MEMORANDUM

To: Rabbis and Synagogue Leaders
From: Richard B. Stone, Chairman
Betty Ehrenberg, Director, International and Communal Affairs
Re: Election Day

You have heard from us in the past on the importance of being registered to vote. Now it is time to remember how important it is for Orthodox Jews to vote this coming Election Day.

We call on you as community leaders to urge your friends, family, and all colleagues to vote in the upcoming election. Orthodox Jews have important issues at stake on the public policy agenda that deeply affect our lives. Every Election Day, it is necessary to make ourselves heard and be counted.

It is crucial that we exercise our democratic choice by voting for those who best represent our interests. While American Jews have voted in overwhelming numbers in the past, unfortunately this is no longer the case. In order to make sure that we have a say in the formation of public policy, we must not forfeit our power to elect a particular candidate to office or express our view on a particular issue. We cannot surrender our ability to influence our quality of daily life as American Jews nor must we allow others to make choices for us.

As you address important current events and issues in your schools and shuls, we cannot urge you enough to emphasize the importance of our precious right to vote. This right guarantees our freedoms as Jews and makes sure that our voice counts. If we do not vote, the ability of the Jewish community to shape the world in which we live is greatly diminished.

Thank you for your cooperation and involvement.

RBS
BE