elected officials and activists to ensure
that yeshivas and schools are properly
heard and provided for by the state
government. Finally, I will leverage my
influence as an elected official to
guarantee the Jewish community’s
voice is being heard – especially on
the subject of education.

The migrant situation is getting
worse everyday. How do you
propose we deal with it?
This country is a nation of
immigrants, but we must be able
to properly take care of our own
before we start bringing others
in. Additionally, we cannot create
unstable neighborhoods without

any guarantees of safety. We
must protect our residential
communities and institutions from
the expansion of migrant shelters
and the irresponsible actions of
city and state governments. The
issues of New Yorkers must be
addressed before we can expect
to deal with the migrant crisis.

While campaigning throughout
your district, what do you find to be
the main topics people speak to you
about?
The three most common topics I talk
to people about are the rising tide of
anti-semitism, the migration crisis, and
the need to make sure the US-Israel
relationship remains in decades to come.
Once I am elected to the Assembly,
fighting for the Jewish Community,
securing the future of the US-Israel
relationship and fighting for a strong
quality of life will be my top priority.

Is there anything else that you would
like to tell Jewish Vues readers?
I would like fellow readers to know that
the concerns you have are the same
concerns I have.
Accountability in politics is one of the
most important things an elected official
can have. I am one of you — and being a
part of the same community and having
the same interest and values makes me
accountable for our collective success.
Together, we can charter a new course
for our city and our state.

FAST FACTS:
Name: Joey Cohen Saban
Family: Married with 2 children,
a boy & a girl
Education: Yeshivah of Flatbush &
George Washington University
Years in Politics: Four, first time
running for office
Running for: State Assembly
District: 45 which includes: Homecrest,
Gravesend, Brighton Beach,
Manhattan Beach & parts of Midwood
Current Assemblyman: Mikhail Novikov

FUN QUESTIONS

Favorite politician growing up?
Former Senator Joe Lieberman is the
first name that comes to mind. I always
admired his ability to appeal to both
sides of the aisle and to carry out a
common sense agenda that prioritized
improving the lives of his constituents.
It was also a moment of pride to see the
first Jewish-American on a major national
party ticket.

Do you have a role model?
It’s hard to say I currently have a specific
role model, but someone I greatly admire
is Congressman Ritchie Torres. His ability
to work effectively for his constituents
and stand up to bigotry, even when he is
the target of attacks is something I deeply
admire. We should expect our elected
officials to be more like Congressman
Torres — he’s the model of public servant

I aspire to be.

Is there someone dead or alive that
you never met that you would like
to meet before your time expires?
Prime Minister Golda Meir. The last time
that Israel faced an existential threat
to the same level we see today, she
courageously led a nation through some
of the most difficult times in its history,
while providing a sense of resilience
during a questionable time.
If I were to have the chance to speak to
her: I would ask if she would compare
the first thirty years she witnessed and
had the ability to see where we are now,
what advice would she give to the next
generation in order to secure the future
of the Jewish people?