Brooklyn Councilman Brad Lander, a panelist at the UFT Jewish Heritage Committee’s “Living a Jewish Life in Politics” discussion, said Jews are “commanded to be engaged and make the world a better place.” Lander joined fellow Council members Chaim Deutsch and Karen Koslowitz, state Assemblywoman Nily Rozic and City Comptroller Scott Stringer at the event on May 9 at UFT headquarters in Manhattan. The panelists reflected on how their Jewish heritage has shaped their political views and discussed how to respond to anti-Semitism and hate crimes. They also talked about representing Jewish constituents who practice their faith differently and working with Jewish politicians with opposing views or different solutions to issues. Pension board trustee David Kazansky, the chair of the UFT Jewish Heritage Committee, told the panelists, “It’s a comfort to me” and to many “that good people such as yourselves are sitting in positions of power in the city and the state doing the right thing for everyone.”