I had the most amazing experience last night…yes even at home in CT while everyone is away at college. Dr. Ellen Cannon, a political analyst and professor at Northeastern Illinois University, came to speak at the Greater Hartford Jewish Community Center. She is professor of Women’s Studies as well as Jewish-American Relations at NEIU. Her topic for lecture last night was the upcoming November Elections and how they relate to the Jewish community. Obviously a very heated topic, as she said herself, “the most hotly debated presidential election in 30 years.” Jewish citizens of the U.S. are very confused as to how they will vote in November. There is a group that is concerned with which president is best for Israel, but a majority of Jews (younger generations) are more concerned with domestic issues.

Recent polls put the Jewish vote at 69 % Democratic, 19 % Republican and 9 % for Nader (…nothing to say here). Traditionally as Dr. Cannon lectured, the Jews vote in 70 year swings. From 1860 until the end of the depression in the 1930′s (and German emigration), Jews traditionally voted Republican. With the New Deal and other reforms, Jews began their 70 year swing to the Democratic Party. It looks like this year will continue the Democratic 70.

Dr. Cannon also spoke of 3 voices in Jewish society:

  1. The older generations: These are the Holocaust survivors, the one’s that remember the Munich Olympic Murders, the Six Day War, the Yom Kippur War, and some even the Russian pogroms. They want a strong response to terror and the Islamist threats, and therefore turn towards Bush.
  2. The baby-boomers and new business men: These guys want more fiscal responsibility of the government, more libreral then the elders, they are passionately pro-Israel, and have a strong sense of domestic issues. This group makes up about 15% of the Jewish vote, and they are strongly Democratic.
  3. The scariest group ever: This group, made up mostly of the younger generations, who have no recollection of the tragedies that have befell the Jewish people, have no concept of the communalism that Jews, for 2,500 years have held dear. Individualists at heart, they wonder, “What can the president do for me,” not what he can do for my people. This group is split pretty much down the center, as is the rest of the nation. With little passion for the survival of the Israeli State, they are an epidemic that must be cured. For those of us passionate about Israel, we must find these Jews and teach them about Israel’s importance to them. This requires a total rethinking of how we conduct Israel advocacy, because of their individualistic thirst.

I took 8 pages of notes at Dr. Cannon’s lecture, in addition, I spoke with her after the lecture. Apparently, she will be in Rochester, NY on October 20th, 2004, speaking at the University of Rochester. All my Rochester Israel Supporters should go to her program. More information is available at U of R Hillel. I will try to make it, but it is during the week, which is tough with my co-op.

One of the key things, Dr. Cannon spoke about was the two candidates foreign policy directives. Without my notes in front of me, I cannot recite rote what she said (that’s for a later entry), but I can say that both candidates are adamant about Israel being our Democratic Partner as well as a figher in the multinational War on Terror. For those that say America should withdrawal our support for Israel, because it is a key reason for Islamist hatred of America, stop for a moment and think. Both America and Israel desire to be a “Beacon of Light” with democratic processes that promote equal rights and protection of our inalienable rights. What you are asking America to do is to withdraw support for a naton with similar values in favor of a group of fundamentalists that choose death over life, have no regard for human rights and dignity, and share no commonalities with American civil principles. You find me the logic in that, and then I’ll sit down at a table with you and discuss America’s support for Israel. Until then, sit down and shut up.

I swear, I am not passionate about this at all. sic

-Stegel