31 Oct
Felipe Goodman

Felipe Goodman (NV): ‘Immigrants Are Being Treated Like Pariahs’

Felipe Goodman (52), a Democrat from Las Vegas, NV, is a Mexican immigrant. He was an assistant rabbi in Mexico City before joining Temple Beth Sholom in 1998. Named one of America’s most inspiring rabbis by The Forward in 2013, he participated in a series of White House meetings with President Barack Obama on relationships with the Jewish community and on Israel’s security. One reason he became a U.S. citizen 12 years ago was so he could vote. We are providing the unfiltered opinions of voters interviewed for this project. Those views are based on their understanding and perception of facts and information from a range of sources. In some cases, that information may be misleading or incorrect. What are the top three issues that concern you most? My top three issues are the composition of the Supreme Court,...

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31 Oct
Josh Mandelbaum

Josh Mandelbaum (IA): ‘Trump Is an Existential Threat’

Josh Mandelbaum (40), a Democrat from Des Moines, IA, comes from a long line of Iowans and attends Temple B’nai Jeshurun, the congregation his great-great-grandfather helped found in 1873. He works for the nonprofit Environmental Law Policy Center on clean energy and clean water issues. He has volunteered for political campaigns for more than 20 years and currently serves on the greater Des Moines Jewish Federation Board. We are providing the unfiltered opinions of voters interviewed for this project. Those views are based on their understanding and perception of facts and information from a range of sources. In some cases, that information may be misleading or incorrect. What traits are you looking for in a candidate? I want someone who can grapple with a lot of information, ask questions, think critically and communicate effectively. They can be informed by an...

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31 Oct
Ruth Kantrowitz

Ruth Kantrowitz (WI): ‘Send Them Back’

Ruth Kantrowitz (42), a Republican from Mequon, WI, immigrated to the U.S. from Israel in 1989 at age 13 when her family won the green card lottery. She calls herself a “very liberal conservative” who supports both abortion and gun rights. Kantrowitz carried twins for a New York gay couple. She voted twice for President Barack Obama, but says his presidency pushed her to become a Republican because of “handouts” and “immigrants living off tax dollars.” We are providing the unfiltered opinions of voters interviewed for this project. Those views are based on their understanding and perception of facts and information from a range of sources. In some cases, that information may be misleading or incorrect. What traits matter most to you in a candidate? I prefer candidates who are frank. I have no problem with them being offensive....

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31 Oct
*JPVP Featured Interview, Lou Weiss

Lou Weiss (PA): ‘Beat Him at the Ballot Box’

Lou Weiss (63), a Republican from Pittsburgh, PA, grew up a Reform Jew in a “McGovern liberal family” in Pittsburgh. His conservative political views took hold in a college freshman political science class. Today, he belongs to four synagogues. He was president of Congregation Or L’Simcha, the synagogue that merged in 2010 with the Tree of Life congregation. He occasionally writes op-eds for The Wall Street Journal. We are providing the unfiltered opinions of voters interviewed for this project. Those views are based on their understanding and perception of facts and information from a range of sources. In some cases, that information may be misleading or incorrect. Does religion affect your political views? My Judaism informs my conservatism. And it’s true of my own family too. My whole family is liberal, but they’re conservative in how they live their lives. My dad,...

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29 Oct
Lynne Toporov

Lynne Toporov (FL): ‘I Don’t Think Obama Did One Heck of a Thing’

Lynne Toporov (76), a Republican from Sarasota, FL, grew up in an agnostic Philadelphia family surrounded by Democrats. Her grandfather was a Communist. She was confirmed but does not consider herself religious and does not currently belong to a synagogue. She always voted for Democrats, including President Barack Obama, until about four years ago when she started listening to conservative talk radio and found she connected to what she heard. We are providing the unfiltered opinions of voters interviewed for this project. Those views are based on their understanding and perception of facts and information from a range of sources. In some cases, that information may be misleading or incorrect. What issues do you care about most? Immigration: I care about the borders and that all these people have been coming, hundreds of thousands of people coming in like crazy....

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29 Oct
*JPVP Featured Interview, Alma Hernandez

Alma Hernandez (AZ): ‘No One Should Be Above the Law’

Alma Hernandez (26), a Democrat from Tucson, AZ, is the first Jewish Mexican-American woman elected to the Arizona State House. Her brother is also a state representative in South Tucson, and her sister is on the school board. She grew up in a nonobservant intermarried family. She connected to Judaism as a teenager, has held leadership positions in several Jewish organizations and recently became a bat mitzvah. We are providing the unfiltered opinions of voters interviewed for this project. Those views are based on their understanding and perception of facts and information from a range of sources. In some cases, that information may be misleading or incorrect. How does your Judaism affect your political views? I am very proud of my Jewish roots and I have tried to include that in every aspect of my life, including politics and policy....

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02 May
000 JPVP, Culture

A Vietnamese Yom Kippur

by Kelley Kidd A Yom Kippur spent fasting on the beautiful island paradise of Phu Quoc, in Vietnam, is not my typical Day of Atonement. But somehow that's where I found myself, fasting after a seaside dinner in a bungalow. I stayed up late that night gazing into the sea reflecting, and wondering at its vastness. The next day, an early morning moto ride led us to a waterfall in a secluded jungle, where I splashed in the water and lost a flip flop, but where I also took the time to sit on a tree branch with water rushing across my legs and meditate. I considered my resolutions for the coming year, considered what I had noticed in my life that I wanted to change and to improve, and what to keep. I focused on...

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