About This Episode
Rabbi Shlomo Schorr has one of the most interesting career paths in all of New Jersey political media. He spent years as a reporter covering Trenton and the Shore region for outlets ranging from The Lakewood Shopper and Mishpacha Magazine to The New York Times.
In January 2023, he made the jump from covering politics to participating in it, joining Agudath Israel of America as Director of Legislative Affairs for the New Jersey office. If you follow New Jersey politics on Twitter/X, you probably already know Shlomo's account @OneJerseyShore, which has become essential reading for breaking news on everything from NJ Transit updates to gubernatorial politics.
Topics We Cover
- Growing up in Lakewood, New Jersey in Ocean County
- His journalism career from The Lakewood Shopper to The New York Times
- The transition from reporting on politics to advocacy and lobbying
- How the New Jersey legislature works and the bill-making process
- Education funding for non-public schools in New Jersey
- The Jackson Township lawsuit and religious rights advocacy
- Governor Mikie Sherrill's landslide victory and legislative priorities
- The state of New Jersey local journalism and hope for its future
- New Jersey's unique political culture and regional differences
About the Guest
Shlomo Schorr was born and raised in Lakewood, New Jersey. He received his accounting degree and master's in accounting from Fairleigh Dickinson University and worked as an accountant in tax while pursuing journalism. His reporting career took him from local papers to freelancing for The New York Times, covering the Murphy administration and New Jersey politics.
Now as Director of Legislative Affairs for Agudath Israel of America's New Jersey office, Shlomo works with all 40 state senators and 80 assembly members on issues affecting the Orthodox Jewish community, including education funding, food security, and religious rights. He took over the role from Avi Schnall, who was elected to the New Jersey State Assembly.
"I feel almost like an obligation... the journalism in the state is declining. We were never in a great spot. We were sandwiched between Philadelphia and New York City media markets. And that's a killer."