L.A. Can’t Reschedule April 14 Vote, Jews Told

Jewish leaders on Wednesday were told that the April 14 Los Angeles City Council election cannot be rescheduled, even though it coincides with Passover.

Councilman Zev Yaroslavsky, who has received numerous complaints about the conflict, said the city charter makes it nearly impossible to change an election date on such short notice. He and two of his colleagues urged observant Jews to vote by absentee ballot and said they would take steps to avoid future problems.

Their efforts did little to stem the rising tide of protest from rabbis, however. Rabbi Chaim Schnur, director of an Orthodox Jewish organization known as Agudath Israel, said that large numbers of Jews will be unlikely to vote.

“Scheduling an election on a Jewish holiday is insensitive to a large and important part of the population,” Schnur said.

Rabbi Jonathan Miller of the Stephen S. Wise Temple, a Reform congregation, called the election conflict a “travesty” that disenfranchises Jews.

“I don’t think it was planned with any maliciousness,” Miller said. “But now that they know there’s a problem they should reschedule it. The city Charter is meant to serve the people . . . and Jews vote in high percentages.”

Passover is an eight-day holiday that commemorates the deliverance of the ancient Hebrews from slavery in Egypt.

“Observant Jews refrain from traveling and writing on the Sabbath and holidays,” Schnur said. Whether all Jews refrain from these activities during the entire eight-day period is often a matter of personal choice, he said.

Jewish leaders discovered the election conflict late last month and had quietly worked to resolve the problem until Wednesday, when council members Yaroslavsky, Pat Russell and Hal Bernson raised the issue during a council meeting.

Russell urged election officials to make absentee ballots readily available. Bernson proposed placing a Charter amendment on the June ballot that would empower the council to reschedule future elections that conflict with religious holidays or “other significant special event” such as the Easter vacation.

Yaroslavsky called the conflict regrettable, but added that he expects large numbers of Jews to vote absentee. “To the extent there is interest in the election, I expect there will be applications for ballots,” Yaroslavsky said.

Michael Hirschfeld, director of the commission on law and legislation for the Jewish Federation Council of Greater Los Angeles, said it is impossible to determine on how many Jews the conflict will have an impact. He said that the federation will mount a massive campaign to encourage the absentee vote.

Elias Martinez, Los Angeles city clerk, said his office will publicize the availability of absentee ballots citywide. There are no plans to target any particular segment of the community, according to Martinez. But he added that all Los Angeles voters will receive absentee ballot applications in voter information pamphlets that will be mailed out about 30 days before the election.

Council members in even numbered seats face reelection this year. They are Richard Alatorre, Bernson, Robert Farrell, John Ferraro, Russell and Joel Wachs. The seventh seat, which was vacated by David Cunningham, is open.

The election on April 14 is a primary. A runoff between leading vote-getters who receive less than 50% plus one vote will be held on June 2.

Times staff writer Richard Simon contributed to this article.