JACKSON TOWNSHIP, NJ – As many in Jackson Township fear, the community is quickly becoming a suburb of neighboring Lakewood Township, an essential race for mayor in 2026 is already beginning to take shape.
Jackson Township could be on the verge of a historic election as Eli Shem Tov, a Sephardic Jewish man with deep ties to Lakewood and the Orthodox community, announced his bid for mayor.
Shem Tov, the son of Noriel and Sheila (Rosenthal) Shem-Tov of Lakewood, said he believes it is time for Jackson to elect a Jewish mayor who can represent all residents while strengthening community relations.
Before entering the race, Shem Tov served as the man behind the green curtain, campaign manager and financier for Councilman Chris Pollak’s successful 2025 campaign, a role that earned him recognition as a driving force behind Pollak’s political rise.
While many in Jackson believed Pollak’s political rise was genuine, others who knew who was the real brains and brawn behind the operation were not fooled.
Now, Shem Tov is coming out from behind Pollak’s green curtain and believes he has rallied enough support from the community to make a run for mayor, and become Jackson’s first religious Jewish mayor.
He has since hijacked Pollak’s campaign slogan, “Fight for Jackson,” as the foundation of his own messaging. New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission filings show Shem Tov ran much of Pollak’s political operation, and insiders credit him with writing many of Pollak’s public speeches and campaign communications.
It was Shem Tov who was responsible for Pollak’s dramatic council meeting entrances, texting the councilman when to make his entrance as the candidate stood in the town hall hallway, to maximize the political theater, and created most of Pollak’s TikTok videos. At the last council meeting, Shem Tov wrote Pollak’s speech given during the important discussions on affordable housing.
During that meeting, Pollak was seen falling asleep on the dais at least two times. During the brief intermission, Pollak met with Shem Tov, who handed Pollak his speech, which he later delivered on the council. Throughout the meeting, the two men were seen on video texting each other several times.
The orchestration and scripting of Pollak by Shem Tov so far has been a huge success, but few in town have taken notice to its scripted and sometimes impractical rhetoric.
Under Shem Tov’s close direction, Pollak was able to brand himself as a fighter for the people of Jackson. Now, the same people who voted for Pollak will havedecide if they are ready to abandon local fighters such as Elenor Hannum, Hope Drew, and others who have expressed interest in running for political office, for a transformational mayor in the likes of Shem Tov. Shem Tov has been relatively absent in Jackson politics and community, who, like Pollak, arrived on the political scene in 2025 after having never attended a council meeting or voiced community opinions prior to creating their new political operation.
Shem Tov has spoken openly about his Orthodox-style upbringing and his goal to bring broader recognition to Jewish community organizations in Jackson.
On the campaign trail, he has pledged to “officially recognize” groups such as Hatzolah EMS and Shomrim at the municipal level, and he has suggested expanding the role of the Lakewood Civilian Safety Watch in Jackson, allowing members to assist with neighborhood watch duties, traffic safety, and security during large community events.
Earlier this year, while Chris Pollak worked the Jackson Day crowds with a message opposing Lakewood-style development, Shem Tov worked the Jewish community at the event, telling them thatPollak’s rhetoric was just a means to win the election. Instead, Shem Tov promised new lighting, sidewalks, and official recognition of Lakewood based organizations in Jackson.
That proposal mirrors an idea once raised by former Police Chief Matthew Kunz but rejected by then-Mayor Michael Reina, who maintained that Jackson’s police department was fully capable of ensuring public safety without outside assistance.
Shem Tov has also been lobbying the Jackson PBA to abandon its support for the current mayor and council in favor of his new vision of Jackson Township.
During Pollak’s campaign, Shem Tov played a pivotal role in mobilizing Orthodox Jewish voters, holding meetings with Lakewood community leaders and addressing concerns over Pollak’s earlier remarks that some viewed as insensitive. Since taking office, Pollak has said his working relationship with Council President Mordechai Burnstein has improved, noting during a recent meeting, “We’re getting along.”
Shem Tov has yet to announce his campaign team, but said he intends to focus on unity and effective governance after years of strained relations between Jackson’s political leadership and its growing Orthodox population.
Shem Tov works as a salesman for a Korean based digital camera company, Hanwha Vision.
“As [the person] who ran Chris Pollak’s campaign, it is my goal to ensure Jackson gets back on track,” Shem Tov said.