A Diverse Group of Clerical and Community Leaders Join Together to Support Rachel Freier For Kings County Supreme Court Judge

Distributed by NYC Newswire

Civil Court Judge, Rachel Freier, a candidate for nomination as Supreme Court Judge in Kings County, emphasizes Fairness for all Brooklynites, Civil Rights for all women, and Social Justice for all people.

As a result of her strong beliefs in civil rights, religious and community leaders from all faiths across the borough are in support of her historic run for office.  The support Freier is receiving shows the city, the nation, and the world that women of all backgrounds and faiths can become strong leaders in the home, and the workplace, with the ability to bring social justice and equality to all people.

Speaking at a recent campaign event, Ms. Freier remarked, “I believe in tying communities together. Our nation has a rich tradition of people from all backgrounds joining as one in the fight to ensure civil rights and social justice for all people. As a Jewish woman, I’m extremely proud that people of my faith marched, protested and died in the civil rights movement, joining leaders like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and many others in the struggle for freedom and equality.”

Ms. Freier has earned the support of a wide range of religious leaders throughout Kings County, including members of the African American, Caribbean, and Jewish communities. Among her supporters are Pastor Sharmaine Byrd, Pastor at Greater Mt. Carmel Cathedral and Worship Center, Brooklyn; Reverend Alfred Cockfield, Pastor at Battalion Christian Academy, Brooklyn; Rabbi Eli Cohen, Community Leader of the Lubavitch Jewish Community of Crown Heights, Brooklyn; Rabbi Yirmi Levy, Rabbi and Spiritual Leader of the Mill Basin Sephardic Congregation, Brooklyn; Rabbi Michael Miller, CEO Emeritus of the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York; and Rabbi Aryeh Ralbag, Rabbi and Spiritual Leader of Young Israel of Avenue K Congregation, Brooklyn.

District Leaders in Brooklyn have an opportunity next week to help the borough make history with the nomination of Freier to the Kings County Supreme Court. Kenesha Traynham-Cooper, District Leader for Bedford Stuyvesant and Crown Heights, Nikki Lucas, the Assemblywoman and District Leader representing East New York, Starrett City, parts of Brownsville and Canarsie, as well as other District Leaders, are expected to put their support behind Freier.

Kenesha Traynham-Cooper stated, “Judge Freier is my choice for Supreme Court.  Those of us who live and breathe Brooklyn don’t need to be told that our unity and diversity are what make us great.  We don’t have to be told to get along, because we live our lives immersed in each other’s cultures and traditions.  Rachel understands this more than anybody.  She has devoted her life to supporting all people, and especially all women, who are the driving forces behind our families and our communities.  She will be a fair, balanced, and empathetic jurist on the Supreme Court, and I support her wholeheartedly on her journey to serving all of us with distinction and honor.  I am proud to call her my friend.”

Pastor Byrd stated, “Rachel Freier is a fighter for all women. She is the first Hassidic woman to be elected anywhere in our nation. Her founding of Ezras Nashim, the nation’s first all-women’s volunteer ambulance service, empowers women not just through words, but more importantly through action. It is because as a wife and mother of six children, she truly understands the value of empowering our borough’s youth through her own direct action. We have worked together at food drives and many other charity efforts. Her founding of both Chasdei Devorah and B’Derech made leaps and bounds to provide second chance opportunities to at-risk adolescents who had little opportunity to excel before she helped them. Rachel’s work and life extend far beyond the bench and deep into the lives of so many others she touches every day. The most important part of her spirit is her ability to have a profound effect on the people around her, her community, her profession, and the world.”

Reverend Cockfield commented, “I have always greatly admired Judge Freier’s values because they are also my own. Her deep belief in fairness, justice and equality guides her the same way mine guides me. These tenets have revealed themselves in both her extensive community activism and the empathy and compassion she exhibits from the bench. When people speak of faith, they often lack an understanding of the responsibility that comes with believing in a higher power. Actions speak louder than words, and Judge Freier’s actions are deeply rooted in the pursuit of civil rights for all people, especially women, who are so often not only leaders in the home, but also the workplace and the community. We share this deep sense of justice, and I believe her ability to render it with balance and an intimate knowledge of the law will serve the judiciary and people of all backgrounds across Brooklyn with the excellence they expect from those they trust to lead them. I support Rachel’s candidacy without reservation, and I know she will make us very proud as our next Supreme Court Judge.”

Rabbi Eli Cohen explained his support as well, “Judge Freier’s life story embodies compassion, commitment, and courage. She has devoted her career to helping people in their most troubled and vulnerable moments, helping poor families and youth at risk. She has earned her way to the Supreme Court with her hard work on and off the bench.”

Rabbi Yirmi Levy added his support, “Judge Freier is a groundbreaker, a wife, and a mother of six children. This direct, personal experience has taught her the importance of helping our borough’s youth. She understands firsthand the many difficult challenges they face at vulnerable ages when they have nowhere to turn, especially when faced with significant economic challenges. The breadth of her experience speaks directly to the type of person she is, honest, fair, passionate, and a fighter for social justice and equality.”