Jake was born and raised in the Massachusetts Fourth Congressional District he now represents, the son of a surgeon and a scientist. They taught him the values of curiosity and integrity. He and his older brother and sister grew up in the Jewish faith tradition and attended the Newton Public Schools. His 2nd-grade teacher saw he loved to read and gave him books on United States history. He was hooked.
COVID-19 has forced kids, parents, and teachers to sacrifice so much. Cities and towns throughout the district will need federal aid to prevent impossible tradeoffs between essential services, education chief among them. In Congress, Jake will work to ensure our schools don’t lose a dime and our kids don’t lose another year.
The first position Jake took in Newton was as an advocate for early education, helping to bring about full-day Kindergarten and calling for expanded pre-K offerings. Jake has continued to advocate for education — when the Newton City Council debated a pay raise for elected officials, Jake voted No (one of only two out of 24), because Newton teachers hadn’t secured a pay raise yet, too.
Excellent public education is the best way to ensure equal opportunity. In Congress, Jake will fight against Republican cuts to federal education aid, and will be a champion for early education, technical/vocational education, and student debt relief.