Jason Bedrick

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Bedrick with Rudy Giuliani

Jason Bedrick (born June 5, 1983) is a member of the New Hampshire state legislature.^[1] He is a Republican representing Windham, New Hampshire. He is also an Orthodox Jew.^[2]

Bedrick is the first Orthodox Jew to hold elective office in New Hampshire, which has fewer than ten Orthodox Jewish families among its 1% Jewish population.^[2] New Hampshire has had several prominent Jewish elected officials, such as Congressman Paul Hodes and Senator Warren Rudman, but no others have been Orthodox.^[2]

1 Before politics
2 Political positions
3 A first for New Hampshire
4 Other activities
5 References

[edit] Before politics

Bedrick was raised in a secular Jewish home in Windham, NH and he became religiously observant over the course of many years. He attended Bishop Guertin High School in Nashua, New Hampshire where he received the Religious Studies Award for "the student who best understands the Christian message presented in the classroom."^[3] After graduation he attended Babson College, majoring in business administration. At Babson College he was a senior editor for the Babson Free Press, and the founder of the local chapter of the Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity.^[4] After college, he studied Torah in yeshiva Hadar Hatorah in Crown Heights, Brooklyn and Yeshiva Tiferes Bachurim, a part of the Rabbinical College of America in Morristown, New Jersey.^[5]

[edit] Political positions

Bedrick is a strong supporter of school choice, including charter schools and education vouchers. He first ran for the House (unsuccessfully) on that platform as an Independent in 2004.^[1]

Bedrick's 2006 victory was a narrow one, by only six votes, after a recount. In addition to school choice, he is in favor of continuing New Hampshire's traditional absence of sales and income tax, and is in general a fiscal conservative.^[2] Bedrick was unanimously endorsed by the libertarian Republican Liberty Caucus political action committee.^[6] The New Hampshire Liberty Alliance gave Bedrick an "A" rating in their 2007 Liberty Rating for his pro-liberty voting record.^[7] Bedrick scored 98% on New Hampshire House Republican Alliance legislative score card.^[8]

Bedrick announced that he will not author any legislation in the first year of his first term, instead preferring to vote on others' proposals as he learns the ropes.^[1]

[edit] A first for New Hampshire

Bedrick is a committed Orthodox Jew. He observes Shabbat, keeps kosher, and won't shake a woman's hand because Haredi Judaism forbids most physical contact between unmarried persons of opposite sexes.^[2] This became an issue during the election, but he received critical support from the Salem Women's Club after he wrote to them explaining the religious basis for his actions.^[9] Because Jewish law forbids taking oaths, during his swearing-in ceremony Bedrick substituted the words "I affirm" for "I swear."^[2] Bedrick always wears a head covering and sports a full beard.^[2]