As pressure grew for President Joe Biden to step down in recent weeks, the only Democrat I knew who believed he should continue running was my fourth-grade teacher, Lew Chaim Goldstein. He’s also the only person I know involved in the debate: Goldstein is a delegate to this year’s Democratic National Convention in Chicago, just as he was in 1968.
However, even Goldstein said on Sunday that he felt “relieved” by Biden’s decision not to run for re-election—mainly to end weeks of Democratic Party disagreements over the issue. He was especially pleased that the president endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris.
“It’s good for the country,” Goldstein said to me. “I’m very happy our president did what’s democratic and patriotic.”
I reached out to Lew, who prefers not to be called Mr. Goldstein since I became a parent, after Biden’s poor debate performance. Lew, who is 81 like Biden, taught me civics lessons at P.S. 108 in the Bronx and always brought optimism to his classes. I needed some of that positivity given the constant bad news.
Lew and I keep in touch through texts and emails. Last year, I edited his memoir, “Lewis Goldstein: A Progressive Democrat Forever,” which hasn’t been published yet. The last time I saw him in person was in 2013 at a brunch hosted by his political action committee to honor my childhood friend Deepak Bhargava, a leading advocate for immigration reform. Mario Cilento, who I had a crush on in second grade and is now the head of the New York State AFL-CIO, gave the main speech.
Lew has always been a great resource for me as a journalist because of his political connections. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer even wrote the foreword for Lew’s book.
Lew has consistently believed that the kids he taught, many from low-income families, could have meaningful lives in this country. He bases this belief on democracy. With so many people saying their vote doesn’t matter this year or planning to move to Canada if their candidate loses, I wanted to know if Lew still had the hope that many people seem to have lost.
We met earlier this month at P.S. 108, where Lew taught before overseeing special education curriculum for the borough. I went to kindergarten through sixth grade there and graduated in 1979.
The school has expanded since either of us last saw it. But the main building, three stories of yellow brick with some art deco details, looks mostly the same. The staircases are still dimly lit with metal grates to keep kids from falling over the rails. Lew noticed there are no blackboards anymore and wondered if they still teach cursive.
Lew, who is active in Manhattan’s Congregation Beit Simchat Torah, the largest gay synagogue in the nation, walked with a stylish red cane. He wore a pink Bronx Democrats Pride shirt, a baseball cap promoting New York Attorney General Letitia James, and pins: a Democratic donkey and two combining the Pride flag with Israel’s.
“I’m wearing symbols of my life,” he said.
Aquariums and outings.
We sat down in small chairs meant for children in my kindergarten classroom and avoided discussing Biden. Instead, we reminisced about our school trip to Albany, where Mr. Goldstein taught us how to talk to lawmakers. We also remembered when he encouraged us to write letters to Mayor Ed Koch about budget cuts that had overcrowded our class with 40 students.
Another memorable day was when Eliot Engel, a member of the New York state assembly who later chaired the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee, visited our class to discuss the bills he was working on. It was all very exciting for us fourth graders.
Then Lew asked, “Do you remember the animals?”
Mr. Goldstein, who has lived his whole life in the Bronx, taught us city kids about ecology and filled our already busy classroom with tanks and cages holding snakes, fish, and a rabbit that surprised us one Monday morning with baby bunnies.
As we headed to lunch, I worried the restaurant I chose might not be the best. Enzo’s, just a short walk from P.S. 108, is known for its meat-heavy menu. Lew has been a vegan for over ten years. He ordered rigatoni without cheese and asked for plant-based milk in his coffee, but ended up drinking it black because the waiter didn’t understand. I went with my usual, eggplant parmesan.
“I’m mostly vegetarian now, about 90%,” I told Lew, feeling a bit proud but also sorry for the parmesan.
“Make it 100%,” he replied.
I rolled my eyes and told Lew I was going to the restroom.
“Where’s your hall pass?” he joked.
The 1968 Chicago DNC
This summer will mark Lew’s fourth Democratic convention attendance. He was a delegate in 2012 when President Obama was renominated and won, and also in 2000, supporting Al Gore, who didn’t win. His first convention was in 1968, a tumultuous year when he started out backing Robert F. Kennedy and later supported Eugene McCarthy after Kennedy’s assassination.
Reflecting on that year, Lew believes Democratic unity could have defeated Richard Nixon. That’s why he was initially frustrated by calls for Biden to step aside but now supports Biden’s decision and Harris’s endorsement.
Lew, who wears cochlear implants and uses a cane, has a companion to help him navigate the convention and understand discussions amid noise. He’s not concerned about protests but is worried about Trump returning to power, saying it might prompt him to consider leaving the country, possibly to Costa Rica.
I was surprised to hear this in the Bronx. Is Lew suggesting the democracy he taught me about has failed?
‘I’m more gay than I am Jewish’
Lew spent many years hiding his true self and fearing AIDS before coming out at 51. Since then, he has dedicated himself to advocating for the queer community.
“I was born Jewish, gay, and progressive,” Lew writes in the book I helped edit. The book focuses on Bronx politics starting from the 1960s, highlighting the clash between reformist Democrats like Lew and more traditional party members.
In one chapter, Lew recalls a high school friendship with a boy from a Republican family, despite their differing political views. Throughout his life, Lew has collaborated with Republicans, such as Assemblyman Guy Velella, who lived near my home. Though my family never supported Velella politically, we exchanged friendly waves when we saw him in his driveway.
Lew feels that times have changed, especially with the rise of the Christian right advocating for bans on abortions and certain books in schools, like “The Diary of Anne Frank.”
“If there had been a banned books list when I was your teacher in 1978,” he said, “I would have encouraged you to read every book on it.”
Despite openly embracing his identity, Lew has never experienced homophobia or antisemitism. He confidently wears a kippah on the subway at night after attending services at CBST, a prominent gay synagogue in midtown Manhattan.
CBST, known for its activism, strengthened Lew’s connection to Judaism. “I feel more connected to being gay than being Jewish,” he told me.
Lew worries that if Trump were to serve a second term, it could jeopardize the rights that the queer community has fought hard to achieve, including same-sex marriage.
An uncertain future
After lunch, Lew had a CT scan, so when we said goodbye, he was worried about the results. I was relieved to receive a text as I headed back home to Washington, D.C.: Everything was fine.
A few days later, Lew texted again. He had an idea for a new political ticket: Harris at the top with Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer as her running mate.
This reminded me of fourth grade, when our principal asked for a strong boy to carry boxes, and Mr. Goldstein replied, “I’ll send a strong girl.”
When we talked on Sunday after Biden endorsed Harris, Lew once more mentioned Whitmer for the VP spot. “I would love to see it happen, but I don’t think it will — having two women, two Black people, or a Latino on the ticket. We’re not there yet,” he said.
Earlier that Sunday, Lew enjoyed a morning walk with friends from his synagogue in the Hudson River Valley, using his cane. He texted me photos of plants and caught up on Biden’s news on his phone.
“It’s been a good day,” he told me later. “I’m hopeful that choosing our presidential candidate will be less tense now. I’m feeling optimistic.”
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