CONGRESSMAN RITCHIE TORRES U . S . House of Representatives
Rep . Ritchie Torres is a fighter from the Bronx who spent his entire life working for the community he calls home . Like many in the South Bronx , poverty and struggle have never been abstractions to him . At 25 , Ritchie became NYC ’ s youngest elected official and the first openly LGBTQ person elected in the Bronx . He represents New York ’ s 15th Congressional District and is a member of the Financial Services Committee and the Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the U . S . and the Chinese Communist Party .
RABBI AMMIEL HIRSCH Stephen Wise Free Synagogue
Rabbi Ammi Hirsch is the senior rabbi of Stephen Wise Free Synagogue in New York . With a fiery voice , a listening heart and a brilliant mind , Rabbi Hirsch articulates a clear vision for the survival and success of American Judaism while tending compassionately to the needs of his growing congregation . In 2018 , The Jerusalem Post named him among “ The 50 Most Influential Jews of the Year ” and City & State praised him as “ the borough ’ s most influential voice ” for Manhattan ’ s more than 300,000 Jews . Prior to his arrival at Stephen Wise , he served for 12 years as executive director of the Association of Reform Zionists of America ( ARZA ), the Israel arm of the North American Reform movement . An accomplished teacher , author and public speaker , he is also a trained lawyer and a veteran of the Israel Defense Forces . He is the host of the bi-weekly podcast “ In These Times with Rabbi Ammi Hirsch ” and his new
book , “ The Lilac Tree : A Rabbi ’ s Reflections on Love , Courage , and History ” is available now wherever you get your books online .