The Jewish community loses a friend
Remembering longtime congressman Bill Pascrell
On August 21, the country lost an impassioned legislator, New Jersey lost a valued congressman, and the Jewish community lost a friend when William Pascrell Jr. died at Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston. He was 87.
There are not many people who can voice their unwavering support for Israel and retain their legislative seat in a mostly Palestinian district. Yet Bill Pascrell was able to do this repeatedly during his 14 years in the U.S. House of Representatives, serving first District 8, and then, after the state was redistricted, District 9. (District 9 is in north Jersey; District 8 reaches into MetroWest.)
After October 7, his position became increasingly difficult to sustain as the two Jewish and Palestinian communities in his district moved ever further apart. Still, Mr. Pascrell held his ground — even in the face of a primary pitting him against an outspoken Palestinian nationalist.
“It cost him, and it cost his family,” Joseph Prouser, the rabbi of Temple Emanuel of North Jersey in Franklin Lakes, said. The congregation was founded in downtown Paterson in 1907; later, it moved to the city’s East Side before decamping to Franklin Lakes in 2008.
Mr. Pascrell had been mayor of Paterson before he was elected to Congress and “has been a friend since those days, not just of the congregation but of the community and of Israel,” Rabbi Prouser continued. “He spoke at our Memorial Day observance this year and said that while his support of the State of Israel has cost him, he’s remaining firm in his commitment.”
That support had been a balancing act. On October 7, Mr. Pascrell released a statement on Hamas’s attacks in Israel. On October 20, he encouraged President Biden to secure the return of hostages held by Hamas. He simultaneously and repeatedly urged that more humanitarian aid be delivered to Gaza and bemoaned the loss of life on both sides of the conflict.
In his own words, “I’ve tried to get the communities together. I’ve tried to get the communities to not be angry at one another… [But] the point of the matter is, Israelis did not attack Hamas. They did not attack Palestinians. Israelis were attacked. 1,200 people were slaughtered. So I supported Israel defending itself, which it always has a right to do.”
Local Jewish leaders remember Mr. Pascrell as a steadfast and respectful friend.
“We had many interactions,” said Jason Shames, who has been the chief executive officer of the Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey since 2011. “He was very accessible and always willing to hear us out. When we disagreed, he was still very respectful.”
Mr. Pascrell “was a strong advocate for the safety and security of the Jewish people and Israel,” Mr. Shames continued. “He was strong on homeland security grants and the funding of the Iron Dome.” He was particularly impressed because even though Mr. Pascrell did not have many Jewish constituents, he still held these positions, and he continued to act on his convictions. “He will be missed because of how he voted and how he acted.”
Mr. Shames recalled that the last time he saw Mr. Pascrell was just before the big rally for Israel in Washington last November. “We visited his office for an hour, and had a long, hard talk before the rally,” he said. “He had a real understanding of what happened and Israel’s response.” Their first interaction had occurred more than a decade before, after Mr. Pascrell has visited Israel on his own and invited some Jewish communal leaders to a PowerPoint presentation on what he had experienced.
“He was a stereotypical Jersey guy,” Mr. Shames said. “A straight shooter. The only time we disagreed was on the Iran deal. He called a bunch of us to a meeting in Englewood to explain why he was voting with the president. We were irate, and he called later to say he understood why we were upset. He said he was a party guy, respected the president, and believed that he had everyone’s best interests at heart.
“He was willing to tell us the truth; willing to have the discussion.”
Dov Ben-Shimon, the CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest, wrote about what Mr. Pascrell had meant to the Jewish community, and how much of a loss his death will be to the community.
“I’m deeply saddened by the loss of Congressman Bill Pascrell, a longtime friend of the statewide Jewish community and steadfast supporter of the U.S.-Israel relationship,” Mr. Ben-Shimon wrote.
“During his impressive 14 terms in Congress, Representative Pascrell championed the Nonprofit Security Grant program, sponsoring amendments to increase funding which helped secure synagogues, churches, mosques, temples, and other nonprofit institutions at risk.
“In the aftermath of the Hamas invasion on October 7, Representative Pascrell issued strong statements of support for Israel’s right to defend itself, rejecting calls for an immediate ceasefire until the hostages are released.
“He was a fierce and principled advocate for all New Jerseyans, focusing on affordability and helping regular Americans pay their bills.
“My thoughts are with Congressman Pascrell’s loved ones during this difficult time.
“May his memory be a blessing.”
Esther East, the longtime executive director of the Jewish Family Service and Children’s Center of Clifton and Passaic until her retirement three years ago, vividly recalls the major contributions Bill Pascrell made to the Jewish community.
“This is what I remember,” Ms. East wrote in an email. “He was supportive of the work of Jewish Family Service and always went to bat for us, trying to identify grant opportunities that supported our work. He was instrumental in helping our office receive federal funding for our domestic violence work, Project Sarah, and our work with seniors. He directed us to apply for a NORC grant [which supports the healthy aging of people age 60 and older in their own homes by providing opportunities for meaningful community involvement and increased access to support services] and helped us develop a multiyear, multisite program that enabled seniors to age in place. He also helped obtain security grants for the Jewish community.
“His office was a welcoming place for any issues we faced, and he made it his business to come to agency events whenever his schedule permitted,” Ms. East concluded.
Last August, Mr. Pascrell visited Camp Veritans in Haledon, meeting with campers and administrators. During that visit, he announced that his office helped secure a $150,000 federal grant for the camp to help enhance its security in the face of growing domestic extremism and antisemitism.
The award was part of more than $30 million New Jersey received from the federal Department of Homeland Security’s nonprofit security grant program for houses of worship and other nonprofit facilities. The Ninth District received about $1.2 million for synagogues, yeshivas, churches, mosques, and temples.
When he died, Mr. Pascrell, who was running for his 15th term, was the next-to-oldest member of Congress. He is survived by his wife, Elsie, three sons, two sisters, and six children.
Mr. Pascrell will be sorely missed. We join the entire community in thanking him for his steadfast friendship and support.
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