Behind the Headlines Jewish Voters Played a Key Role in the Chicago Election

When Mayor Harold Washington made his triumphant reelection victory speech April 7, more than a score of Jewish Chicagoans were among the VIPs invited to join him on the stage of Navy Pier Auditorium. For the first time since the days of the late legendary Col. Jack Arvey, who delivered crucial Jewish votes from the West Side area, Chicago Jews were publicly organized to aid a mayoral candidate.

Now, approximately half of metropolitan Chicago’s Jewish population of 250,000 live within the city on the lakefront, North Side, and in Hyde Park, Chicago’s only truly integrated area, where Mayor Washington resides.

The Jewish Voters for a United Chicago were first organized to aid Washington in the hotly contested Democratic Party primary, against popular former Mayor Jane Byrne. A New York Times post-election analysis of the primary results showed that 47 percent of the Jewish voters supported Washington in his narrow victory, contrasting to 10 percent of white Catholics, 25 percent of white Protestants, and 90 percent of Blacks who voted for him.

The pattern of significant Jewish backing of a Black mayor is of course not unique. Mayors Tom Bradley of Los Angeles and Andrew Young of Atlanta have benefited from Jewish support. What is unique here is that many concerned Jewish business, professional, political, philanthropic, and religious leaders organized publicly to help ensure the reelection of this city’s first Black mayor.

In the April 7 election, the mayor had to face three more opponents — all originally Democratic Party members, including County Assessor Thomas Hynes, who also enjoyed significant Jewish support, running as the “Chicago First” candidate; Cook County Democratic Chairman Edward Vrdolyak as “solidarity Party” candidate; and Donald Haider, expert on budgeting and governmental administration, as Republican nominee.

Because of Hynes’ poor showing in a four way debate, he dropped out two days before the election. Most of his support, including many Jewish voters, ended up with Vrdolyak, an effective campaigner, who gained 42 percent of the vote against Washington’s 53 percent.

WASHINGTON’S CONTRIBUTIONS EMPHASIZED

The Jewish Voters’ literature, distributed to 50,000 Jewish homes, emphasized Washington’s achievements in improving Chicago’s fiscal status; his leadership in establishing the city’s first Ethics Ordinance; and opening his administration to minorities and women.

Especially stressed was the mayor’s appointment of “qualified Jewish Chicagoans to key positions” — by far the largest number appointed by any Chicago mayor.

The Jewish Voters reminded constituents that as a member of Congress and as mayor, Washington “consistently supported the security, economic interests, and independence of Israel, which he visited in 1985 with leaders of Chicago’s Jewish community. He has given strong support to the Soviet Jewish emigration movement . . . . cooperated with the organized Jewish community in helping the Jewish poor and persons in need across Chicago . . . . and has been sensitive to the need for separation of church and state,”

The Jewish Voters arranged for the mayor to campaign repeatedly in Jewish areas where he was warmly received. He enjoyed the traditional corned beef sandwich while happily signing children’s autographs in the company of Illinois Senator (and current Presidential candidate) Paul Simon, followed by their partaking of hamantaschen at a kosher bakery.

The day before the election, the mayor welcomed the visit of Ohio Senator Howard Metzenbaum, as they lunched at a kosher Golden Diners Center in a synagogue; visited day schools, and senior center programs. Mayor Teddy Kollek of Jerusalem, a close friend of Washington, sent him a warm congratulatory message the day after the election.

INTERFAITH COMMITTEE ORGANIZED

Consistent with their efforts “for a United Chicago,” the Jewish Voters co-chairmen helped organize an “Interfaith Committee to reelect Mayor Harold Washington” including Rabbis Seymour Cohen and Michael Siegel of Anshe Emet Synagogue, Rabbi Arnold Kaiman of Kol Ami, and lay leaders.

Jewish support for the mayor was certainly not monolithic, as demonstrated in certain aldermanic elections. In Chicago’s 43rd Ward, a “yuppie” stronghold, Harvard graduate Edwin Eisendrath III, member of a well-known Jewish family, sharply defeated Robert Perkins, another Ivy Leaguer who was supported by the mayor and the retiring Jewish Alderman Martin Oberman.

In the 50th Ward, where many synagogues, Jewish community programs and day schools are located, an outspoken foe of the mayor, Alderman Bernard Stone, easily won re-election.

On the other hand, in the lakefront’s 46th Ward, Alderman Jerome Ohrbach, a Vrdolyak supporter of Holocaust survivors, strongly endorsed by Washington.

Leaders of the Jewish Voters are convinced that their vigorous public support for Mayor Washington was not only a significant factor in his reelection, but it will serve to ensure a critical period in this city’s turbulent history.