We Need to Talk About Rabbi Avi Schnall

Empty promises and experimental opportunism haunt a long-held Republican district and threaten the values of an important community

From the CJN Editorial Board

*WARNING: This article contains strong themes related to children. Reader discretion is advised.*

The good people of Lakewood seem to value three things: safety, privacy, and freedom. These aren’t exclusive to Lakewood— they’re inherently American, and their exercise and witness to the better angels of our nature is one worth celebrating.

Like any Abrahamic religion, the pursuit of God amidst a society that has seemingly fallen away from the ideals of Eden does indeed relegate one to a life seemingly of solitude. Nevertheless, Lakewood’s orthodox community carries on boldly living out their faith in peace—

and like Eden, a serpent has been making rounds in Lakewood, offering false hope and empty promises to people simply seeking an advocate that gets them.

Make no mistake, the top threat to the good people of Lakewood is Rabbi Avi Schnall.

We recently reported on Schnall’s opponents and the NJGOP bringing attention to his potential ELEC violations. Frankly, this was the first time that Schnall came on our radar, ergo prompting further review of him.

Schnall, the director of the New Jersey office of Agudath Israel of America, replaced former Lakewood Mayor Marta Harrison when she dropped out of the Assembly race earlier this year. He poses a potential shakeup in District 30, a longstanding Republican stronghold that covers a majority of Monmouth County and some of Ocean County.

The New Jersey Globe offers great insight into the demographic of District 30 and how Schnall could escape with an upset:

There are 27,363 more Republicans than Democrats in the 30th district – a 39%-19% edge, with 41% of the voters unaffiliated with either party – but the ability of the Orthodox community in Lakewood, Howell, and Wall to split their ticket creates an interesting opportunity for Democrats.

Schnall’s pursuit of the Assembly seat seems more like an exercise in vanity than virtue. While a leader in Lakewood, his loose grasp on state issues and how they affect the community shows a disconnect between his promises and and his ability to fulfill them.

Schnall has made tuition relief to private school parents a key issue, should he be elected with a Democratic majority. While it is indeed strange how a key Republican policy is a fixture for the Murphy-aligned Schnall, it is devoid of political realities.

The NJEA is one of - if not, the - most powerful unions in New Jersey. It’s largest backer is Democratic party. Is Schnall suggesting that the NJEA would allow Democratic leadership to proceed with this policy? Schnall claims that he cut a deal in relation to his proposal - with whom, regarding what, and the finer parts of that deal remain undisclosed.

This is but a mere example of the Janet Jackson theory of politics, which seems to be on repeat for Schnall when it comes to his opponents:

What have you done for me lately?

Under Republican Assemblyman Ned Thomson and Sean Kean’s leadership, Lakewood received more money for private school busing than any other town in Ocean or Monmouth Counties in the current state budget. In a similar manner, BMG, the largest Yeshiva in Lakewood and second-largest globally, received millions for a pilot mental health program.

Thomson is of particular interest to Schnall given his relative newcomer status and swift rise to leadership. The Minority Conference Leader in the Assembly since 2022 and first elected in 2017, Thomson has been critical of Schnall’s golden calf approach to then good people of Lakewood. Tasked with helping craft and deliver a Republican agenda, Thomson has been a vocal opponent of ghastly sex ed curriculums for school children, on-demand abortions, and has the typical Republican bona fide of defending religious liberty in New Jersey to be respected.

Thomson has been critical of Rabbi Schnall’s candidacy, claiming that Schnall is out of touch with the good people of Lakewood while claiming to be their best advocate. While the Orthodox community in New York rallied to defend the free exercise of their faith, Rabbi Schnall was making inroads with Governor Murphy as part of his COVID response as Lakewood suffered in fear. Schnall contends that he was a faithful ambassador for Lakewood during the pandemic. Was he speaking for the community he merely using the opportunity as a stepping stone for future fame, as no tangible policy victory seems to be attributed to him.

Can Schnall bridge conservative Lakewood with the far left Democratic Party?

On November 7th we’ll have our answer. What Rabbi Schnall has to answer for is whether or not his promises can be delivered, or is it merely opportunistic hubris.

As assemblyman, Schnall is not the governor (duh), ergo he will not have line item veto power. Specific carveouts a la this for thee but not for Lakewood simply do not exist. When Schnall claims he will vote for a state budget because there might be some busing money Lakewood, he will also be voting for the other items contained in that budget: radical sex ed materials, tax rates, school funding, green energy initiatives, and abortion.

Additionally, one thing that should worry conservative voters of all stripes is Schnall’s views on a rather taboo topic: child marriage.

Rabbi Schnall was a staunch opponent of in 2018’s A865/S427, a law which ended all marriage before age 18.

“[Saying] any marriage under the age of 18 is illegal seems a bit extreme,” said Rabbi Schnall in his capacity as Agudath Israel of America’s New Jersey director. A 2018 tweet of Schnall’s questions the future of American Jews in relation to the legislation. Fraidy Reiss, founder of Unchained at Last, cited how abusive the practice can be emotionally and physically:
“You’re subjecting this girl to a human rights abuse. It destroys girls’ health, their education, their economic opportunities. It significantly increases the risk that they’ll be beaten by their spouse. It literally destroys girls’ lives.”

Can Schnall deliver?

Or is he preying on the fears of the good people of Lakewood? Perhaps he is an opportunistic ideologue looking to put a feather in his cap by knocking off Thomson and looking to swing District 30 in favor of the Democrats of the next few cycles. That’s typical of serpents, suffocating their prey until they swallow it whole.

The question is: will Lakewood bear witness to the truth about their supposed shepherd? Elections come and go, as do their candidates, but values are of the metaphysical — that which makes us pursue truth and justice in a world that has largely rejected it.

What the truth is beyond our earthly realm is up for debate, but in our current moment the truth is clear: Rabbi Avi Schnall is more vanity than he is virtue.