November 3, 2026

Last week 77.9% of Israeli citizens participated in elections to determine the next government of the State of Israel. It will likely be many weeks before we know who will lead the next coalition and what it will look like. Read JCRC’s analysis and follow Times of Israel for ongoing updates. 

Today, United States citizens will vote in our own midterm elections, with many consequential elections here at home and all around the country. Like Israelis, Jews in America have typically voted in high numbers, with 71% of American Jews voting in the 2024 presidential election and 67% voting in the 2022 midterm elections. 

There are many reasons for this as Jews come from a historical and textual tradition of engaging in civic life. We are taught not to separate ourselves from our community (Pirkei Avot 2:4), but rather to seek the welfare of the cities where we live (Jer 29:7). 

Though Jews have historically participated in elections in high numbers, that does not mean that there has been complete alignment in how we have voted, nor has there always been confidence or conviction in our choices. 

We have heard from many in our community who describe feelings of “political homelessness,” who do not feel fully represented by either party and who wrestle with who to vote for. An AP-NORC poll released in July found that just 15% of American Jewish adults believe the Democratic Party supports their community extremely or very well. Only 16% say the same of Republicans. 

Though these numbers are the lowest they have been in many of our lifetimes, political alienation and misrepresentation is not new to American Jews. Our communities have wrestled with these feelings of belonging since our arrival as immigrants in the 17th century. There have been numerous elections in the centuries since that reflect struggles like the ones we are seeing today, where American Jews worry that candidates who are best for America are dangerous for Jews, or that candidates who are supportive of Jews are dangerous for America. 

A great example of this is the election of 1868 between Ulysses S Grant and Horatio Seymour. Six years prior, in 1862, General Grant issued General Orders No. 11, expelling Jews from the military district under his command, forcing Jews to leave their homes, and inciting both fear and discrimination toward the broader American Jewish community. Though President Lincoln revoked the policy, Jews lost trust in Grant as a leader who would protect the Jewish community. At the same time, many Jews supported Reconstruction, and many believed that despite Grant’s targeting of Jews in 1862, equal rights for African Americans would also lead to equal rights for Jews. 

Rabbinic leaders urged Jews in both directions, with Rabbi Liebman Adler arguing, “If Grant is the best man for Americans, he is the best man for us Israelites, despite General Orders No.11.” Meanwhile, Rabbi Isaac Mayer Wise said, “We will consider it our duty to oppose Grant, none in the 19th century in civilized countries has abused and outraged the Jews as him.” He continued, saying, “responsible voters need to weigh their responsibilities as Jews and as citizens at one and the same time: We bring both the Jew and the citizen to the public forum…”1 Neither position required abandoning Jewish identity. They reflected different judgments about how to fulfill competing obligations. 

As historian Jonathan Sarna documents in his book When General Grant Expelled the Jews, Jewish political pressure contributed to President Lincoln’s decision to revoke General Orders No. 11 and to Grant’s decision to publicly disavow his earlier actions. As president, he went on to appoint more Jews to public office than all previous presidents combined and advocate for Jewish communities facing persecution abroad. While we cannot know precisely what motivated Grant’s change, this story reminds us that civic engagement can influence our elected leaders and that people have the capacity to change. 

Today, many in our Jewish community are engaging in similar debates to the one between Rabbi Adler and Rabbi Mayer Wise as an increasing number of candidates and leaders in both political parties use antisemitic rhetoric and/or promote ideas and lies that are harmful to Jews in America, Israel, and all around the world. We are left wrestling with the same questions as American Jews in 1868, navigating value tensions, antisemitism, and a polarized society. 

We each have a responsibility, as Jews and as American citizens, to explore the tensions of our time with concern and care. It is more important than ever to acknowledge the diversity of opinions in our community and to engage in difficult conversations with those who hold countering perspectives. We can take comfort in knowing that we are not the first to face these challenges and that we can use the wisdom of those who came before us to navigate the difficult choices we face today, remembering that we too can make a difference. 

Regardless of the results of the elections, all of us at JCRC will continue to work tirelessly to support an American society where Jews can live and thrive, bringing our full selves to every space we dwell.