So, who will it be — Harris or Trump? Ahead of the upcoming presidential election, the Journal spoke with several Los Angeles Jewish rabbis about what’s been called one of the most consequential and polarizing elections of our time.
We spoke to clergy who lead communities where there’s political diversity in the pews, a mix of Democrats and Republicans. As expected, each declined to specify how they’re personally voting, so we asked how they’ve been discussing the election with the communities they lead, if at all, as clergy, who are employed by nonprofits, typically refrain from endorsing political candidates or expressing political opinions from the pulpit.
Our interviews with the rabbis were held at a time when much has been said about how American Jews will vote on Nov. 5. Historically, American Jews vote overwhelmingly for the Democratic candidate, even as support for Israel has become an increasingly partisan issue. But for some Jewish voters, especially in the aftermath of the Oct. 7 attack, Israel is the issue, and they’ll vote for whomever they view as the more pro-Israel candidate, regardless of that candidate’s political party.
We asked the rabbis what message they’ll have for their community on the final Shabbat before election day and on the Shabbat immediately after. The consensus — regardless of the rabbi’s personal political belief — is that the American experiment, and its continued success, ought to be elevated above an individual’s political preferences. The synagogue ought to be a welcoming and safe place for people of all political philosophies.
Rabbi Nicole Guzik, Sinai Temple
Every month, Sinai Temple Co-Senior Rabbi Nicole Guzik meets with a group of women for a Torah study group. Recently, she asked the attendees what they want to hear from their rabbi the week after the election. Their reply: “We rather hear from our rabbi the week before the election.”
So, on the bimah this coming Shabbat, Guzik plans to address the week’s Torah portion — Parsha Noach — and connect it to this current, divisive moment in this country. Just as Noah was instructed to build an ark to withstand the flood, Guzik hopes her synagogue will function as an ark — or sanctuary — that will make people feel protected during this chaotic period.
After the election, “We can expect people to be both elated and angry,” Guzik told The Journal. “You can be at a Shabbat dinner, and it can be the person seated across from you is elated, and the person sitting next to you is in mourning. Our job as a Jewish community is to create a sanctuary that holds both people.”
“Our job as a Jewish community is to create a sanctuary that holds both people.” – Rabbi Nicole Guzik
Guzik leads a congregation that is overwhelmingly pro-Israel. Asked if she thought that meant much of her community would be voting for one candidate over the other, she declined to make a specific prediction.
“I would say there’s concern and positivity for both candidates, and I’ll leave it at that,” Guzik said.
On the day after the election, Guzik will join clergy in the Conservative movement for a virtual forum on how to frame the election for their diverse constituents. The program is organized by the Rabbinical Assembly, an umbrella organization for Conservative rabbis, and it will provide direct colleague-to-colleague perspectives about how to best support their communities during the week and on the Shabbat following the election.
“Our hope is that our members will leave the program feeling supported by the Rabbinical Assembly and each other and that they have helpful tools to engage their constituents,” Rabbi Noam Kornsgold, director of continuing education at the Rabbinical Assembly, told The Journal in an email.
Rabbi Nolan Lebovitz, Valley Beth Shalom
In response to the assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump during an open-air campaign rally this past summer in Pennsylvania, Conservative synagogue Valley Beth Shalom sent an email to its community that condemned the moment of “vitriolic partisanship.”
While some appreciated the statement, there were those that interpreted it as a “pro-Trump message,” VBS Senior Rabbi Nolan Lebovitz told The Journal.
In Lebovitz’s mind, this disconnect illustrated the divisiveness of the moment — and the extent to which a synagogue can’t win when it comes to being a tent for all the strong political beliefs of its community members.
Nevertheless, VBS — like synagogues across the country — has attempted to be a place where people of all political beliefs continue to feel welcome. “We’ve really tried to temper the partisanship and make the synagogue feel like a place that’s welcoming for everybody,” he said.
In a follow-up with The Journal, Lebovitz said events like the World Series, rather than a presidential election, show the best of what this country has to offer. Here is the rabbi’s statement in its entirety:
“There is currently a palpable tension between the forces that pull us apart and that bring us together. This is a season of acute political partisanship. We are living through the throes of the most divided election season, bombarded by pundit opinions and campaign ads. No matter who one votes for as an American and as a Jew, there exists great certainty that the future of this country, Israel’s security, and democracy at large hang in the balance.
“There is currently a palpable tension between the forces that pull us apart and that bring us together. This is a season of acute political partisanship.”
– Rabbi Nolan Lebovitz
“At the same time, the World Series engenders patriotism in its most beautiful, unifying form. Watching the mixture of races, religions, and socioeconomic backgrounds joining together for the ‘Star Spangled Banner’ before the games paints a portrait of the best version of ourselves. The Fall Classic provides the perfect counterbalance to the election season.
“The truth is that this country is reflected through both experiences at once. We are patriotic, and this is indeed a season of prioritizing and voting. Our community at Valley Beth Shalom is a reflection of the greater American experience in this regard. We have members who will be casting ballots for each candidate. We recognize the blessings of this great nation and the daunting challenges that lie ahead.”
Rabbi Adam Kligfeld, Temple Beth Am
Temple Beth Am’s Rabbi Adam Kligfeld leads a large Conservative community in Pico-Robertson. The community is diverse. So, typically, he avoids making any kind of political statements from the pulpit.
“I don’t use my bimah to get into the nitty gritty of American politics,” he told the Journal. “I talk about the values and ideas I see emanating from the Jewish tradition. Now, when there’s seemingly more pressure to use the pulpit for those things, I resist more. I believe in the separation of church and state.”
“I don’t use my bimah to get into the nitty gritty of American politics … I talk about the values and ideas I see emanating from the Jewish tradition.” – Rabbi Adam Kligfeld
Still, he acknowledged that at a moment when one’s political beliefs are so tied up in their identities, avoid politics altogether can be hard to do. The synagogue has tried to be a container for people to process tough political moments, and it has led to some missteps, he said.
Eight years ago, following President Trump’s surprising victory over Hillary Clinton, Temple Beth Am offered a physical space for its congregants to reflect on the results of the election. It wasn’t intended to be a partisan act; merely, it was to provide a forum for congregants to come together.
However, that wasn’t how it was interpreted, Kligfeld said.
“We got lambasted for that, I think somewhat properly, by people on the right who said, ‘No one offered me the same space after [former President] Obama was elected, and I thought he’d be disaster for Israel and the Jews,’” the Temple Beth Am senior rabbi said. “I think some of that reaming was legitimate.”
As a result, for the upcoming election, the synagogue has opted not to offer that kind of opportunity.
“We decided that’s not our field,” Kligfeld said. “Our field is holding space for religious gathering.”
At the most, the congregants of Beth Am will spend the Shabbat after the election saying a prayer for the country — as is customarily done in synagogues during services.
“We’ll say the prayers for the country this Shabbat, and we might add a kavanah [moment of intention] before the scripted prayer that says, ‘Focus your attention on what this country is and ought to be and continue to live and thrive as a Jewish community because of the principles this country is built on. Let us commit ourselves to the grand drama of making America what it is.’
“That’s the rabbi’s job, to heighten a congregant’s spiritual alertness, rather than saying, ‘Because I believe this and I can connect it to this verse, so should everyone,’” Kligfeld continued. “Even rabbis I agree with politically, I think rabbis who do that are abusing our inheritance.”
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