Presidential Candidate John Kasich Visits Borough Park

Ohio governor and GOP presidential contender John Kasich visited the Orthodox Jewish community of Borough Park yesterday afternoon.

Governor Kasich’s visit to Borough Park yesterday included a tour of Shema Kolainu, a school that serves children with autism and their families. Shema Kolainu is located on New Utrecht Avenue and 43rd Street.

Governor Kasich met with some of Shema Kolainu’s students and staff during his tour. School administrators said later that Kasich was interested in learning what some of the biggest challenges are that the school faces, and was not surprised when “funding” was at the top of the list.

Kasich can be seen visiting Shema Kolainu — and receiving a very warm welcome from students — in this YouTube video.

“We proudly welcomed Governor Kasich to Shema Kolainu and our students really enjoyed interacting with him,” said founder Dr. Joshua Weinstein in a statement. “Hopefully this visit commenced a conversation, regarding the role of government on a national scale, to address the epidemic rise of autism being diagnosed.”

While in Borough Park, Kasich also reportedly ventured into Eichler’s Judaica, and spoke with yeshiva students about the Passover story.

In this YouTube video, Kasich and the students engage in a humorous — but also quite serious — back and forth about the biblical Joseph and other Old Testament figures.

When leaving Shema Kolainu, Kasich could be heard saying to a group of well-wishers, “Pray for me.”