Cindy Grosz: What Did Jews Learn on Election Day?

Now, almost two weeks after elections, with several local and state seats still not called, a presidential election result probably going to the Supreme Court and the senate seats in Georgia looking to become the most expensive races in American history, I have been asked by many, “How did the Jews do? What can we take away from Election 2020?”

First and most important—we as a group are a real democracy. We have a dozen options of thoughts are only two real options. Are we Democrats or Republicans?

Jews voted on personality—not policy.

Ask Jews that voted for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris because they were “Not Trump.” What does that mean? It meant they didn’t know policy issues of the Democratic ticket or their history of poor voting records against Israel. They voted against a strong economy of the American Jewish Middle Class. They could defend the Democrats lack of support to protect Jewish neighborhoods, Jewish places of worship, Jewish day schools or Jewish public figures and organization leaders when violence occurs and anti-Semitic statements are made.

Did any of these Jews actually research and investigate their voting records against Israel? I, as a college student and volunteer, helped open the AIPAC (American Israel Public Affairs Committee). In the mid 1980s, and through the years found out that although Biden attended annual conferences and visited Israel, his voting record, history with Prime Minister Menachem Begin, his work in the Obama administration and his connections the radical left and “The Squad” are enough for any Jew to be scared should he take the oath of office in January 2021.

Harris was and is horrible for American Jews. Her California policies during both her tenure as Attorney General and Senate is also bias against us, despite her marriage to a Jew. She never converted to Judaism nor has mentioned anything Jewish in her life except a trip as a public figure to Israel and eating a Shabbos dinner with constituents. Can her California Jewish constituents really say life is better in California under her reign? Is that why so many residents relocate to other states or make Aliyah to Israel?

Shame on those Jews. They were the ones who “unfriended” us on social media. They disinvited us to lunches and family gatherings and they lied to themselves that under Democratic leadership, we are living like pre-Holocaust Jews in Europe. They lived in fear, in denial and assimilating to the point that they forgot that they were Jews living in a country they loved, but as history has shown, that land’s leaders could decide within a short period of time to single them out — which leads to my next lesson.

The Lesson to Be Learned from Cuomo and DeBlasio Failings

Nicole Malliotakis can thank her win on the Jews of Staten Island and Brooklyn. When Cuomo and DeBlasio targeted Jews as the cause and problem of a worldwide pandemic, Jews from all religious affiliations and backgrounds joined together to educate all the Jews of their communities to vote red in local, state and for President and Vice President. Reform, Russian, Iranian, Sephardic, Ashkenazi, Chassidic, it didn’t matter, spent hours on the phone, organizing Zoom meetings, running voter registration drives and scheduling people on Election Day to get to polls in carpools to vote against blatant anti-Semitism.

Nicole ran against a Jewish incumbent who tried to distance himself from Cuomo and DeBlasio. It didn’t work.

I am proud to call Malliotakis a friend to me and the Jewish people. On a personal note, Nicole was the first person I called for advice when I decided to run for Congress. I should have listened to her better. She stood next to me when I received the Woman of Valor Award from the Rachel’s Children Reclamation Foundation, she has actively supported Jewish causes and issues and visited Israel BEFORE elected to Congress. Her record is solid! Who else had a solid record of supporting American Jews and Israel— President Donald J.Trump.

The Trump-Jewish Vote Decoded

President Trump received a record number of Jewish votes. Depending on which poll you trust, the Republican ticket received between 36-40 percent of the Jewish vote. But, with his work in Israel, his executive orders combating anti-Semitism and his America First, Democratic agenda, he should have received every vote. Ok, realistically, more like 50 percent, given so many Jews are registered Democrats.

Here was the Republicans mistake. They focused on religious Jews and ignored less observant conservatives who enjoy the freedom of the Second Amendment, school choices and a booming economy. Most Jews are not Orthodox— and they lost a great opportunity. Hitler didn’t discriminate and neither should Republicans.

There were a record number of Jewish Republican congressional candidates and the National Republican Congressional Committee did nothing to promote them as they did the other minority groups. Big mistake.

Finally, too much emphasis was made about big donors like Sheldon Adelson. However, grassroots was totally ignored by the Trump Re-election Advisory Team. That is why I created Jewish Vote GOP. We educate, volunteer, donate directly to candidates and vote. We are currently working on the Georgia races, special elections and meeting candidates who have announced their runs for 2021 and 2022 in local races. Yes, Jews count for success in school boards, judgeships, council and state capital races and we will no longer be taken for granted by county and state GOP leaderships.

You can learn more at jewishvotecounts@gmail.com.