Increased attention to the importance of the Jewish vote has
revved up Jewish students to hit the polls in full force for this
year’s presidential election.
In the past, Jewish voters have tended to be Democratic, but
this year the Republican Party hopes to increase the amount of
conservative Jewish voters.
In the 2000 election, over 78 percent of the Jewish vote went to
Democratic candidate Al Gore, while only 19 percent went to
President Bush.
“The Jewish community at UCLA seems to be pretty evenly
divided in this election,” said Sigalit Noureal, the
president of Bruins for Israel, a pro-Israel organization at UCLA
that seeks to educate students and faculty on issues pertaining to
Israel.
A perceived increase of conservatism in the Jewish community has
Republicans spending more than ever on advertising to win over
Jewish voters.
While Jews make up only 2 percent of the nation’s
population, they constitute approximately 4 percent of voters
nationwide, making them an important target for both candidates
competing for presidency in this year’s tight election
race.
Jews are beginning to rethink their options after seeing
Bush’s strong support for Israel and his quick response to
the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
“The conservative trend began more than a decade ago but
the Jewish community is still unabashedly liberal,” said
Rabbi Chaim Seidler-Feller from the Yitzhak Rabin Hillel Center of
Jewish Life at UCLA.
“The Republican Party has failed to attract more Jewish
voters. They were predicting up to 40 percent of the Jewish vote,
but only 20 to 24 percent of Jews will actually vote for
Bush,” Seidler-Feller added.
He also said the increasing adaptation to American ideals and
accumulation of wealth among young Jews has resulted in a slight
shift toward conservative values among them.
“Younger Jews are more conservative because they are
becoming more American,” Seidler-Feller said. “The
combination of the socioeconomic status of younger Jews and a
concern for Israel has resulted in many of them becoming more
conservative.”
The division among UCLA students on whom to vote for in this
election was evident in the recent “Bush v. Kerry
Debate” at the UCLA Hillel center, where Jewish students
gathered together to discuss the presidential elections and learn
more about the positions of both candidates on Israel and American
Israeli policies.
The panel, which included supporters for both Bush and Sen. John
Kerry, debated issues ranging from the war in Iraq to the violence
in Israel and Palestinian territories.
“Jews tend to be very progressive on social issues, but in
this election, the primary concern is the situation in Iraq.
Israel’s security is dependent on the outcome of Iraq. The
more secure Iraq is, the more secure Israel will be,” Noureal
said.
But Jewish students are also considering other issues in this
election.
“Both candidates are very supportive of Israel, so it
isn’t the main issue for me in this election. I’m
looking at the policies each candidate holds in regards to the
economy … to make up my mind,” said Pamela Kohanchi,
liaison between UCLA and the American Israel Public Affairs
Committee who attended the event.
At UCLA, almost double the number of Jewish students registered
to vote in this year’s election in comparison to previous
ones, Kohanchi said.
Some Jewish students are disappointed that the Jewish community
is becoming more conservative and believe modern Jews have made
significant progress in the United States because of their liberal
ideals.
“Jews have been amazing figures because they have been
progressive. It has brought Jews to where they are today.
Conservative thinkers don’t push the Jewish community
forward,” said David Noily, a fourth-year theater student.
Other students disagreed that more conservative Jews would have a
negative impact on the Jewish community.
“In the end, it doesn’t matter whether you are
liberal or conservative. All that matters is that you stand for
something and aren’t apathetic,” said Arash Nafisi, the
vice president of Bruins for Israel.
Kohanchi agreed that the plurality of viewpoints in the Jewish
community is beneficial to them.
“It makes me proud to see how bipartisan the Jewish
community has become. The increased conservatism in the Jewish
community is a direct result of an increased amount of registered
Jewish voters,” Kohanchi added. “We can’t just
ask them all to stay on one side.”