The endorsements of Congressman Lee Zeldin for governor that are pouring in from New York’s fervently Orthodox Jewish communities reflect a sense not only that he is tougher on crime but also more likely to defend embattled Yeshivas that are under attack from the state government.

That is the reckoning of one of the most widely respected sages in the Torah community, Rabbi Nosson Scherman. “It’s unusual because these institutions depend on the government, so normally you go with the incumbent,” Rabbi Scherman, an editor at the largest Jewish publishing house in America, told the Sun.