Ted Cruz woos Orthodox Jews

He boosts fundraising while stressing traditional values and support for Israel.

Politico

Ted Cruz loves Orthodox Jews — and they love him back.

It’s a dynamic that allows the hard-line conservative presidential contender — a practicing Southern Baptist himself — to tap Orthodox donors more aggressively than any other 2016 candidate, as he zeros in on a small but potentially winnable slice of an otherwise deeply Democratic demographic.

Leaders in the Orthodox community point approvingly to his vigorous opposition to the administration’s negotiations with Iran, his comfort level with religious references and, most important, his passionate support for Israel, a theme he touched on during his presidential announcement speech.

“I share a great many values with the Jewish community and the Orthodox community,” Cruz said in a phone call during his first swing through Iowa as a presidential candidate. “Chief among them is a passionate dedication to strengthening our friendship and alliance with the nation of Israel.”

And while no one doubts the sincerity of that position, it’s exactly that connection to Israel that has given Cruz entree into the Orthodox donor world. Very religious Jews are more likely to prioritize a strong Zionist approach while embracing traditional views on social issues, a dynamic that makes Cruz a natural fit.

“Sen. Cruz started earlier than everyone else, so he’s probably had more contact in the community than anyone else,” said Phil Rosen, a New York lawyer who was a major bundler for Mitt Romney. “Many of the candidates have begun to recognize that the Orthodox Jewish community probably fits more closely to the Republican conservative viewpoint than many other groups. And I think, for the first time, in the Romney campaign, people like me were able to raise a tremendous amount of money from the Orthodox community because of that closeness of the mind-set on issues like Israel, and Israel’s safety and security.”

Less than 24 hours after announcing his candidacy last month, Cruz hit his Week One fundraising goal of $1 million, in large part from money raised at a New York City event that included a “sizable” Orthodox contingency, according to a source. (The host of the event, Rebekah Mercer, is not Jewish. She and her family, major Republican donors, are now running a super PAC backing Cruz.)

The Orthodox community is 10 percent of the Jewish population, a group that, in turn, makes up about 2 percent of the U.S. population and is heavily concentrated in Democratic-leaning urban areas. Asked about the political utility of engaging such a small group, Cruz pointed to fundraising and also nodded to states like Florida and Ohio, which have historically been general election swing states and have sizable Jewish populations.