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By Enid Weiss
August 15, 2008
Like bookends, trips to Israel mark Rep. Mike Ferguson's (R-NJ) political career.
His first congressional trip after taking office in 2000 was to Israel. At the time, the journey seemed potentially dangerous and there were newspaper accounts just before he left reporting his wife, Maureen, had been concerned and discussing skipping the trip.
On Ferguson's latest trip last month, Maureen accompanied him to Israel and they visited the Western Wall, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and Yad Vashem. He noted how "reverently" Israel has taken care of all the holy sites, regardless of which religion reveres the site.
"I had been there before (Yad Vashem), but Maureen hadn't," Ferguson told The Jewish State. "It was very powerful. We'd been there a couple hours and were emotionally spent. Then we took one step inside the children's section and she broke down sobbing, she couldn't do it."
The whirlwind trip spent four full days in Israel and paid for by the American Israel Education Foundation stopped in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and toured the country by helicopter.
"You're done in one-and-a-half hours," Ferguson joked, but then got serious. "That serves to highlight the precarious position Israel's in. It was a perfect time to be there in Israel and meet with leadership. This is a crucial time for the peace process" considering the political situations in Iraq, Iran, and the Palestinian territories.
"We met with (Israeli Prime Minister Ehud) Olmert the day after the cabinet voted on the hostage trading," Ferguson said. "He shared with us the anguish (Olmert felt) in trying to make the right decision. He tried to explain to us how very Israeli it is to bring home soldiers -- dead or alive."
While in office, Ferguson has been criticized for his support for President George W. Bush; Ferguson has overwhelmingly voted in support of administration policies. At the same time, he has been lauded locally for his support for Israel, his assistance to Jewish Family Service of Central New Jersey and Jewish Family Service in obtaining federal grant money for their programs. He also was honored by local Jewish groups including the Jewish Federation of Central New Jersey.
On Nov. 19, 2007, Ferguson announced he would not seek reelection. Some speculated his decision was motivated in part by doubt he'd win re-election. Historically, the district that includes parts of Union, Somerset, Hunterdon, and Middlesex counties has been strongly Republican. But the demographics are changing, more land is being developed and populations of all four areas are growing. Two years ago, Ferguson barely beat Democrat Linda Stender (the vote was 49 to 48 percent, or a margin of just over 3,200 votes) and she's running again this year. State Sen. Leonard Lance (R-Hunterdon) is challenging Stender for the seat this year.
Stepping down wasn't an easy decision for Ferguson. He said he and his wife spent months discussing it. While he liked the job, it took too great a toll on his family life. He and Maureen have four children. He wants to be able to be home for his kids' activities like little league games, soccer matches, and school programs.
When he made the announcement, Ferguson said, "Since first being elected in 2000, I have strived to balance my responsibilities to my family and to my constituents... from votes in Congress that extend past midnight to multiple trips each week between Washington and New Jersey and back again. Being a representative in Congress is more meaningful than I had imagined, and I know that now is the right time to step away from public life to focus more on family life while our children are still young."
His children are young enough that they've enjoyed the perks of having a dad in the legislature -- they've gone to a White House picnic, met the president, and "romped around the Capitol with dad."
Ferguson doesn't know what he'll do next. By law he can't discuss salaries or other compensation until his term of office ends in December. But the former civics teacher said he may not return to teaching full time, but envisions spending part of his time in a classroom.
"I'm looking forward to a new chapter," he said. "there are lots of jobs and careers out there that are meaningful."
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