Reviewing the Election Through a Jewish Lens with ABC News’ Rick Klein

The recent election sparked intense discussions, revealing both deep divisions and shared concerns across the political landscape. In a special session of our Holding Together: Navigating a Divisive Election series, ABC News Washington Bureau Chief Rick Klein and Rabbi Rachel Schmelkin delved into how and why these results came to be, exploring the complex web of factors that led to the current political climate. By examining this moment through a Jewish lens, we gained a deeper understanding of what these outcomes mean for us as individuals and as a community.

The Dynamics Behind the Results
One of the main themes of the conversation was the way varied social, economic, and cultural forces converge to influence political choices. They discussed how widespread issues, such as economic insecurity, changing demographics, and evolving cultural values, impact how people vote. A crucial takeaway is that while voters’ decisions may appear straightforward, the motivations behind these choices often reflect a mix of personal beliefs, life experiences, and concerns for the future.

A Jewish Perspective on Engaging with Polarization
One of the challenges that many feel in the aftermath of a divided election is understanding how to coexist and engage meaningfully with those who voted differently. The Jewish tradition of machloket l’shem shamayim (disagreement for the sake of heaven) offers guidance. This concept teaches us that disagreement can be sacred when approached with a genuine desire for truth and mutual respect. Applying this principle can help us look beyond our personal biases and engage constructively with opposing views.

The conversation reflected on how Jewish tradition also teaches the importance of anava (humility) and chesed (kindness). In the face of electoral division, approaching conversations with humility allows us to listen openly and seek common ground, while kindness reminds us to treat one another with respect, even when our beliefs differ. Through these values, we gain a clearer path to understanding why others might have voted as they did.

What Happens Next?
Rabbi Schmelkin asked Klein what gives him hope for the future. His response was enlightening.

“It gives me hope that people show up on a Monday night, with other things to do with their lives, to listen to a discussion like this. It gives me hope that a lot of people watch our election coverage and want to learn something. This is democracy. What you got last week is what happens when you have democracy, and I’m heartened by the fact that there was a near-record number of Americans who voted last week, and you don’t have to agree with where people landed to celebrate that and to feel optimistic about that.

Another thing that gives me hope is that this American democracy has been very resilient in the past. The institutions are very solid. And the answer to something that doesn’t go your way is that there’ll be another election. There’ll be midterms in two years, there’s going to be candidates showing up in Iowa by March of next year I bet. We will be moving on and it’s not to belittle any of the consequences things – elections do have consequences – there will be much more conservative governance put into effect in this next year two years, three years, four years.

This was easy to say the most impactful election of our lifetimes. I believe it with this one. I think the stakes were out there and it has consequences but what you asked me earlier about the permanent realignments, I don’t see them. I think we’re one election cycle, one candidate away from another alignment, and that’s worked for the country so far for almost 250 years.”

Editor’s Note: This post was written by artificial intelligence based on a transcript of the event and edited by WHC staff.

---