October 26, 2026|ט"ו חשון ה' אלפים תשפ"ז My Endorsement for This Election Season By Rabbi Efrem Goldberg

Election season is upon us in two countries we love. Israel's election is October 27, and America's is November 3. Two elections, just one week apart, with enormous implications for our future. And whether the votes have already been cast or are still being debated, one thing is certain: there is no shortage of people telling us what to think and how to vote. The political ads, polls, pundits, podcasts, and of course, the family WhatsApp chat and shul lobby, where everyone seems to know exactly how everyone else should vote. Everyone has an opinion, and everyone seems absolutely convinced they are right.

There is nothing wrong with having strong political opinions. There is nothing wrong with campaigning, advocating, lobbying, endorsing candidates, or working passionately to persuade others to support the people and policies we believe in. Being informed, engaged, and involved in the political process is at times an important responsibility. But there is a difference between trying to convince someone and believing that anyone who disagrees with us must be ignorant, foolish, or morally compromised. We can be passionate about our convictions without being dismissive of those who reach different conclusions.

Avraham Avinu left us many legacies. To be a descendant and disciple of Avraham is to embrace ethical monotheism, to believe in one God who demands that we live moral and meaningful lives. It is to be devoted to chesed, kindness, to open our homes and hearts to others, and to take responsibility for those around us. But first and foremost, to be a child of Avraham is to be an original. It is to recognize that Hashem created each of us uniquely, with our own strengths, talents, challenges, and opportunities. It is to discover our mission, identify our calling, find our why, and have the courage to chart our own path.

Last week's parsha began with Hashem telling Avraham, "Lech lecha," go for yourself. The Slonimer Rebbe, in Nesivos Shalom, explains that this was much more than a command to travel. It was a charge to discover who he was, to find his unique mission and purpose. Our families, communities, teachers, and experiences influence us, and we should be grateful for that. But while those influences shape us, they cannot and should not define us. If we spend our lives trying to be someone else, we may succeed at imitating them, but we will have failed at being ourselves.

Avraham was the original independent thinker. He grew up surrounded by idol worshippers, including his own father, yet refused to accept something simply because everyone else believed it. He questioned, searched, challenged, and ultimately discovered the truth for himself. He was willing to stand alone, not because he wanted to be different, but because he wanted to be right.

Rav Menachem Bentzion Sacks, in Menachem Tzion, explains that this is why we conclude the first blessing of Shemoneh Esrei with "Magen Avraham," the Shield of Avraham. Hashem doesn't just protect Avraham. He preserves and protects the Avraham inside each of us. The courage to be original, the capacity to think independently, to discover our mission, to find our calling, and to trust the tzelem Elokim, the Divine image, with which we were created. Of course, our individuality must always be expressed within the boundaries of Torah and our fundamental, unmovable principles. But within those boundaries, Hashem has made room for our uniqueness, our personalities, our perspectives, and our individual contributions.

Hashem didn't create us to be copies of one another. He gave each of us a mind, a soul, and a mission of our own. The next time you feel pressured to conform, to follow the crowd, to stop questioning, or to outsource your thinking, your opinions, or even your vote to someone else, remember “Magen Avraham.” Remember what Hashem has placed inside you, what He is protecting within you, and what He is counting on you to use. You have an Avraham inside you. Don't be afraid to let him lead.

But this week's parsha, Vayeira, teaches us something equally important. The same Avraham who stood against the entire world was also willing to seek advice from others. Rashi explains that Mamrei was rewarded because he advised Avraham concerning his bris milah, his circumcision. Why would Avraham need advice when Hashem Himself had commanded him? There are different explanations, but the overall lesson is powerful. Independent thinking doesn't mean knowing everything or refusing to listen. There is an enormous difference between listening to and hearing out others and allowing others to do your thinking for you.

And when Hashem reveals His intention to destroy Sedom, Avraham doesn't celebrate the downfall of people whose values and behavior he rejects. He pleads on their behalf. He doesn't compromise his convictions or approve of their behavior, but he doesn't stop caring about them either. Avraham teaches us that we can have deep convictions without becoming arrogant, insensitive, or dismissive of others.

That is a message we desperately need during election season.

I generally don't believe rabbis, Jewish organizations, movements, and communal leaders should be endorsing candidates in elections. Our responsibility is to speak about the issues, articulate our values, identify our priorities, and encourage people to be educated, informed, and engaged. But that doesn't mean telling people whom to vote for.

Of course, there are exceptions to what should be a general reluctance to enter political contests. When a candidate openly promotes antisemitism or threatens the safety of our people, we have a responsibility to speak up clearly and unequivocally. Concerns about antisemitism and dangerous policy positions involving figures such as Zohran Mamdani and Abdul El-Sayed (and less prominently but more recently, in our district, Oliver Larkin) should be taken seriously and examined in light of their statements, records, and positions. Antisemitism is not simply another political disagreement. It must be confronted publicly and forcefully.

But most elections are more nuanced. Thoughtful people who share a love for Israel, concern for the Jewish community, and many of the same values can nevertheless reach different conclusions about which candidate deserves their support. They may weigh experience, relationships, character, policy positions, and effectiveness differently. That doesn't mean one person cares more about Israel or the Jewish people than another.

In our own congressional race, we have two candidates who are pro-Israel, and there are strong opinions in our community about which one deserves our support. People have repeatedly asked me, "Rabbi, who are you endorsing? Who should we vote for?" I appreciate that people value my opinion, and I certainly have opinions of my own.

So I want to make an endorsement. I endorse you. I endorse you to think for yourself, do your homework, research the candidates, understand the issues, and make an informed decision. Don't vote for someone because your family always has supported one party, because everyone in your neighborhood is doing so, because your favorite commentator told you to, because you saw more lawn signs supporting him, or because an algorithm keeps reinforcing what you already believe. And don't vote for someone simply because your rabbi tells you to. Learn the issues, listen to the arguments, speak to people you respect, and be open to having your mind changed. Then make your own decision.

And if you feel strongly about your candidate, by all means, advocate. Make phone calls, volunteer, campaign, and encourage others to see what you see. There is nothing wrong with trying to persuade people. But remember that the goal is to inform and inspire, not to intimidate or shame. Share what you believe, explain why you believe it, and make the strongest case you can. Then recognize that the person listening may have heard everything you said, understood it perfectly well, and still reached a different conclusion.

Someone can disagree with you without being uninformed. Someone can reach a different conclusion without having different values. And someone can vote differently than you without being any less deserving of your respect.

Of course, not every position is equally legitimate, and not every disagreement is merely a matter of perspective. There are moral lines we cannot compromise and fundamental principles we must defend. But too often, we treat differences in political judgment as though they are differences in moral character. We assume that if someone doesn't reach our conclusion, they must not care about what we care about. That attitude doesn't persuade people. It pushes them away, damages relationships, and weakens our community.

One of the great features about elections in this country is that when we walk into a voting booth, we are alone. Alone with our own judgment, conscience, and responsibility. Nobody comes in with us. Not our parents, children, friends, political party, favorite podcast, or even our rabbi. And when we walk out, we need to remember that the people who voted differently are still our friends, neighbors, family members, and fellow Jews. We will still daven together, celebrate simchas together, comfort one another during difficult times, and work together to build a stronger community. The election matters, but our relationships matter too.

This message extends far beyond politics. How often do we make decisions based on what others will think? How often do we choose a path because everyone else is doing it? How often do we measure our success, happiness, or even religious growth by comparing ourselves to others? Hashem doesn't need another copy of someone else. He already has that person. He needs you.

Last week's parsha taught us to have the courage to discover who we are. This week's parsha reminds us that discovering who we are must never come at the expense of respecting who others are. Avraham was an independent thinker but he wasn't an arrogant one. He had the courage to stand alone, the humility to seek advice, and the compassion to care about people with whom he profoundly disagreed.

But there is one more important message, perhaps the most important of all. Whatever your political opinions, whatever your preferences, whatever your frustrations with the candidates or the process, go out and vote.

In 1984, Rav Moshe Feinstein wrote a remarkable and now-famous letter about the responsibility of American Jews to participate in elections. He explained that America had provided the Jewish people with a safe haven, religious freedom, and the ability to practice our faith without interference. He taught that a fundamental principle of Judaism is hakaras hatov, recognizing and expressing gratitude for the good we receive. He wrote that participation in the democratic system is incumbent upon Jewish citizens, and that the most fundamental responsibility is to register and vote.

For Rav Moshe, voting wasn't simply a political privilege or an opportunity to influence government. It was an expression of a Jewish obligation rooted in gratitude. We have been blessed to live in a country that gives us the freedom to practice our religion, build our communities, educate our children, and participate in determining who governs us. We express appreciation for those blessings not only by saying thank you, but by accepting the responsibility that comes with them. More than that, even though our individual votes are private, it is public record which geographic areas turn out and cast votes, and showing that our community cares enough to participate in the process gives us the ability to have more influence going forward.

We are blessed to have a voice. We have a responsibility to use it.

So research the candidates, study the issues, listen to different perspectives, make your own decision, and respect those who make a different one. But above all, don't sit this election out.

I endorse you. I endorse your ability to think, your responsibility to choose, and your obligation to participate.

Go out and vote.