Of all the many people who stood out in an impressive way this week during City Hall’s sudden turnover of power, there is one who I feel deserves a tremendous amount of credit and respect.
Councilwoman Rochelle “Rikki” Spector is a person we typically see within the community. Be it a neighborhood association meeting or a shul dinner, or a zoning issue, she is and has been there for us for many years.
Like you, I have known our councilwoman for many, many years.
This past week, I felt the stage was different. There she was standing by the podium and next to Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, who will take over as mayor on February 4 after Sheila Dixon steps down.
I guess it’s that old saying about the grass being greener on the other side. When you see the respect and the reverence that Ms. Spector is given by her colleagues, City Hall workers, even the security personnel at City Hall’s front door, it gives a glimpse to the important service she has given. Even her longtime companion, Oscar Brilliant, was given handshakes and hugs by many people at Ms. Rawlings-Blake’s press conference on Thursday.
During interviews with Ms. Rawlings-Blake, among the first names to come out in terms of gratitude was “Rikki Spector” as a long-time mentor to the new mayor.
Ms. Spector said that she is already hitting the ground running, that she has work to do, and is happy that the new mayor has a friendly familiarity with the Jewish community and the entire 5th District.
Ms. Spector is an important leader in our community, but also for the entire city. And I think her very presence at City Hall brings almost a calming confidence to her colleagues and to City government.
So, what worries me?
What concerns me is just something that might not be so simple.
Who is going to be the next “Rikki?”
I don’t know if it’s appropriate to say that the City Council should always have a Jew as one of its members. But I do think it’s important that there is someone familiar with the community’s unique nuances and concerns.
I don’t know exactly how to “groom” a candidate for office. Maybe it takes community association participation. Maybe it’s who you know. It probably wouldn’t hurt for someone with aspirations of office to make connections with leaders such as Ms. Rawlings-Blake, State Senator Lisa Gladden, Delegate Sandy Rosenberg, Dr. Arthur Abramson of the Jewish Council and others.
There are issues, ranging in scope from our community’s security to neighborhood development, the eruv, black-Jewish relations and even chometz burning.
The Associated: Jewish Community Federation has for many years trained its up and coming leaders to step in to leadership in a seamless way.
Perhaps there’s some way that a Jewish presence in the City Council could be ensured if work is being done in the off-election years.
In the meantime, we hope for a continued long and outstanding career for Rochelle “Rikki” Spector. We don’t want her to continue full steam ahead.
She’s an important City leader, and she’ll be an asset for the Rawlings-Blake administration.

I second that nomination!

While I do not doubt that Ms. Spector has played mentor to the mayor to be, I wonder how well she really serves our community. Does she live here? Does she really understand the pulse of the Orthodox Community? Or perhaps is she another entrenched Democrat politician who went into politics for the right reason, whose raison d’etre has become to be re-elected. Until this city, and frankly, this state has a true two-party system we are destined for failure. This is a failure not only of the Democrats who have been feeding at the trough of public funds for decades but also of the Republicans who won’t put the money into finding candidates who can articulate a position that our liberal state can accept. But mostly it is a failure of the politicians who believe that they can do anything they want without fear of retribution. And that unfortunately, includes Rikki Spector.

I nominate Phil Jacobs!