In 1994, the dream of having a Solomon Schechter High School of Long Island finally became a reality.

We found a home at the East Street School in Hicksville. Four short years later we
graduated our first class.

Misfortune soon fell upon us when Hicksville schools suddenly decided not to renew our lease, giving us only a few months to find a new home.

What were we to do with over 300 students? How would we find a new middle school and high school?

Panic immediately set in. Locating a new school building for over 300 students in Northern
Nassau County and getting it opened by that September seemed impossible.

One of our board members heard about a Glen Cove public school building on Cedar Swamp Road that had been closed and vacant for several years. The facility was in disrepair and we weren’t even sure that the district would entertain a long-term lease for a private Jewish day school.

Members of our board approached Tom Suozzi, who was mayor of Glen Cove at the time, to
see what could be done.

Mayor Suozzi promised us that he would do everything possible to secure a new home for our students. He immediately took the lead and worked with both the Glen Cove School District and the board of Solomon Schechter, getting us opened and
operational in only a few months.

Come September we were able to reopen in our new home in Glen Cove. Tom Suozzi truly helped save the school!

Solomon Schechter of Long Island soon flourished, and when we needed to add a gym, Mayor Suozzi was there again, helping smooth the way for the expansion. He was always accessible when we needed assistance and his door was always open.

No matter what office he held – mayor, county executive or congressman – Tom was always our friend. He was never too busy to answer our calls, to speak at our local synagogues, and to make sure that we had the security and protection that we needed.

Tom Suozzi was personally invested in making sure that we had a home and that we were treated as a valued part of the community.

The current rise in antisemitism throughout the United States has made it clear that we need all the friends that we can get in government. We need to know that our representatives respect us and will help to ensure our safety. Yes, Tom Suozzi has always been a great friend of Israel but he has also been a great friend to the Jewish community right here in Nassau County and throughout Queens and Long Island.

It’s true that Tom Suozzi needs your vote on Feb. 13, but it is also true that we, the Jewish community of the Third Congressional District, need Tom Suozzi with all of his know-how and experience, to have our backs in Washington.

Wende Jager-Hyman

Parent of three Solomon Schechter School graduates