What is on students’ minds this semester? Are they thinking about the coronavirus, schoolwork, socializing (distantly), finding a job or the upcoming Presidential election?
Election season is in full swing and the conversation regarding voting is at the forefront. Hillel International’s program, Mitzvote, aims to encourage college students to vote, mobilize their peers and celebrate their civic engagement.
For many students at Syracuse University, the upcoming election will be their first-time
voting. Syracuse Hillel is participating in Mitzvote to help guide students through the election process. Mitzvote is a nonpartisan “get-out-to-vote” campaign that educates students on the election process, while providing them with the resources to ensure their vote will be counted for in the 2020 election. Mitzvote is encouraging students to embrace Jewish wisdom and tradition as they become active citizens.
“We chose to bring Mitzvote to campus this fall to ensure that Jewish students were able to voice their vote in the 2020 Presidential election. In the age of COVID-19, it is more important than ever before that students have a safe and accessible way to vote,” says Rebecca Sereboff, Syracuse Hillel campus ambassador.
Syracuse Hillel has adopted Mitzvote’s three-step program. The first step is to encourage students to register to vote, primarily through information on social media. Next, Hillel is providing students stamps and instructions on how to send in their absentee ballots. And lastly, Hillel is hosting special election programming to further educate students and empower them to vote and be participatory citizens in the future.
With the election just around the corner, Syracuse Hillel has reminded its students of important dates and deadlines through their social media and email.
This story was written by Colby Yablon ’21