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Hello The Jewish Table readers,
So, I was originally planning on writing a light-hearted newsletter this week, sharing a Jewishly-inspired spin on a classic Bloody Mary. You know, something you could serve with hamburgers or grilled tofu on July 4th. And that delicious recipe—fresh tomato juice enlivened with lemon and pickle juices, and garnished with cubed feta, gherkins, and majestic sprigs of dill—can be found below.
Then, last week’s presidential debate happened. The debate debacle heard round the world. The debate where Donald Trump let loose an unmitigated firehose of lies while Joe Biden disappointed and underwhelmed. The debate that threw an already precarious race into even deeper jeopardy. The debate that reminded us that the only person standing in the way of the return of Donald Trump’s chaos (and his party’s horrifying, ultra conservative, rights-snatching Project 2025 plan), is significantly older than we’d prefer him to be.
I don’t know if Joe Biden will be the 2024 Democratic nominee, or if we will end up with a brokered convention and a new ticket. I don’t even have a strong take on which option I think is better at this point. But, after a few days of spiraling panic, I found a moment of clarity: IT. Does. Not. Matter. Because my goal in 2024 is not to elect Joe Biden. My goal is to make sure that Donald Trump never sets foot in the White House again. And to ensure that, this November I will vote for Biden (or whoever ends up on the Democratic ticket) in my own self interest and in the interest of my children, my community, the planet, and democracy.
If you are a dyed-in-the-wool Trump voter, the thoughts I’m about to share are probably not for you. And I should give you a heads up that there will almost definitely be more political newsletters between now and November. Because I cannot “stick to sharing recipes” while our country’s future hangs in the balance.
But if you are someone on the fence about voting in 2024—someone thinking about just staying home, or who thinks all hope is lost, or who is only voting for down ballot races, or planning to vote third party—stick with me, here. And please share your thoughts in the comments below.
Because here’s the thing: I am—perhaps improbably—feeling absolutely fired up right now! As someone who holds Jewish values close to my heart, as someone who believes that human decency and character matter, as someone who is not about to let my children’s rights get stripped away without a fight, I am fired up.
Do you remember where you were when you found out that Donald Trump won in 2016? Do you remember how you felt? The pit-in-the-stomach dread, the confusion, the tears, the unequivocal understanding that we were in danger even if we didn’t quite know what that danger would entail? Yep, me too.
Some of that danger showed itself immediately—like Trump’s infamous Muslim ban and his cruel family separation policies at the border. Other dangers have taken longer to show themselves. Like the Trump-sanctioned insurrection at the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021. Like the Trump-appointed Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade and strip Americans of reproductive freedoms. And like yesterday’s shocking, coup-like Supreme Court decision to grant Trump presidential immunity for crimes committed while in office.
There’s no way to sugar coat it: we are living in a dark and scary moment. And I do wish there was someone other than Joe Biden leading the charge—not because I think he’s been a bad president. Biden has actually achieved a remarkable amount over the last 3+ years—like taking aggressive action on climate change, like lowering prescription drug prices, like supporting union workers, like increasing high speed internet access in rural areas, like massive job growth and curbing post-Covid inflation, like reversing Trump’s discriminatory ban on transgender service members, like nominating Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court—despite formidable opposition and road blocks from the right.
But in a country where many voters are led by vibes rather than reality, the post-debate vibes scare the daylights out of me.
And yet, beyond the fear, I remember something else. I remember in the early, terrifying months of Trump’s presidency how we—people of good faith, people of common decency, people who understood our collective power—rose up. We marched. We organized locally. We registered voters. And in 2018, we won big in the midterms. In 2020 we won again, with Joe Biden on the top of the ticket. And in 2022, despite everyone in the media predicting a “red wave,” Democrats wildly over-performed expectations in the midterms.
So yes, I am deeply afraid of the chaos and terror that a second Trump term (G-d-forbid) would undoubtedly bring. But I have also witnessed our collective ability to rise up when it matters—when our Democracy and freedoms are on the line.
Here’s my bottom line:
The next president will have the chance to replace between 1 and 3 Supreme Court justices. If Biden wins, that means more smart, progressive, democracy-minded judges Ketanji Brown Jackson. If Trump wins, it means locking an ultra-conservative super majority in place for generations.
The next president will determine whether we continue to work towards the climate progress the Biden administration has set in motion, or allow big oil companies to do whatever they want.
The next president will decide whether or not abortion becomes outlawed nationally. And if that sounds far fetched…well so did the fall of Roe.
Jewish tradition teaches us: “You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to desist from it.” I believe in my heart that doing anything that would allow Trump back into power—including voting third party or staying home on election day—would halt the very real progress his administration has made over the last 3+ years, and set America back on a deeply dangerous path.
I am not here to shame or cajole anyone into voting a particular way. Instead, I am here to (hopefully) remind and inspire us to vote in our best interest, to vote for our shared future, and to vote to give democracy a fighting chance on November 5th and beyond. For me, that means voting blue no matter who.
Join the Fight To Save Democracy
In the lead up to the 2016 election between Trump and Clinton, I did next to nothing. Sure, I donated once or twice to her campaign, but I did not knock a single door. I did not write a single letter or postcard to voters. I did not phone bank or text bank. As a result, Trump’s win stung doubly.
If you are already on board to vote for democracy this year (regardless of who ends up on the Presidential ticket), here are six excellent ways—beyond donating, which is also helpful—to transform your dread into action:
Write letters to voters in key states (from the comfort of your home!) with Vote Forward
Text voters in key states (from the comfort of your home!) with Movement Labs
If you live in driving distance to Pennsylvania, sign up to knock doors with Indivisible Philadelphia
If you live in driving distance to Wisconsin, sign up to knock doors with WisDems.
If you live in driving distance of Michigan, sign up to knock doors with One Campaign
Talk to the people in your life about the honest stakes of this election—especially if those people live in swing states.
Fresh Tomato Juice Bloody Mary
This Jewishly-inspired Bloody Mary (pickles! feta! dill!) is just as delicious and refreshing as a mocktail, sans vodka.
Serves 6
For the Tomato Juice:
4 pounds (1.8 kg) ripe red tomatoes, stems removed and cut into chunks
1 small shallot, peeled and cut into chunks
2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh dill
1/4 cup (60 ml) kosher dill pickle juice
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons sweet paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more as needed
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed
A few dashes of hot sauce, optional
For the Cocktails:
2 ounces vodka, per drink
Ice
Cubed feta, tall dill sprigs, gherkins or pickle slices, for garnishing
Working in batches if necessary, add the tomatoes, shallot, dill, pickle juice, lemon juice, paprika, salt, pepper, and hot sauce, if using, to a high speed blender. Blend until completely smooth.
Strain the tomato mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl. Taste and add more salt, pepper, and hot sauce, if needed, then transfer to a pitcher, cover, and let chill for at least 4 hours or overnight. (The tomato juice will separate as it sits. Give it a good stir before using.)
To make a cocktail: Thoroughly stir together 2 ounces of vodka with 6 ounces of the tomato mixture in a tall glass. Add ice to taste and garnish with a tall sprig of dill and cubes of feta and gherkins skewered onto a toothpick. Serve chilled.
Bonus Reading and Watching:
Actress Taraji P Henson encouraging people at the BET Awards to “play chess, not checkers” in 2024 by voting blue. (watch)
“With fear for our democracy, I dissent.” Justice Sonya Sotomayor on the Supreme Court’s decision to extend presidential immunity to Donald Trump’s official acts. (read)
“If Trump Wins” - The New York Times lays it out in shuddering detail (read)
“The Supreme Court Ruling on Homelessness: A Betrayal of Jewish Values,” by Rabbi Sandra Lawson (read)
“Feel the Shittiness” - Rabbi Jay Michaelson on turning negative feelings into fertilizer (read)
I love it. I don't care that you were supposed to write abut Bloody Marys. This is way more important.
I vote for YOU Leah‼️
Love, Mom