WHY

Democracy and civic engagement are closely tied to Jewish values. The politicians and policies we choose in the 2020 election cycle will affect us every day, not just as U.S. citizens, but also as members of the Jewish community.

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Why

Hear from Faculty

VOTING SPANS GENERATIONS

A few respected faculty in the Jewish community share memories of their first experiences with civic engagement.

Dr. Bryan Wolf

Professor Emeritus, Art History

"It was the autumn of 1968. I was an anti-Vietnam War protester, and was in the process of fighting my draft board over my status as a Conscientious Objector. Going to the polls felt to me like an extension of all that I believed in. I voted for peace. I lost. Richard Nixon won and extended the war another four years. But that experience taught me never, never, never to abdicate my responsibility to vote. As John Lewis would have phrased it, voting is a form of "good trouble."

PKN photo - Patricia Karlin-Neumann.tiff

Rabbi Patricia Karlin-Neumann

Senior Associate Dean for Religious Life

"Earlier this year, when I went to vote, one of the poll workers was my cousin, a Stanford student. She grew up in a different state. She and I hadn't seen one another in a while. We hugged each other and laughed, recognizing that what brought us together was our shared commitment to the democratic process, inculcated throughout our family, We both learned and lived the text, "Al tifros min ha tzibur"--Do not separate yourself from the community"

Dr. Jonathan Bendor

The Walter and Elise Haas Professor of Political Economics and Organizations

"When our boys were young my wife and I always took them with us when we went to the polls. We wanted them to share the amazing experience of millions of citizens selecting their leaders. Voting is a precious right; we wanted our sons to feel that in their bones --- and they do."

Our Team

Our Tem

In collaboration with MitzVote, Stanford Hillel, & Springboard Fellow Sarah Tibbitts, the Civic Engagement Fellows work to foster passion for voting among the Jewish community at Stanford.

Senior Associate Dean for Religious Life

Springboard Social Justice Fellow