In honor of election day, join the Honeymoon Israel community for a DAY ON on Tuesday, November 5!
At HMI, our goal is to live our Jewish and organizational values each day through our words and actions. Values like responsibility, open-mindedness, care, and community are at the core of who we are and what we do. How does this come to life at HMI? One of the ways is through Days On.
What is a Day On? Different than a ‘day off,’ HMI staff takes the opportunity to step outside of the office and pray with our feet. During a Day On, we pause regular meetings and daily office work to spend the day learning and serving our communities! In the course of a year, we observe four Days On: General Election Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Juneteenth, and César Chavez Day.
This year, we invite you to join us in our Day On by getting involved in your local community. A Day On can look different for everyone, especially if you do have to go to your office, but the overall theme is civic engagement and learning. Grab your partner or some friends from your cohort, and spend some time learning more about social justice causes and history, or volunteer your time to support organizations that speak to your heart. In honor of General Election Day, get yourself to the polls and/or tap into one of the other opportunities we have listed below.
Check out HMI’s list of different volunteer opportunities and educational resources for your own election day Day On:
National Service and Action Opportunities
Power to the Polls: Help Staff Your Local Polling Place
In 2020, America faced a record shortage of poll workers, and over 700,000 people stepped up via Power the Polls to help address that challenge. That was just the beginning. Our democracy depends on ordinary people who make sure every election runs smoothly and everyone’s vote is counted. You can make sure we have safe, fair, and efficient elections for all: step up and become a poll worker in your community this year.
Write Letters to Low-Propensity Voters with NCJW
Writing letters to voters is one of the most effective ways to increase voter turnout. Through the National Council of Jewish Women’s (NCJW) partnership with Vote Forward, advocates have written over 7,500 letters to historically underrepresented groups so far. Join them!
Climate Action Phone Bank
Want to make a difference this election season? Join Dayenu: A Jewish Call to Climate Action to call climate-concerned voters in key states, making sure they know when and how to safely cast their ballots.
Create a RAC Circle (Religious Action Center) with the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ)
Imagine being part of a connected group of changemakers, coming together to protect democracy. RAC Circles are power-packed gatherings where you share ideas and take action to protect and expand democracy. From lively discussions to hands-on activities, RAC Circles are where the magic happens.
Online Learning
Voting Rights: Timeline of Voting Rights in the USA: Voting Rights Milestones in America – A timeline through the decades, the right to vote in U.S. elections has seen massive change and expansion.
Voting Podcast: One Nation Every Vote – Stories from historians and voting experts about the history of voting and how it shaped American democracy. Multiple Podcast 18-35 minute listening.
Voting Podcast: The History Of How We Vote: From Drunken Parties To Private Booths – As the elections near, the NPR podcast, Throughline, dives into the history of voting in the United States, and asks why the process went from a public affair to a private one. 7 Minute Listening.
Parenting and Voting
Let’s Talk to Kids about Voting – An election year gives us a great opportunity to talk with our children about fairness and making decisions as a group. This website helps parents explain what voting is and how to implant it at home.
Movies and Documentaries
“Your Vote is Your Voice”: Best Films About Voting Rights – The right to vote is one of the most fundamental rights in a Democracy, and yet who has been allowed to vote in America has been a battle that’s been bitterly waged for decades. See films highlighting these rights and the history and stories behind this fundamental right.
“All In: The Fight for Democracy” – This documentary examines the issue of voter suppression in the US. The film interweaves personal experiences with activism and historical insight to expose a problem that has corrupted our country from the beginning. With the expertise of Stacey Abrams, the film offers an insider’s look into the barriers to voting.
