Congress's First Blind Rabbi?

Last week's New Yorker had a Talk of the Town piece on the man who hopes to be the first blind rabbi—and in fact, the first rabbi—to serve in the U.S. Congress...

Last week's New Yorker had a Talk of the Town piece on the man who hopes to be the first blind rabbi—and in fact, the first rabbi—to serve in the U.S. Congress.

Dennis Shulman also holds a Harvard Ph.D.—he earned a doctorate in psychology in 1976.

He is trying to unseat incumbent Representative Scott Garrett, a Republican who, according to author Jeffrey Toobin ’82, J.D. ’86, has "the most conservative voting record of any member of the House from the Northeast." In June, Shulman bested opponents Camille Abate and Roger Bacon to win the Democratic primary for the seat, which covers northeastern New Jersey near the Pennsylvania border. 

Toobin's short piece packs in a wealth of biographical information and a few humorous moments. For instance, he quotes Shulman as saying:

"My favorite headline from the primary was 'blind rabbi's opponent is bacon.’”

Most popular

An animal’s journey from grief to love shows how much humans need each other, too.

A summer program helps students from under-resourced high schools close a hidden academic gap.

At informational town hall meetings, faculty and staff press administrators for details.

Explore More From Current Issue

A chaotic scene in a messy room with people engaging in various activities, some cleaning.

Until the 1950s, professionals cleaned up after students in the dorms.

Harvey Mansfield seated in a bright yellow chair, surrounded by bookshelves and cozy decor.

The retired government professor has been a rare conservative voice on campus for decades.

Label showing the anatomy of a worker bee, featuring a detailed illustration.

Science and art capture the microscopic natural world.