By Hadar Katsman, Staff Writer
One Nov. 5, around 30 Yeshiva University students gathered together to watch the 2024 presidential election, right in the middle of midterms. This election season was extremely intense, leaving students in the room wondering what the future of their country would hold.
The watch-party, hosted by the JP Dunner Political Science Society, was attended by students from both the Wilf and Beren campuses, who convened to witness this turning point in American history together.
“Every American citizen who voted played a part in determining the next president of America,” Brandon Melamed (YC ‘25) told the YU Observer. He said that the election is “another opportunity that we have to exercise our rights.”
“Every day for the past month has [felt like] the week before the election”
With the unknown in the forefront of everyone’s minds, students were both eager and anxious to learn who America’s leader would be for the next four years. Shoshana Miller (SCW ‘26) told the YU Observer that she was “very nervous” about the election because there was “a lot on the line this year.”
“I will definitely be relieved to know one way or the other,” Miller said. “Every day for the past month has [felt like] the week before the election.”
This event signaled an end to the tumultuous race between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris.
“Part of me will be happy that the campaigning season’s over because frankly it’s felt like it’s taken years,” Rina Muller (SSSB ‘27) told the YU Observer. Muller emphasized that in every election she has witnessed since she has been “old enough to be politically conscious,” Trump was a candidate.
“I just am tired of the same conversation over and over, and it kind of feels like that at this point,” she said.
Muller noted that she is most nervous for the period of time between the election and inauguration. “That’s really when whoever is in office can do whatever they want and have no immediate political consequences,” she said. “A lot of the culture is shaped not only by policies but also by people.”
Once the next president is elected, she hopes that Americans will be able to “move on with our lives.” She continued, “Whoever wins, I don’t want to be hearing about reactions for the next few months. Once it’s over, it’s over.”
The Election and Israel
As students of a university “rooted in Jewish thought and tradition,” the attendees took many factors into account when voting for a presidential candidate, especially the ongoing war in Israel.
“It’s a really hard year, specifically for Jews,” Muller said. “Jews that might potentially vote more Democrat have had to consider different things and figure out which candidates stand with what.”
Many students acknowledged that their main concern is how the next president will support Israel. “I don’t really care who is elected for president unless they do all they can to get all the hostages out of [Gaza] and to benefit Israel as much as possible,” Maya Menashe (SCW ‘28) told the YU Observer. “That’s the top priority.”
Some students believed that a specific candidate would best support the Jewish State. Chavy Rothstein (SSSB ‘27) told the YU Observer that she voted for Trump because she believes “he supports Israel” and is worried that other candidates would “put pressure on the wrong people.”
Muller also said that “Trump is better for the State of Israel,” because “if he gets in, he gives, not just aid, but doesn’t try to stop Israel from doing what needs to be done.”
“Kamala, I don’t know what to think of what she would do to Israel because she doesn’t say anything. She just repeats what Biden says,” she added.
However, Israel was not the primary concern for every attendee. Tali Isaacs (SCW ‘27) told the YU Observer that she was “more worried specifically about America.” She continued, “Regardless of which candidate is chosen, I don’t think it’s gonna have such a big impact on the war in Israel because the US official policy is gonna remain the same, regardless of who is elected. They are still going to be pro two-state solution,” she said.
“There might be a little bit of a difference in their public statements about it,” she said, however, “I don’t think in terms of policy and in terms of foreign aid there would be a huge discrepancy between how the candidates will deal with it.”
The Aftermath of the Election
Multiple students also expressed worry over how the result of the election would affect the American public.
“Whichever side doesn’t get the candidate they voted for, I feel like there is going to be a lot of public outrage and I am just worried about the division that we are going to face and the anger that people are going to have,” Isaacs said.
Miller also added, “Whichever party does not win I’m assuming will be upset. Hopefully everyone will accept peaceful transfer of power as opposed to last election.”
“If something happens, there is a reason”
In the end, students acknowledged that no matter who came out of the election as the next president of the U.S., it gave them personal comfort to know that whatever happened was for a reason. “In the end, they [referring to the presidential candidates] are just pawns of Hashem,” Chavy Rothstein (SSSB ‘27) told the YU Observer.
“If something happens, there is a reason,” Muller added. “If something terrible happens, maybe the reason is what we do with it.”