Why Do Jews Vote?

By Rebecca Gillette
Harvard University

November 4, 2008 will always be remembered as an historic day and I have to admit, being both an Obama supporter and a college student made it quite an exciting night for me.  Never have I seen the excitement in the streets of Harvard Square comparable to those after the Red Sox World Series win for a political event, and never have I seen in my lifetime the enthusiasm and passion for politics paired with a pride and respect for the United States.  But Harvard students weren't the only ones glued to the television that night, and we certainly aren't a block of voters targeted specifically by national politicians.  What's interesting, though, is that the Jews are.

This year, specifically, Jews weren't just lumped into the generally liberal crowd of voters (though now it seems that many Jews are starting to shift to a more conservative political stance).  The fierce showdown between Obama and McCain in Florida, a prominent battle state in most elections, produced a spotlight for Jewish voters.  In comedian Sarah Silverman's video, "The Great Schlep" (paid for by the Jewish Council for Education and Research), the importance of the older Jewish demographic in the state was emphasized in a humorous, yet candid, commentary on the importance of the Jewish vote.  In both the vice-presidential and presidential debates, Israel was mentioned repeatedly, presumably to play on the Jewish vote.  Obama also exerted a great effort to placate concerns that he was not supportive of Israel, and both he and McCain made speeches before AIPAC.  Clearly the word is out that Jews care about politics and that we vote.

So why do Jews vote?  It seems that responsible citizenship and political interest fit very easily into Jewish culture and tradition.  The idea that we should follow the laws of the land in which we live is crucial to our ability to live a Jewish life in a secular world, but we have also learned from past experience what governments are capable of doing without our consent.  Therefore, the Jews, as a religious and ethnic minority, have a great incentive to be involved in the political decisions of our country that affect both American Jews and our brothers and sisters in Israel.  In addition, politics fits into Jewish tradition through the concept of Tikkun Olam, or repairing the world.  If one is to believe that government exists not only to govern a country but also to promote peace and prosperity across the globe, then Jews have every responsibility to be involved in deciding the path that we will take to get there.  And the best way to get there is to vote.

So in the end, Obama was able to court the Jewish vote in Florida and turned the state

blue; maybe it was even Sarah Silverman's plea to visit Jewish grandparents that did it.  Regardless, it is great to see that the Jewish demographic is so active in our country's politics and I can only hope that it means we can help make informative decisions together as a country, united. 

Rebecca is a student at Harvard from Baltimore, Maryland and is loving her junior year. Studying government, she is also an active member of her Hillel and a past KOACH Intern.

[Posted 11/27/08]