What issues are you thinking about on a local level? How does your Jewishness effect your politics? Are you confident that the presidential election will be a true measure of popular support for whoever wins?
We asked our diverse set 20 JPVP participants these and many more questions to gain new insights about what to expect from American Jews during the 2024 election cycle.
Chesky Blau
Age: 48
Party: Democratic
Location: Brooklyn, NY
Occupation: Rabbi, health-care industry contractor
Jewish Denomination: Orthodox (Hasidic)
Current 2024 Choice: Undecided but leaning Republican
2020 Vote: Joe Biden
Family: Married, 8 children and 2 grandchildren
News Sources: Ami Magazine, Yeshiva World News (both aimed at ultraorthodox community)
Don Cohen
Age: 65
Occupation: Retired Jewish community relations professional
Location: West Bloomfield, MI
Party Registration: Independent
Political Leaning: Sensible Centrist
Jewish Denomination: Conservative
Current 2024 Choice: Joe Biden. Biden has proven himself and he’s not Trump, but I would consider a centrist Democrat, a No Labels candidate or Nikki Haley if I thought they could win.
2020 VOTE: Biden
Family: Married, two daughters, one grandchild
News Sources: Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Detroit News, Detroit Free Press, Times of Israel, CNN
Eva R. Cohen
Age: 36
Occupation: Rabbinical student and leader of a Humanistic Jewish congregation
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Jewish Denomination: Humanist
Current 2024 Choice: Joe Biden. He will be the Democratic nominee unless something very unexpected happens. I will vote for the Democratic nominee and against Trump or whoever receives the Republican nomination.
2020 Vote: Joe Biden
Family: Married; 4-year-old daughter
News Sources: The New York Times, NPR, Pew Research Center, JTA, Haaretz, Jewish Currents, Autostraddle, The Star Tribune, MinnPost, Sahan Journal, Instagram, Reddit
David Guttenberg
Age: 72
Occupation: Retired construction worker, retired Alaska legislator, currently in Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly
Location: Fairbanks, AK
Party Registration: Democratic
Political Leaning: Liberal Democrat
Jewish Denomination: Reform
Current 2024 Choice: Joe Biden
2020 Vote: Joe Biden
Family: Widower
News Sources: The Fairbanks Daily News Miner, The Anchorage Daily News, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Apple News, Heather Cox Richardson, Letters from an American, various social media outlets
Leah Kiser
Age: 55
Occupation: Day job: bookkeeper; side gig: arts and crafts
Location: Lexington, KY
Party Registration: Democratic
Political Leaning: Democratic Socialist (Scandinavian/European Style)
Jewish Denomination: Attend a Conservative shul, ordained Renewal Kohenet, currently putting together a virtual renewal organization
Current 2024 Choice: I will hold my nose and vote for Joe Biden, but if there were a real primary, I would pick a much more progressive candidate.
2020 Vote: Joe Biden
Family: Married, 3 children
News Sources: Jewish Telegraph Agency, Moment, CBS, Al Jazeera, NPR
Deb Koldony
Age: 63
Location: Amherst, MA
Party: Leftist Democrat
Occupation: Consultant and Freelance Rabbi
Jewish Denomination: Jewish Renewal
Current 2024 Choice: Joe Biden
2020 Vote: Joe Biden
Family: Married
News Sources: NPR, BBC, MSNBC, Ha’Aretz, The Daily Beast, The Forward, Social media, The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Atlantic, The Guardian
Diana Leygerman
Age: 41
Party: Democratic
Location: Warwick Township, PA
Occupation: Project manager, community activist
Jewish Denomination: Reform
Current 2024 Choice: Joe Biden
2020 Vote: Joe Biden
Family: Married, two children
News Sources: The Philadelphia Inquirer, Bucks County (PA) Courier-Times, The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Atlantic.
Josh Mandelbaum
Age: 44
Occupation: Environmental attorney, city councilmember
Location: Des Moines, IA
Party Registration: Democratic
Political Leaning: Pragmatic Progressive
Jewish Denomination: Reform
Current 2024 Choice: Joe Biden.
2020 Vote: Joe Biden
Family: Married; son, 10, daughter, 8
News Sources: The New York Times, Washington Post, Des Moines Register, NPR, Axios
Susan Rupright
Age: 78
Occupation: Retired foundation director
Location: Valdosta, GA
Party Registration: Republican
Political Leaning:
Jewish Denomination: I belong to a conservative synagogue though I personally lean more Reform. We are the only synagogue in our city. We have a population of about 50 families in a very viable temple. I am very involved in our synagogue.
Current 2024 Choice: At this point I cannot say.
2020 Vote: Donald Trump
Family: Married. Two adult children, two grandchildren
News Sources: Local News, ABC, Fox News
Abby Schachter
Age: 53
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Party: Republican
Occupation: Academic program manager at local university
Jewish Denomination: Orthodox
Current 2024 Choice: Nikki Haley
2020 Vote: Donald Trump
News Sources: The Wall Street Journal, i24 news, Real Clear Politics, The New York Times, Tablet, Mosaic. Commentary blog, Jewish Insider, The Free Press, Jewish News Service
Jeff Solomon
Age: 78
Occupation: Retired foundation director
Location: Miami, FL
Party Registration: Democratic
Political Leaning: Centrist
Jewish Denomination: Post denominational
Current 2024 Choice: Biden
2020 Vote: Biden
Family: Married. One son, two grandchildren
News Sources: The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Miami Herald, CNN, The Washington Post, Haaretz, Times of Israel and Associated Press
Meirav Solomon
Age: 20
Occupation: College student
Location: Raleigh, North Carolina
Party Registration: Independent
Political Leaning: Democratic Socialist
Jewish Denomination: Conservative
Current 2024 Choice: Joe Biden. Out of the two candidates who could actually win, Biden is the only candidate I can ethically vote for.
2020 Vote: Joe Biden
Family: Mother, father, two younger brothers
News Sources: The New York Times, The Atlantic, The Economist, Fox, CNN, MSNBC, NPR, The Daily, Pod Save America
Nina Stanley
Age: 72
Occupation: Retired Nurse
Location: Deerfield Township, Ohio (Cincinnati suburbs)
Jewish Denomination: Conservative
Current 2024 Choice: Joe Biden
2020 Vote: Joe Biden
Family: Divorced, one daughter and one grandchild
News Sources: CNN, MSNBC, Punch Bowl News, Axios, Politico, Sabato’s Crystal Ball
Aaron Weissman
Age: 52
Occupation: Restaurateur
Location: Great Falls, MT
Jewish Denomination: Reform
Current 2024 Choice: None
2020 Vote: Joe Biden
Family: Married, two children
News Sources: Great Falls Tribune, Billings Gazette, The Electric (local blog), Local News, Apple News, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times,The Boston Globe, The Atlantic, Slate
Adam Witkov
Age: 39
Occupation: Attorney
Location: Milwaukee, WI
Jewish Denomination: Reform
Party Affiliation: Democratic
Current 2024 Choice: Joe Biden
2020 Vote: Joe Biden
Family: Divorced, one daughter, one son
News Sources: Milwaukee Journal, Milwaukee Sentinel, Milwaukee Business Journal, The Wall Street Journal, CNN, Ynet, Jerusalem Post, Times of Israel, Drudge Report
David Wolkinson
Age: 43
Location: Florida
Party: Republican
Occupation: Real estate investing/apartment managing
Jewish Denomination: Orthodox
Current 2024 Choice: Was for Nikki Haley. Now leaning toward Joe Biden.
2020 Vote: Trump
News Sources: POLITICO, The Hill, The Times of Israel, The Jerusalem Post, The Wall Street Journal