VIN Exclusive: Governor Pataki Recalls KJ Trustee Jacob Freund as “A Great Friend”

KIRYAS JOEL (VINnews) – Hours after word spread of the untimely passing of Kiryas Joel trustee Jacob Freund, former Governor George Pataki hailed his close friend for the dedication and support that helped him win key state elections. Freund passed away on the first day of Succos at the age of 67.

“Jacob was a wonderful friend,” Pataki told VIN News. “He was a great help and someone I just looked forward to speaking to constantly, and we did, all the time, both about politics and the world, and our families.”

Pataki, who turned 80 in June, described Freund’s death as “a huge, shocking loss.”

“I feel so bad,” shared Pataki, who plans on paying a shiva visit to the Freund family after Simchas Torah. “I assumed that Jacob would be there forever as my friend.”

Pataki credited Freund with encouraging him to reach for the stars in his political career, noting that without the Kiryas Joel resident’s help, he never would have been able to make the jump from the Assembly to the State Senate in 1992.

“I was running against an incumbent in a primary that I had no chance of winning,” said Pataki, who faced off against State Senator Mary Goodhue in the Republican primary. Goodhue had been representing the 37th Senate District for seven terms and Freund offered his help in getting Kiryas Joel voters to cast their ballots for Pataki in the primary. Knowing that primary turnouts were typically low, Freund brought dozens of women from Kiryas Joel down to the Board of Elections each day to search the voter cards to identify who those who took the time to vote in the primary elections.

“Back then, they didn’t have computerized records and it was an enormous amount of work,” recalled Pataki. “Our goal was identifying which people to target because they were more likely than others to vote. That made a huge difference and ended up being an essential part of our winning the race.”

It was no secret that Freund had Governor George Pataki’s ear during his 12 year tenure in Albany, and he was well regarded as the go-to person for anyone looking for access to New York’s highest ranking elected official. The unlikely friendship between the two men actually began years earlier when Freund, an elementary school rebbe, was in a car accident and hired Pataki as his attorney. The two became unusually close, despite their different backgrounds.

“They were real, personal friends,” said Kiryas Joel administrator Gedalye Szegedin. “Sometimes Pataki would call him to help out on his family farm in Peekskill on days when he couldn’t be there. At other times, Pataki would ask him to babysit his children when they were small.”

That relationship continued as Pataki became mayor of Peekskill and eventually set his sights on Albany, serving one term in the Assembly and another in the State Senate before taking on Governor Mario Cuomo in the 1994 gubernatorial elections. With Cuomo a popular governor seeking a fourth term, Pataki was considered a long shot in the election, and once again, Freund was able to deliver the Kiryas Joel vote. After edging out Cuomo by a slim margin in what was considered a major political upset and becoming New York’s 53rd governor, Pataki remained grateful to Freund for his help, his door remaining open to his Chasidic confidante throughout his time in Albany.

The Pataki years were tremendously beneficial for Kiryas Joel and the Satmar community, with government funding laying the groundwork for exponential growth, recalled Shia Hirsh Friedman, a close friend of Freund’s. The KJ Poultry plant opened during that time, and Pataki also secured financing for sewer system infrastructure that made the construction of thousands of new homes a reality. When the Kiryas Joel Union Free School District faced a constitutional challenge that nearly shuttered its doors, Freund’s influence had Pataki supporting legislation that allowed for its continued existence.

“A lot of it involved funding that was already out there, but his working relationship with the governor paved the way for a lot of things, cutting a lot of the red tape, and he deserves a lot of credit for that,” noted Szegedin.

When Freund’s young daughter passed away during the Pataki years, the governor came to Kiryas Joel to pay a shiva visit, agreeing to take part in the construction of what would ultimately become the Aishes Chayil convalescent home for new mothers in her memory.

“The governor said that if you can get Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver to contribute one third of the cost, and Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno to contribute one third of the cost, then he would be the third,” recalled Szegedin.

Freund was well known for both his political connections, as well his political acumen, traits that may very well have been passed down in his DNA. His grandfather, Chaim Freund, was known as one of the most politically well-connected religious Jews in pre-war Hungary, using his close relationships with government officials and his wealth to help those in need.

Yoel Lefkowitz, director of Jewish outreach and intergovernmental affairs for the New York State Attorney General’s Office, described him on social media as “a legendary force in politics, a genius in political history and a master of political intelligence.”

“He cut through red tape to help the needy and refused to profit from his connections,” shared Lefkowitz. “A rare life of principle and service to his community and to New York.”

Political connections that some might have used for personal profit became golden opportunities for Freund to help others.

“At one time, he had all officials of the State of New York on speed dial,” shared Jerry Freund, a distant cousin and a close friend. “Every politician knew him.”

“He was very temimusdik,” added a source who declined to be identified. “He was an example of an askan who had the passion to make a difference for Klal Yisroel. He had a gift from Hashem, and he used it to benefit others.”

Freund was laid to rest in the Satmar Beis Hachaim on the second day of Succos.