Congressman Ritchie Torres Refuses to Stay Silent Against Antisemitism
In the months following October 7th, Congressman Ritchie Torres (NY-15) has been an outspoken advocate against antisemitism and an avid supporter of Israel’s right to exist. As the Riverdale community’s Congressional representative, he has spoken at synagogues across New York City and given a speech at the March for Israel at the National Mall in November 2023, in addition to being extremely vocal using both his social media platforms and traditional news media. In all the noise, Representative Torres has sought to communicate two clear messages: 1) Israel, like any other state, has the right to defend itself, and 2) indifference and silence in the face of antisemitism is dangerous.
Born and raised in the Bronx, Torres has been passionate about supporting the members of his community since his youth. Having been raised in public housing by a single mother and exposed to extreme economic disparities throughout his childhood, Torres was inspired to run for office. As he explains, “I grew up in a public housing development right across the street from Trump Golf Course…and as the conditions of my home were getting worse every day, the government had invested more than 100 million dollars to construct the course.” He recalls asking himself at the time, “what does it say about our society that we are willing to put more money into a golf course than into the homes of poor people of color and public housing?”
Inspired, Torres got his start in politics as a housing organizer and, by the age of 24, “took the leap of faith and ran for office.” He attributes his first campaign win in 2013 to “the strength of door-to-door, face-to-face campaigning.” He became the first openly LGBTQ+ elected official in the Bronx.
Torres’ path to Congress was anything but straightforward. He shares, “seven years [earlier], I found myself at the lowest point of my life…I had dropped out of college, I was struggling with depression, [and] there were moments when I thought about taking my own life because I felt as if the world around me had collapsed.” Seven years later, he became a member of the United States Congress. “Even in your moment of greatest hardship, never lose hope,” Torres describes.
Since 2020, Torres has openly denounced the BDS movement, an effort to boycott or divest from Israeli businesses, and has only become more outspoken regarding his support for Israel since the Hamas attack. Since October 7th, antisemitic incidents have skyrocketed, both in New York and nationally. In response, Congressman Ritchie Torres, a progressive Democrat and non-Jew, has refused to stay silent. Beyond the sentiments he has posted on social media, Torres has actively formed connections with and shown support for the Jewish community through his many public appearances. While addressing congregants of Central Synagogue, he explained that he was asked, “Why do you care so deeply? Why do you speak out so frequently and forcefully against antisemitism?” He simply replied, “‘You are asking the wrong question.’ The question is not ‘why have I chosen to be outspoken,’ the question is why have others chosen to stay silent amid the deadliest day for Jews since The Holocaust?”
Torres’ position differs from many of his fellow progressives, but he is unrelenting. “I am in line with my district. Most people in my district condemn… the barbarism and terrorism of Hamas…so I feel well-positioned to win reelection,” he shares. He says he is not worried about potential backlash: “For me, it’s not about the politics. It’s about human decency. It is indecent to justify and even glorify the terrorism of Hamas as quote-unquote resistance. ”
More than conscious of the long-standing relationship between the Black and Jewish communities, Torres explains, “I see myself as part of a long and rich tradition of Black-Jewish solidarity. As a student of history, It was not lost on me that there were Jewish Americans who gave their lives for the cause of civil rights…so that people of color could have the right to vote freely and live with dignity, unencumbered by the cruelty of Jim Crow. So, the lesson learned from history is that we’re all in this together; we all have a moral obligation to fight hate and extremism, no matter what form it takes.”
Congressman Torres leaves Riverdale students with “[T]he ‘Uncle Sam’ message: we need you.” He explains, “The students at Riverdale represent the next generation of leadership in America.” For Torres, who got a start in politics at age 16 as an intern at the local community board, “leadership has no age.” According to him, “it’s never too [early] to be civically or politically engaged.” Indeed, “political and civic engagement is like a language; the best time to do it is when you’re young.”
Representative Torres, like all his colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives, is up for reelection this November. Registered voters in his South Bronx-based district who turn 18 before November 5th can vote.
