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What’s So Jewish ����Ӱҵ Participating in Democracy?

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Date

November 4, 2024

Casting a vote is one of the most significant ways you can make a difference in shaping the future, and ����Ӱҵ is working hard to provide Jewish college students—and all students—with the education and resources they need to mobilize and vote this Election Day.

“We have this big civic engagement push that we call MitzVote,” Dani Levine, senior director of Social Impact at ����Ӱҵ, said recently on “,” a podcast series presented by that highlights incredible stories of faith, and the community leaders who are bridging divides across American civic life. “M-I-T-Z-V-O-T-E. It’s a pun on the Hebrew word mitzvah, mitzvot, the plural, which means commandment or obligation, and of course, vote, V-O-T-E. We sometimes joke that voting is the final commandment.”

MitzVote, powered by ����Ӱҵ, is nonpartisan, issue-neutral, and focused fully on civic engagement — utilizing Jewish wisdom to support students in accessing civic education, including resources about voting, and celebrating their engagement in our democratic process.

In fact, Jewish tradition has a lot to say about participating in democracy, going all the way back to the Torah. The Book of Jeremiah says, “And seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare” (). Jeremiah teaches us that we are responsible for the well-being of the societies in which we live, and that by caring for those broader communities, we will uplift our own Jewish communities as well. 

“Jewish people are a minority in this country, and we have been able to thrive because we have a strong democracy that protects minorities,” Levine said on the “Faith in Elections” podcast. “For our students, we want to help them think about, ‘What are the things you care about? How can you act on your values, and how can civic engagement and voting as one part of civic engagement be a part of acting on your values?’”

Many Jewish college students will be voting this year for the first time. Since the 2022 election season, nearly 8 million new potential voters have reached voting age — and   

MitzVote is here to help college students keep up that momentum by making voting easier — like, a lot easier. We’ve teamed up with some amazing civic engagement organizations like MotiVote to help you , , (don’t forget those state and local races!), and make a plan to vote. And if you really want to go above and beyond, you can

“In my own practice, I think there’s a quote I come back to: ‘Pray as if everything depends on God, act as if everything depends on you,’” said Levine. “When we have the tools to act, we have to act.”

MitzVote is just one tool to help you take action this election season. Your vote is your voice, and we can’t wait to help you along your 2024 voting journey. You’ve got this — let’s make a difference together!

To learn more about the MitzVote initiative, explore Jewish texts and teachings about civic engagement, and make a plan to vote, visit today!