U.S. President Barack Obama's re-election campaign announced on Tuesday the launch of a "Rabbis for Obama" initiative, which the campaign's website said was meant to "engage and mobilize grassroots supporters."

More than 600 rabbis have joined the initiative.

"This list of rabbis represents a broad group of respected Jewish leaders from all parts of the country," Ira Forman, the Obama campaign's director of Jewish outreach said in a statement published on the campaign's website. "These rabbis mirror the diversity of American Jewry. Their ringing endorsement of President Obama speaks volumes about the president’s deep commitment to the security of the State of Israel and his dedication to a policy agenda that represents the values of the overwhelming majority of the American Jewish community."

According to the Obama campaign, the 613 rabbis who have signed on to the initiative are more than double the number who participated in a similar initiative during the 2008 election.

The "Rabbis for Obama" initiative adds to the outreach efforts already being made by the existing "Jewish Americans for Obama" group.

At the start of August, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney announced the establishment of a "Jewish Americans for Romney" coalition.

“I am proud to have the support of so many distinguished Jewish Americans,” Romney said in a statement published on his website. “The Jewish community has made contributions to American society that stand in amazing disproportion to its numbers, and I am genuinely honored to have so many of its leading thinkers, diplomats, and political leaders support my campaign. Having just visited Israel at a critical juncture in the history of the Middle East, I am persuaded that now, more than ever, America needs to stand with Israel. I will extend the hand of friendship because our partnership is not merely a strategic alliance but a force for good in the world.”