Voting during the crucible of COVID-19

An awesome responsibility

Steve McCloskey, President

Today, our nation is being tested as it has not been for at least a couple of generations. Any one of the momentous challenges — the growing movement for meaningful societal change, severe economic dislocation and climate change — would be a severe test of our collective will. However, these multiple roiling forces are conflated with the pervasive and cataclysmic crisis of the global pandemic, an ongoing event that will demand much from all of us in the days ahead.

On November 3, we must vote, not only for a slew of candidates, from presidential down to local, but to engage in a searing inquiry of what we might want a post-pandemic America to look like.

Will we embrace a foreboding vision of an America rooted in the past, sowing seeds of division, exclusion and fear, or an uplifting vision of an America looking forward, extolling unity, inclusion and societal justice, buoyed by optimism and hope?

There has not been a starker choice in my lifetime. Blind devotion and unquestioned loyalty to any elected leader is not an American virtue, but an American failure. Bipartisanship and compromise should be viewed as signs of strength, not weakness.

While we at NJC believe that the right to vote is sacrosanct, that right comes with a solemn duty to exercise it. That is why NJC has joined the URJ’s Every Voice, Every Vote Campaign, a drive to have all our members pledge to, and vote, in the November 3 general election. Our Social Justice Committee has been contacting all members to ensure that they are registered to vote — and will be doing so, either using a mail-in ballot, early voting or voting on election day. We have stressed the urgency of mailing in their ballots early, if they choose to vote by mail in the midst of the pandemic.

This election will, no doubt, have profound intergenerational implications. It is most certainly about l’dor v’dor, what we cherish as bedrock principles and values to be passed from generation to generation. Some of them seem rather obvious — safeguarding liberty, democratic institutions, a vigorous free press, robust but civil discourse, promoting the general welfare, fostering the common good, fighting for societal justice, advocating for equal opportunity for all, speaking truth to power and pledging to treat others with understanding, grace, dignity and respect.

We must learn to forsake the shortterm view for the long-term outlook, for the future of our children and grandchildren. Can we not only envision, but really commit to and work toward, a better world for them? In order for that to happen, we must insist on more from ourselves and more importantly, from our elected officials. Why are we satisfied with mediocrity when we should be insisting on excellence? As long as our focus is on us as individuals, rather than as a nation that looks both inward and outward, our legacy will be found wanting.

At NJC, we are learning as we go how best to adapt to the inability to gather for services and other events. Zoom and You- Tube Live are enabling us to connect with our members for not only Shabbat and High Holy Days services, but to provide programming for our members through our well-received NJC Connects events, held a couple of times a month.

Everyone is craving connection with others in these isolating times. These virtual meeting platforms have helped to make a real difference and we are always looking for ways to enhance offerings to our members.