[MUSIC, INTRO] This is The Book of Life, a show about Jewish kidlit, mostly. I'm Heidi Rabinowitz. Four years ago, in 2020 at the height of the pandemic, I ran a three part series called The Mitzvah of Voting. Here we are in an election year again, and defending our democracy is more important than ever. So here's an edited encore presentation of that 2020 podcast, with inspiring words from some of your favorite authors.
[2020 INTRO] Today's episode is a call to action for US citizens eligible to vote, and a reminder to listeners everywhere that voting is your superpower. What does voting have to do with Jewish kidlit, you ask? Voting has to do with everything, from the air we breathe, to the conditions of our streets, and the safety of our food. Voting impacts the economy, and that affects the publishing industry's ability to create new books, the prospects for bookstores to stay in business, and the hours at your local library.
In each episode of The Book of Life, I ask guests to suggest a tikkun olam action, a way to help repair the world. This is my tikkun olam action. Please help me inspire more people to vote by sharing this podcast as widely as you can today. I want to mention that you should always assume that the opinions expressed on The Book of Life podcast are not neccesarily those of our host organization, Congregation B'nai Israel of Boca, Raton, Florida, but because this episode is more political than most, I'll just remind you of that fact right now. Are you ready? Let's dive in to The Mitzvah of Voting. Some of your favorite Jewish kidlit authors will be sharing why they vote, and they'll give some recommendations for ways to keep our democracy healthy.
First, let's get a little background. In the 13 original colonies that formed the basis of the United States, voting was often restricted by property qualifications or religious tests that disenfranchised Quakers, Baptists, and Catholics, not to mention Jews or Muslims or any other non Christians. Religious restrictions were removed piecemeal, and it took until as late as 1828 for Maryland to end its religious test that excluded Jews from voting. And as is well known, it took until 1920 for white women to get the vote, and effectively until the Voting Rights Act of 1965 for Black Americans to be able to freely vote. And along the way, there were various restrictions placed on the citizenship and the voting rights of Native Americans, Asian Americans, Latinx Americans and so on. My point is, the right to vote has been jealously guarded by those in power since the beginning. And why? Because voting is important. It makes a difference. If it was not important, those in power wouldn't try to suppress it. People have literally died fighting for the right to vote and to have a voice in the way our country is run. Right now, you have the opportunity that so many of our ancestors didn't, don't let it go to waste.
Hi. This is Marjorie Ingall, author of Mamaleh Knows Best, and I want you to vote. Your vote is important because democracy is important. I'm going to be voting in person, because I have already had Covid 19, which I do not wish on any of you. It's horrible. It was the second worst health scare I had, except for the time that I went into anaphylactic shock and stopped breathing and had to be intubated. Beyond voting, my call to action for you is not to succumb to despair or to false confidence. I hope you'll work to protect the rights and marriages of people like my beautiful brother and brother in law, and I hope you'll check out opportunities to educate yourself and volunteer to help others through organizations Like T'ruah, Jews for Racial and Economic Justice, and the oldest immigrant assistance association in America, the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, or HIAS. Thank you so much for being a voter. I know that it can be really challenging, and a lot of us are scared, but I applaud you. Go, you! Go vote! Bye!
Hi. My name is Linda Epstein, and I'm the author of the middle grade novel Repairing the World. Beyond voting, my call to action for you is to help at least one person vote who otherwise would have difficulty doing so. I started by making sure my son, who's away in college, got an absentee ballot, and then I followed up with him to make sure it was mailed. Our democracy depends upon this election, so please go vote for the future of our country.
I am Jeff Gottesfeld, author of No Steps Behind from Creston Books, and I want you to vote. Your vote is important because, as we have seen in the world over history and in our time, elections are not a given. Voting is a privilege. We need to use it. Here's my voting method and why I chose it. I do it the old fashioned way. I just love to go stand in line, talk to the people at the desk and pull the lever. Beyond voting, my call to you is to live your political principles in your own life every day. It does no good to vote one way and then live another. Thanks for being a voter. See you on election night.
Hi. My name is Leslie Kimmelman and I'm the author of The Eight Knights of Hanukkah and a bunch of other books for kids. Things I'm doing for the election: I am donating money, I'm making phone calls, and I will be taking my 92 year old mom to the polls in person so that she too can cast her ballot. Every vote counts. So thank you for voting.
I'm Susan Kusel, author of The Passover Guest. My call to action for you is, if you happen to have children in your life, to talk to them about the importance of voting, whether they're your own children or grandchildren or neighbors. I believe that that's where we pass on this lesson. Every single election day ever, no matter if it's for the President of the United States or a school board runoff, I take my kids with me to the polls. What has happened is, with taking them so often and so regularly, they just know that it's something they absolutely have to do, and they have said that there's no question that they will vote when they grow up, because this is what we do on election day. They know that it's something that they have to do and how important it is. I want to thank you for casting your ballot. The country thanks you. It's as important as it's ever been.
I'm Tziporah Cohen, author of the middle grade novel No Vacancy. I vote because elections have far reaching consequences, and my power to affect them is in my vote. As a US citizen living in Canada, I voted by absentee ballot last week. Beyond voting, my call to action is to help ensure that everyone has the ability to vote. I made a donation to VoteRiders.com a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that helps Americans secure the ID and documents they need to vote. So get out there to the polls or to the mailbox and cast your vote.
I'm calling this series The Mitzvah of Voting. But is that technically correct? Voting is not one of the official mitzvot, the 613 commandments in the Torah. However, I've seen the argument that voting fulfills the mitzvah of expressing gratitude for our blessings. The reasoning goes that in the United States, Jews have found a haven where our right to practice our religion is guaranteed by the US Constitution and Bill of Rights. In gratitude for this, we should participate in the democratic system that guards the freedoms we enjoy, by voting. I want to read you a passage from the website of Congregation Shalom, a Reform congregation in the Merrimack Valley area of Massachusetts. Rabbi Shoshana M Perry says "the Torah teaches us 'this day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you, life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life so that you and your children may live.' This is from Deuteronomy 30. There is an eternal Jewish value, a mitzvah, that informs us to be active in shaping our future for the good, for a better life. U-vakhar'ti ba-khayyim, choose life. When faced with options that offer us two or more different paths on which to proceed, we are instructed to choose, to make a selection, to vote. Our Jewish sages also share wisdom related to voting. Rabbi Hillel taught, do not separate yourself from the community in Pirkei Avot, and Rabbi Yitzhak taught, "a ruler is not to be appointed unless the community is first consulted," in the Babylonian Talmud. As Rabbi Perry says, it is a mitzvah to vote on Election Day. Voting is certainly a privilege that we should never take for granted.
I'm Elissa Brent Weissman, author of The Length of a String, and I want you to vote. As an American living overseas, I know firsthand the way the rest of the world is looking at America with confusion and sadness and, quite frankly, pity. It's very, very important that Americans come out in full force to show that we have a functioning democracy and that we will not stand for corruption and we take a stand for public health. I voted by mail because I live in New Zealand and cannot get to the polls in person, but my call to action for you is to see what it takes to become a poll worker in your local election. It's really important that we have people doing that job, counting the ballots and making sure that this very, very important election runs smoothly. Thank you very much for voting, and as we say here in New Zealand, "kia kaha," stay strong.
Hello. I'm Lee Wind. I'm the author of Queer as a $5 Bill, a YA novel, and the middle grid nonfiction No Way, They Were Gay? You know, when the US was established, not everybody had the right to vote. It was, I think 6% of the population, white, male property owners were the only people that could vote, and pretty much everyone else was disenfranchised. And then it took hundreds of years, women have only had the right to vote for 100 years, 1920, the 19th Amendment, right? And then Native people have had to fight for the right to vote. And gosh, even people that live in the District of Columbia, like it is crazy how much we've had to fight for the right to vote. And then, shockingly, when we look at who actually does vote, so many people just blow it off. I think more than ever, we all need to lean in to this most important part of democracy, because if our voices aren't heard through our votes, then we are giving up one of the biggest levers we have to move things in a better direction. President Obama used to say, quoting the Doctor Reverend Martin Luther King Jr, this idea about the arc of history being long, but that it bends towards justice, and that, you know, we have to help it bend towards justice, and it's definitely not doing that right now. So I feel like the best thing we can all do is to vote. And then beyond voting, I think it's using our platforms, whatever they may be, and maybe they're personal platforms, maybe it's just you have a weekly phone call with your parents. Or you have a larger platform where you have a social media following, or you have a blog or you have a podcast, (thank you, Heidi!) and sharing how important it is. I mean, my rights as a gay man are definitely in play. It is a really scary thing when the people in power don't care about people besides themselves. I feel like we're in an era of selfishness, and you may agree with that or not, but it is important to participate in our democracy. I hope that we can all grab onto that arc of history and bend it towards justice together. Thanks.
Hi. I'm Barbara Beitz, and I am the author of Sweet Tamales for Purim. I'm excited for everyone to vote. This year I'm going to be voting by mail. Be sure you get all your friends and family, whether you can do things big or small, get the word out and vote.
Hi. My name is Jane Breskin Zalben. I'm an author of the Sydney Taylor silver book A Moon for Moe and Mo, and the artist/author of Jewish books for Beni, as well as many others. For the first time in my history of voting, I'm financially supporting candidates out of state who align with my beliefs and will make policy in accordance with them for a fairer, kinder world, for people who are empathetic, for equality, not hatred. It is because of what we've all witnessed, and these last years, it frightens me to see rights stripped away for some and then ultimately for all of us. Gradually, it is insidious. I now understand when we ask, in World War II, how did it happen in a place like Germany? Now I understand and now I see it. We can't just vote for one policy we might believe in and ignore the current implications of all the other policies being proposed. Please vote like your life depended on it, because, actually your life does depend on it.
Hi, I'm Jacqueline Jules, the author of The Generous Fish. Never Say a Mean Word Again, The Hardest Word and other books for young readers. I want you to vote. Your vote is your voice and it matters. By voting, we can bring about positive change and move our country forward. This year, I voted by mail. I believe voting by mail is important to democracy because it allows people who don't have the opportunity to take off from work to vote. Laws which make it possible to vote early and by mail make democracy work better. Beyond voting, my call of action to you is to call your representatives to let them know what issues are important to you. Have the names and numbers of your representatives in your cell phone, so it is easy for you to make calls. Our country belongs to all of us, and we need to make our voices heard by voting in this election and every election.
Hi. I'm Anne-Marie Asner, author of the Matzah Ball Books series of Yiddish inspired kids books. Noshy Boy, Schmutzy Girl, and the gang would like to encourage you to vote. I almost always vote by mail. It's not only less of a schlep, but it allows me to sit with my parents and together discuss the people and propositions on the ballot. This year, my kids were old enough to witness the discussion with their bubbe and zayde. We don't always agree on what to vote for, but it is an engaged family experience that we do together. For listeners with kids, maybe encourage them to be involved in student government, either to run themselves or to vote for someone else who is. I think of voting like tzedakah, start small and early in life and have it grow as you do. To confirm you're registered to vote, go to Vote.org. A great way to say thank you for having the privilege of living in a democracy is to vote. This is Anne-Marie Asner from Matzah Ball Books, saying, be a mensch and cast your vote.
One of today's guests, Sarah Aroeste, is not only an author, she's also a singer songwriter who performs in Ladino, the Judeo-Spanish dialect that became the tongue of Spanish Jews after their expulsion from Spain in 1492. I'm excited to tell you that Sarah is sharing a full song with us today, the title song from her album, Gracia. The word Gracia means thanks and grace, but it's also a tribute to the medieval Sephardic heroine Dona Gracia Nasi, who lived in the 1500s and saved hundreds of Jews from the Inquisition. On her website, Sarah says, "I wanted to say gracias to her for leading the way, for serving as a light and role model to me and to so many others. Ultimately, I wanted to write a song about empowerment and how inspiring a person, Dona Gracia is, as are so many other unsung women throughout history and today." Towards the end of the song, you'll hear a clip from a speech given by Gloria Steinem at the National Women's Political Caucus in 1971. I'll put the English translation at BookOfLifePodcast com, but the main idea of the song is that activists of the past inspire us to activism in our own time. I hope that this musical treat and the words of today's guests will inspire you to take action and vote.
I'm Gail Carson Levine, author of Ella Enchanted and A Ceiling Made of Eggshells, and I want you to vote. Your vote is important because democracy depends on voters. Beyond voting, my call to action for you is to go to authors and illustrators for children on Facebook to see what other kids' book creators are doing for the election, then please amplify our voices on your own social media. Let's make voting viral. Thanks for standing with me and voting. Yay, voting!
Hello. My name is Leslea Newman. I am the author of Gittel's Journey: An Ellis Island Story, and I want you to vote. Your vote counts. Your vote matters. You have the right to vote. You also have the responsibility to vote. You have a say in who is running this country. You have an obligation to perform tikkun olam, repairing the world. Help prepare the world by electing kind, compassionate, intelligent people who will unite us, not divide us. Many people, unfortunately, have had their voices silenced and can no longer vote. I'm thinking in particular about Matthew Shepard, who was killed exactly 22 years ago simply because he was gay. I am thinking of Brooklyn DeShauna, also known as Brooklyn DeShauna Smith, a black transgender woman who was killed this year. Please elect people who will protect our laws that protect ourselves. Beyond voting, what I'm going to do, and what I encourage you to do if you are able, is to make a donation to the social justice organization of your choice. I am going to make a donation today to the Matthew Shepard Foundation in Matthew Shepard's memory. And I am just asking you to please, please, please exercise your right, which so many people have fought so hard for, for you to vote.
I'm Evan Wolkenstein, author of Turtle Boy. Here's my voting method. I voted by mail along with my wife. We sat down together with our ballots and went over the different options and read all the different resources that gave us some guidance into what the different election measures might mean, and we dropped them off at a box. And the reason why we did that is we wanted to reduce the number of steps between voting and and counting. Thanks for being a voter and for helping to make this democracy into a better place through voting and through action.
Hi. My name is Sue Macy, and I'm the author of The Book Rescuer, and I want you to vote. It's really important to speak up about how you want things to go in Washington, in your state capitol, in your local community, and voting is the best way that you can do that. Beyond voting, I call on you to make sure your elderly neighbors or family members also have the chance to vote. In New Jersey, I can bring as many as three ballots to my polling place or my box, and so I'll be bringing my mother's because she's not mobile. Stay healthy and stay safe and Thanks for voting.
Hi. This is Sarah Aroeste, author of Buen Shabat, Shabat Shalom, and I want you to vote because it's your civic duty. Beyond voting, my call to action for you is to either text or phone bank, especially through the organization, Reclaim Our Vote. Thanks for being a voter. We'll see you at the polls!
[MUSIC: GRACIA BY SARAH AROESTE] Tu mos das gracia
, Tu mos das vida,
Tu mos das esperanza
,
Tu mos das bravura,
Tu mos das fuersa,
Tu mos das feuzia,
Tu mos das dicha,
Tu mos das boz,
Tu mos das enspirasyon
,
Tu mos das estima,
Tu mos das valor,
Tu mos das admirasion. Koro:
Por que ti tenemos
Onor, pleto, effeto;
Por que ti soportamos,
Con poder, altas, respekto
,
Unos tienen las echas, otras la fama—
Las tienes enjuntas.
[SAMPLE, VOICE OF GLORIA STEINEM] This is no simple reform. It really is a revolution. Sex and race, because they are easy, visible differences, have been the primary ways of organizing human beings into superior and inferior groups and into the cheap labor on which this system still depends. We are talking about a society in which there will be no roles other than those chosen or those earned. We are really talking about humanism.
[MUSIC, DEDICATION] This is Sheryl Stahl, host of Nice Jewish Books, the sister podcast of The Book of Life. Next time, you'll hear a joint episode with me and Heidi, in which we interview our friends and colleagues about their emotional support books. I'd like to dedicate this episode to my mother, Betty, who brought me and my brothers to the library every weekend growing up, and who instilled in us a love of reading. And I'd also like to mention her mother Rose who instilled that love in my mother.
[MUSIC, OUTRO] Thanks for listening to this Book of Life special, The Mitzvah of Voting. Visit BookOfLifePodcast.com for links to more information about today's guest authors. Want to share your own thoughts on voting? Leave a comment on our blog or social media, call us at 561-206-2473, or email bookoflifepodcast@Gmail.com. As always, the opinions expressed on this podcast are not necessarily those of our host organization, Congregation, B'nai Israel of Boca, Raton, Florida. Our background music is provided by The Freilachmakers Klezmer String Band. Thanks for listening, happy reading and happy voting!
