Moshe Dear Backs Ariel Dahan In Finkelstein Library Trustee Election After State Commissioner Declines Stay Request

Yisroel R.

The New York State Education Department has declined to issue a stay order ahead of Tuesday’s trustee election at Finkelstein Memorial Library, leaving the current ballot options unchanged with one seat up for election instead of two.

In a letter sent to Ariel Dahan by the Office of Counsel for the State Education Department, the request asking the Commissioner of Education to issue a stay order regarding the May 2026 election was declined. The letter stated that “no stay order will be issued” and that the decision would “preserve the status quo regarding the May 2026 election.”

The dispute began after the library election process initially indicated that two trustee seats would be open. After petitions were submitted by Ariel Dahan and Moshe Dear, the library later announced that only one seat would appear on the ballot following what it described as a revised interpretation of the library charter.

Following the state’s decision, Moshe Dear released a public letter announcing that he is stepping aside from this race and is encouraging residents to vote for Ariel Dahan in the upcoming election.

In the letter, Dear wrote that he made the decision “to avoid splitting votes in a way that could impact the outcome” and said he believes the community should have “a unified voice” in choosing its representation.

Dear also emphasized that although his name will still appear on the ballot, residents who planned to vote for him should instead cast their vote for Ariel Dahan.

“This is not the end of my involvement,” Dear wrote, adding that he intends to re-enter the race if a second trustee seat becomes available in the future.

The election is scheduled to take place Tuesday, May 12, from 7:00 a.m. through 9:00 p.m. at the Finkelstein Memorial Library in Spring Valley.