RETURN HOME

OPEN LETTER FROM SHELOMO ALFASSA

January 5, 2011 - New York City

Dear friends, colleagues, community members and fellow citizens,

It is with mixed sentiment that I announce today, that as of January 3, 2011, the Shelomo Alfassa Congressional Exploratory Committee has been placed on indefinite hiatus. I indicate mixed sentiment, as while it is with some regret that I announce, that at this time, I won't be furthering my exploration of running as a candidate in the New York 9th Congressional District--yet--I also have had the incredible satisfaction and privelege to have participated in our great Democratic tradition.

The process of running for office is one of the preeminent Democratic liberties we have entitled to us as Americans, and I am glad that I had the opportunity to have surveyed this extraordinary freedom, particularly-in the great State of New York, where the Federalist Papers were first published, which led to the ratification of our revered Constitution.

The tremendous liberty that citizens of the United States of America posses, is one that cannot be understated. As Thomas Jefferson said, "Liberty is to the collective body, what health is to every individual body. Without health no pleasure can be tasted by man; without liberty, no happiness can be enjoyed by society."

From our initial discussions and meeting in the Spring of 2009 through the Summer of 2010, we found both momentum and many new friends and supporters along the way. I had the good pleasure to have meet many remarkable people from a wide-range of backgrounds. When we launched in September of 2010, the path was for nothing less than the eventual goal, of a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives and the opportunity to represent some of the most diverse yet cohesive communities in America. Brooklyn and Queens, New York are made up of great populations of Jews, including prominent pockets of Jews from Syria, Egypt, Lebanon, Bukharia and Russia, as well as remarkable and proud Italian, Irish and Chinese families.

Perhaps in the future, we will once again come together to explore the idea of promoting local representation for New York's 9th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. It has been an honor to have earned your confidence, support and friendship. I remain optimistic about the future, knowing what enormous things people can accomplish when they work together for the common cause.