Shalom!
It's your favorite Jewish Campaign Bubbe! Year after year I see cringe-worthy posts from well-meaning non-Jewish candidates trying to be down with MOT, but ultimately swinging and missing. This year rather than simply mock these poorly constructed posts, (although I will definitely be doing that as well) I thought I would offer some proactive constructive advice for candidates wishing to be considerate and inclusive of their siblings in Sinai. I'm telling you ahead of time, so don't make these mistakes.
First of all, let's discuss my qualifications. I am a 17-year veteran of Democratic campaigns and non-profits having worked everywhere from Brooklyn, where my district included the Hassidic community of Boro Park to Beaumont, Texas where it...did not. I have worked and been a Jew on all kinds of campaigns all across the US with both Jewish and non-Jewish candidates. Religiously, I'm a moderately observant Reform Jew which means both that I am the most Jewishly observant person in my family and friend groups and that my observance would barely register to an Orthodox rabbi. All in all, take the disclaimer that I am lot more comfortable speaking for all campaign operatives than I am for all Jews (after all two Jews, three opinions) so if you are seeking Halaka, look elsewhere.
Let's start with the basics:
What are the High Holidays? Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, collectively known as "The High Holidays" or "High Holy Days" are the most important days on the Jewish religious calendar. The period, inclusive, between the two holidays is sometimes referred to as the Days of Awe or in transliterated Hebrew, Yamim Noraim.
Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year and in addition to beginning a period of prayer and introspection it is also a time for celebration, food, and family. (Should I post my favorite Rosh Hashanah recipes? @ me if yes).
Yom Kippur is the Jewish Day of Atonement. It is a day for prayer, reflection, and repentance. Most even moderately observant Jewish adults fast on this day and many refrain from using electronics, showering or even brushing their teeth. If you see food associated with Yom Kippur, it is most likely for a break-the-fast which occurs on sundown at the end of the holiday.
When are the High Holidays? This year, the secular calendar year of 2023 (on the Hebrew calendar it will be 5784) Rosh Hashanah begins at sundown of September 15th and ends at sundown on either the 16th or 17th depending on an individual's tradition. Yom Kippur begins on sundown of September 24th and lasts until sundown on the 25th. Note, Jewish holidays begin and end at sundown which means if you want Jewish constituents to see your social media post about their holiday you should share it during the day preceding the evening on which that holiday begins.
Now let's discuss campaign events. What should or shouldn't your campaign do during the High Holidays? Although it is in no way a perfect corollary, in general when considering whether to hold an event think of the High Holidays the way you would Thanksgiving on the secular calendar or Christmas or Easter on the Christian one.
Can I host campaign events or fundraisers on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur? If you have a sizable Jewish population in your district or your donor base or are just trying to err on the side of being respectful, I would refrain from hosting rallies or holding fundraisers on either of these holidays. As a Jew I will tell you it feels insensitive and I feel excluded if an organization I work with plans a once-a-season happy hour, conference, or major action on one of the holiest days of the year because you have a whole year of warning and I am guaranteed to be unable to participate. As a campaign I would avoid scheduling one-off events like fundraisers, surrogate visits or meet and greets with a candidate. Personally, if your campaign has something like a recurring weekly phone bank, I would have no qualms with that continuing even if it falls on one of these days and long as you are taking care to exclude Jews from that day's voter contact universe. See next question.
Can I include Jews in my voter contact or fundraising universes on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur? Absolutely not. If you have heavily Jewish neighborhoods in your district do not call or canvass them on these days. If you have Jewish donors do not solicit them on these days. I would also instruct canvassers to avoid doors with mezuzot and generally do what you can to avoid contacting Jews on these days. Again, imagine if someone canvassed you in the middle of Thanksgiving Dinner or called you during Easter Mass.
Can I host campaign events between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur? Eh, depends who you ask. Practically if you have a sizable Jewish population in your district or donor base, I would avoid the Days of Awe because you are just less likely to get a good turnout. Think about the time between Christmas and New Years. People are likely to be cooking, visiting family or recovering from doing one or both. If your district includes more observant Orthodox Jews I would avoid it out of respect. Otherwise, not your best option but from an optics perspective you are probably okay.
Can/should I host Rosh Hashanah or Yom Kippur themed events? If you are Ruchie Freier it's very possible you know a way of doing this that is contextually and community appropriate, but if you are reading this blog and you have to ask, the answer is no.
Let's get down to brisket. How do you keep yourself looking more like a mensch and less like a schmuck when posting a holiday greeting on social media? As with all aspects of campaigning it comes down to research and authenticity. Do I want to see a post from a baptist preacher that reads "On this blessed day may HaShem subscribe you in the Book of Life?" I do not, nor do I want to see a Yom Kippur post that is full of pictures of menorahs and challah.
Doves
Star of David
How do I pronounced these things? Good news for you, because these are Hebrew words that are thousands of years old and have been spoken in hundreds of languages there are myriad of ways of slicing this honey-covered apple. I will spare you the indignity of linking to a pronunciation site and assume if you wanted to do that you would have done so. When referring to Rosh Hashanah in Hebrew or a liturgical sense you may hear Jews put an accent on a different syllable than we do in casual conversation. The most common pronunciation I would suggest you use sounds like "Rush Hush On Ah." While you may hear Yom Kippur pronounced such that it rhymes with "Tom Clipper" the most common (and my suggested for the layman gentile) pronunciation is such that it rhymes with "Foam Flip Four."
Should I give my Jewish staff the day off? Would you ask your Christian staff to work on Christmas? Since "Jewish" is a religion, a culture, and an ethnicity, different staff members may or may not choose to take off based on the religious or cultural significance of these holidays to them. You should make it known that the option is available and that their choice to do will be regarded neutrally by the campaign's management. For many years in New York City we had September primary elections. People took off for High Holidays and everyone lived to tell the tale. If your campaign is so weak that it's going to crumble from a handful of staff taking off for a religious observance you probably weren't going to win anyway.
That's all she inscribed! Fellow Jews, tweet me and let me know what I missed. I hope this helped and look forward to seeing your culturally appropriate holiday posts. Until then...
Campaign Love and Mine,
Nancy
