David Herz for …
America is Already Great
thoughts of a liberal/conservative Republican Candidate
America is Already Great
thoughts of a liberal/conservative Republican Candidate
David Raphael Herz was born while the City was still digging out of the Lindsay Storm on Valentine's day of 1969, the second child of immigrants Joachim and Ilse Herz. He spent his first three years in Jackson Heights, Queens, New York, before his parents moved the family to Stamford, Connecticut (the “City that Works,” except when it doesn't).
David received a great education at a mix of private and public schools, including Bi-Cultural Day School (1973-75), Stillmeadow Elementary School (1975-1980), The King School (1980-82) and Westhill High School (1982-86). From there, he went on to Cornell University (B.S. 1990) and Pace Law School (J.D. 1994).
David's first job was as a paper boy deliverling The Stamford Advocate. Not wanting to miss the opportunity, he lied about his age so he could start working. He continued to work through most of his time at school, at a local farm stand (Hettling's Farm, now Eden Farms), at various home construction companies, at a manufacturing company, in retail, in food service, preparing students for their SATs and Achievement tests, and as crew on excursion boats.
During Law School, his attention turned to Environmental Law. He earned an editorship on the Pace University School of Law Environmental Law Review, was Chairman of Pace's National Environmental Law Moot Court Competition, Editor-in-Chief (and photographer) of Hearsay, the school newspaper, and acted in a number of plays and benefit shows. During his summers, he worked with the New York Department of Environmental Protection and the United States Environmental Protection Agency.
Not long after he completed law school, David found himself in New York City, and struck out on his own in a general practice representing a wide variety of clients in an array of interesting matters.
He married Sharleen Wolf, a great dentist and amazing human being. They started a family and both served (at different times) on the board of the West Side Institutional Synagogue. During a crisis of finance and management, David stepped up as director of both the synagogue and its kindergarten.
Seeking to be of greater service, David vied for office as the Republican Contender in various New York State and City races.
In 2004, finding their apartment too small with their fourth son on the way, David and Sharleen took the opportunity to connect with their Jewish roots and obtain a fresh perspective on the world. They moved to Israel. In his own words:
It was eye-opening in many ways. We found for our children again the kind of freedoms we had enjoyed when we were children. In New York, we hadn't let our children turn a corner until we could see them. In Israel, the rules of our childhood came back into play: “Make sure you are home before dark. Make sure to call if you won't be. Don't act too stupid.”
Perhaps it's because of the closeness to adulthood that people in Israel give more license to their children to be children. Most everyone here expects to go into the army right out of high school, and the threat of call up and action is never far away after that; so people let their kids be that while they can be.
While we live in a post-9/11 world, it is clear to me America need not feel like a police state. We can be secure and free at the same time. We can speak truth to power. That is what this campaign is about, our freedom. That is why I have come back.
I'm really good at this, but I haven't been good at putting a price tag on it. If you want to rock your world, I'm always happy to help, and I'll find some way to make it fit your budget. If you want, be in touch.