It’s bewildering to many how a significant number of American Jews cast their votes in favor of Democrats, which appears to conflict with their personal interests. While President Trump saw improved voting numbers as opposed to past candidates, astonishingly, over half of the population still sided with Kamala Harris. Historically, around 75% of American Jews lent their support to the Democratic contender, and people are left pondering why this is the case.
Grasping the reasons behind this requires shedding light on two contrasting trends within the Jewish community in the US. The least represented segment consists of the orthodox/ultraorthodox Jews. Though momentary, this sector exhibited solid pro-Trump standings in all elections, backing him strongly by over 90%. Essentially, the smallest, yet highly religious subgroup of the American Jewish community stood firmly with Trump’s initiatives, which were bent towards Israel’s favor and America’s best interests.
Orthodox Jews found solace in Trump’s approach that spotlighted freedom of religion, lesser government interference, and decreased emphasis on non-religious teaching requirements. The Republican agenda won their profound approval, unlike the far-left initiatives which disdain religion. Thus, in the case of religious Jews, their support overwhelmingly tilted towards Donald Trump and the Republican party.
As inferred from their designations, orthodox and ultra-orthodox Jews strive to study the Torah and adhere to the commandments ordained by God to the Jewish people. Aspects of their lives such as Kosher food, Sabbath observance, prayers, are integral parts of their existence. They seek a government that either endorses their ability to lead lives as conventional Jews or at least allows them to be.
Conversely, non-orthodox groups like Reform and Conservative Jews have customized their approach to Judaism. Activities such as driving on the Sabbath, being liberal about kosher food, and incorporating women in the rabbinate are among their adopted modifications. With Torah observance becoming less indispensable, other issues took precedence.
To ‘Tikun Olam’ or perfection of the world is a proposition from the Talmud given considerable importance. Most resources of Reform and Conservative Judaism shifted from traditional preoccupations of daily prayers, Torah study, and keeping the commandments towards a more globalized Judaism, throwing light on more societal matters.
For several decades, a chasm has been expanding between orthodox and non-orthodox factions within American Judaism. Albeit common aspects exist, such as holidays; the real practice among the groups has deviated considerably. Over this extended time, significant in-house transformations have transpired in both the Democrats’ and Republicans’ camps.
Advancing through time, Democrats embraced numerous societal matters, which were rejected outright by orthodox Jews, while their socially aware Reform and Conservative Jewish counterparts approved of such changes. These newly adopted directions from the Democrats significantly question their standpoint on Israel.
Regrettably, Barack Obama, during a severe war in Gaza, denied sending crucial missiles to aid Israel. In a parallel manner, Joe Biden impeded the supply of urgently needed bombs and D9 tractors to Israel. Records hint that Israel had to resort to using dated detonators from the 1970s due to an embargo enforced by Biden.
If Jews face growing opposition from advocates of Hamas and if the Democratic party’s support towards Israel is dwindling, the question arises: why were the majority of Jewish votes not cast in favor of President Trump? The answer lies in several factors. Regrettably, countless American Jews are living with outdated notions of the Republican party, and Donald Trump, in particular, which do not hold true anymore.
The Republican party has strayed far from its old image of being the elitist country club party, a fact many fail to realize. Furthermore, they are oblivious to another indisputable fact: that the Democratic Party no longer extends a warm welcome to Jews or proponents of Israel. It’s very evident that Donald Trump is a much better ally of Jews when compared to Kamala Harris, despite the fact that she is married to a Jew.
While orthodox groups form the smallest faction of the Jewish populace in the U.S., they are the quickest to flourish. Orthodox families are growing both in number and influence, with more facilities being set up for this expanding community.
In an intriguing twist of fate, it’s anticipated that in the next 25 years, the number of Jews supporting a candidate who is pro-Israel and champions religious freedom will be beyond 80 percent. The influence of liberal Jews, the offspring of those who fled European fascism, is dwindling along with their diminishing numbers in this generation.
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