Did you know early voting has started for the May 24 Preferential Primary Election? Midterm years are often considered “off” years in politics, but this can be the year your voice is heard and amplified more with a likely smaller turnout.
Want to learn more about this election, where to vote and who is running? Check out the Washington County Election Commission page. Want to see your sample ballot? See the ballot lookup of Ballotpedia.
Looking for a Jewish prayer before voting? Rabbi David Mevorach Seidenberg has one:
A prayer for voting (“because where would you need to pray more than in a voting booth or when you mail in your ballot?”) This prayer can be said every day from now through the election:
הַרינִי מְכָוֵון בְהַצְבָעָתִי ׀ בִתְפִילָתִי לִדרש שָלום בְעַד הַמְדינָה הַזֹאת כְמו שֶכָתוב וְדרשו אֶת שְלום הָעִיר אֲשֶר הִגְלֵיתִי אֶתְכֶם שָמָה וְהִתְפַלְלו בַעֲדה אֶל ה׳ כִי בִשְלומָה יִהְיֶה לָכֶם שָלום יְהִי רצון מִלְפָנֶיָ ה׳ שֶהָהַצְבָעות יִמָנו נֶאֱמָנות וְתִמְנֶה הַצְבָעָתִי כְאִלו קיָמְתִי הַכָתוב הַזֶה בְכָל עָצְמָתִי תִתֵן לֵב שומֵעַ לְמִי שֶאָנו בוחֲרים וְטוב יְהְיֶה בְעֵינֶיָ שֶתִשָא עַלֵינו מֶמְשָלָה טובה שֶתָבִיא רפואָה ומִשפָט וְשָלום לְכָל יושְבֵי הָאָרץ הַזֹאת ולְכָל יושְבֵי תֵבֵל וְעַל יִרושַלָיִם מֶמְשָלָה שֶתְכַבֵד הַצֶלֶם בְכַל אָדם ובַבְריאָה כִי הַמַלְכות שֶלְָ הִיא כְשֵם שֶהִשְתַתָפְתִי | אֶשְתַתֵף בַבְחִירות כֵן זַכֵנִי לַעֲשות מַעֲשִים טובִים ולְתַקֵן עולָם בְכָל פֹעַלִי ובַפְעולָה שֶל … שֶאֲנִי מִתְנדֵב ׀ מִתְנדֶבֶת לְקיֵם בְעַד כָל הַבְריאות, בְזִכְרון בְרית מֵי נֹחַ לְהַגֵן ולְבָל תַשְחִית אָרץ ומְלואָה ** תֵן לְכָל אֻמות הָאָרץ הַזֹאת הָכֹחַ וְהַרצון לִרדף צֶדק ולְבַקֵש שָלום כְאַגֻדה אַחַת לֲעַקר גִזְעָנות וְחָמָס ולְהַצְמִיחַ רפואָה וְחַיִים טובִים וְשָלום, פֹה ובְכָל הָעולָם וְקיֵם לָנו הַכָתוב: וִיהִי נ֤עַם אֲדנָי אֱלהֵינו עָלֵינו ומַעֲשֵה יָדינו כונְנָה עָלֵינו, ומַעֲשֵה יָדינו כונְנֵהו
Behold, I am intending through my vote / through my prayer to seek peace for this country, as it is written (Jer. 29:7): “Seek the peace of the city where I cause you to roam and pray for her to YHVH (Adonai/God), for in her peace you all will have peace.” May it be Your will, YHVH, that votes be counted faithfully, and may You count my vote as if I had fulfilled this verse with all my power. May You give a listening heart to whomever we elect and may it be good in Your eyes to raise for us a good government that will bring healing, justice and peace to all living in this land and to all the world, and upon Jerusalem, a government that will honor the image of God in all humanity and in Creation, for rulership is Yours. Just as I have participated / Just as I will participate in the election, so may I merit to do good works and to repair the world through all my efforts, and through the act of … [add your pledge] … which I pledge to do on behalf of all living creatures, in remembrance of the covenant of Noah’s waters to protect and to not destroy the earth and her plenitude. ** Give to all the peoples of this country the strength and the will to pursue righteousness and to seek peace as a unified force to uproot racism and violence and to make healing, good life and peace flourish here and throughout the world and fulfill for us the verse (Ps. 90:17): “May the pleasure of Adonai our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands for us; make the work of our hands endure.”
With love,
Toby Klein
Temple Shalom Co-President