It is ever-so-effective for the community to have someone senior in a position of power in the conversations and rooms where decisions are made versus a vote to place someone in the minority party who will not be able to deliver anything in Albany. There’s a stark difference.
Assemblymember Nily Rozic is the only Israeli-born legislator in New York. Like all of us, this past year has been challenging for her as well. One year after October 7, our worlds are still reeling from the horrors of Hamas’ terror attacks, rockets, rapes, and kidnappings in Israel. “We all stand together in our insistence that every last hostage be brought home now,” said Rozic to the QJL. “The October 7 attacks put an early end to my maternity leave as I came together with all of you to grieve and demand action. The news continues to be scary, but I can promise you this: we stand united together in support of Israel and our Jewish community here at home. As long as I serve in public office, I will use my platform and my every breath to fight for us. I will continue to work hard every single day for our families and I guarantee that I will be your staunchest and fiercest advocate in the New York State Assembly.”
The attacks of October 7 and the antisemitism that surged after demonstrate yet again just how important it is that we stand together and that we have someone in and of our community fighting for our shared values and interests in Albany. While maybe not as present to the community as some would like, as an Assemblywoman, Rozic always has and pledges to continue to work hard and fight every single day for our families just as she fights for my own. “I have a common sense, no-nonsense approach to government working with everyone to get things done,” related Rozic, who has a track record backing up her pledge.
Rozic has garnered the endorsement of all of the law enforcement agencies because she has successfully delivered for them and worked with each in Albany and here at home to solve their issues and moreover pass meaningful legislation.
To Rozic’s credit, there are a long list of accomplishments that benefit our community. Rozic secured $500,000 to review and update a curriculum on the Holocaust as antisemitism continues to rise. She is sponsoring the New York State Iran Divestment Act and other legislation aimed at prohibiting state aid to colleges and universities that fund institutions that participate in BDS. Additionally, Rozic has been expanding the range of offenses that can be prosecuted as hate crimes. To that end, she has championed the effort to invest an additional $35 million in the Securing Communities Against Hate Crimes Grant to safeguard houses of worship, religious schools, and other vulnerable locations.
Increasing state funding for our Jewish day schools, including more funding for the non-public schools STEM program, has been an initiative dear to Rozic, as she has worked to expand this program to more schools like Hadar Bet Yaakov and others in the district.
Understanding the plight of Shoah survivors, the assemblymember has brought record level funding for Holocaust survivors and the nonprofits that serve them. Over the last year, I have become a friend of the assemblymember and watched as she advocated for the 101 hostages and their families including at rallies across the city and in the State Capitol. Specifically, Rozic hosted the hostages’ families in Albany earlier this year, ensuring that their stories are front and center.
In just the last two years, Rozic has brought millions in state funding for our district - for seniors, schools, and nonprofits. She has prioritized public safety by making assault of retail workers a felony, and strengthened the laws to stop anti-Asian and antisemitic hate and bias crimes.
“I wrote and passed the first-in-the-nation law called the SAFE for Kids Act that protects the mental health and wellbeing of our kids,” said Rozic. In recent times, she established an LIRR discount program for Queens residents and commuters. She also protected our community’s safety by securing funding for law enforcement and community-based anti-gun violence programs; and brought more funding for youth programs across the district.
Of note, Rozic passed legislation prioritizing consumers by ending medical debt penalties on credit scores, has fought against price gouging of everyday products and has held companies accountable for scams or fraud. With inflation affecting all families, Rozic has put money back in working parent’s pockets by securing a historic $350 million for a supplemental child tax credit, and delivered $250 million in state funding for utility assistance as rates continue to climb.
Nily Rozic is a friend of the Jewish community where she proudly stands as a leading member.
By Shabsie Saphirstein
