Jonathan receiving the 100 Year Association of New York College Scholar Award from NYC Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly
A dedicated public servant, Jonathan J. Judge has spent his entire adult life devoted to our district. Starting at the age of 17, he began volunteering at his local Brooklyn Community Board 14, where he interned throughout college and now works as part of the board’s staff. He is also a member of SSEU Local 371. It was there that he developed a close relationship with his neighbors and fellow constituents as he helped to resolve complaints on city services, identify funding priorities for a variety of city programs, and ensure local government meets the needs of the residents and businesses of the district. His dedication and hard work earned him a Certificate of Appreciation for his service to the Board and the community.
While Jonathan attended college, Jonathan interned with the New York City Office of Emergency Management, working with the press office in conducting outreach to ethnic and multilingual media outlets. His work helped ensure that everyone in the City of New York can instantly receive and understand urgent emergency communications, no matter what language they speak or background they are from
Jonathan also served for two years as the 70th Precinct Community Council’s Recording Secretary. It was there that he created the 70th Precinct Community Council Blog (http://70pctcc.blogspot.com), which keeps residents informed of all the latest information about the council and public safety in the community.
Jonathan (right) with friends and colleagues in Brooklyn College Student Government
When it comes to education, Jonathan is the proud product of some of our city and borough’s best schools. He attended parochial grammar school in Brooklyn and graduated from Xavier High School in Manhattan. He then graduated magna cum laude from CUNY Brooklyn College as a Macaulay Honors College Scholar with a B.A. in Classics and Linguistics. It was there that he first got a taste for local politics by running for Brooklyn College Student Assembly on the PHD Party line, where he served for three sessions–one of which as Speaker.
Jonathan (center) with his father, Kevin, and mother, Victoria
Jonathan’s dedication to public service has been greatly inspired by the transformative administration of Mayor Rudy Giuliani and from his own family’s background of public service. His parents, Victoria and Kevin, both have served in the New York City Police Department, as have other members of his family in various government agencies. His father, Kevin, who is a member of CWA Local 1180, recently received a Certificate of Service Achievement from New York City Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly for his longevity of service to the department for over 35 years.
Jonathan testifying at a City Council hearing against the congestion pricing proposal
Jonathan has also been very active in local politics and issue advocacy. For instance, when the city proposed an unpopular congestion pricing plan that would have hurt our district, Jonathan organized Stop NYC Congestion Tax, an online advocacy site which united thousands of petitioners who protested the adoption of this traffic tax on New York’s residents and small businesses. During the process, Jonathan worked with various elected officials and business and community leaders to mobilize opponents of the plan. In so doing, Jonathan participated in debates, testified before the City Council, and attended public forums on the proposed plan as well.
Jonathan and his mother, Victoria, visiting the ancient amphitheater at Caesarea in Israel.
Growing up in Brooklyn gave Jonathan a taste of the world’s many flavors of people and culture. His parents are of Italian and Irish descent, which broadened his understanding of the many cultures that make Brooklyn the great borough that it is today. When he was 10, his parents took him on the adventure of a lifetime when they decided to visit the Holy Land in early 1996. Although it was at a difficult time in Israel’s history after the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin, this spectacular experience left him with a powerful sense of the importance of the State of Israel, which has been with him ever since.
He also had the opportunity to visit one of his ancestral homes when his high school Latin class visited Napoli and Rome in 2004. These experiences have led Jonathan to continue exploring the people, languages and cultures of the world ever since, and because of this, he has a profound understanding and respect for the unique customs and ways that the diverse people in our borough choose to carry on their traditions.
Nowadays, when Jonathan is not at work, he is pursuing a Master’s degree at New York University in political ethics, focusing on the causes of corruption and strategies for government reform.
He continues to reside in the Kensington section of Brooklyn, where he grew up.
