Despite the fact that they are few, Jews in the US are often in prominent positions – in diplomacy, in high-tech, in the media, and in film.

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Historically, the majority of Jews have voted for the Democrats, with only about 30% casting ballots for the Republicans. Most of the community sees Judaism as a liberal value, and a Democratic vote as aligning with it.

However, despite all the talk about "Jewish influence" on US politics, an in-depth report from the Ruderman Family Foundation and Professor Gil Troy, an expert in US presidential history from McGill University, indicates that it's doubtful that the Jewish vote has much effect at all on the results of US elections, despite their high voter turnout – 85% compared to an average of 56% among voters on the whole.

Still, some 95% of Jewish voters cast ballots in areas of electoral importance, such as Detroit or in south Florida. But even with a high percentage of Jewish voters in electorally important districts and a high voter turnout by the demographic, "there simply aren't enough American Jews to tip the scales of an election," Troy says, adding that "Jews have been minor players in most election results."

The term "Jewish vote" was first coined in 1864 when then-President Abraham Lincoln received a letter from Meir Isaacs, a leader in the New York Jewish community, telling him that there was no "Jewish vote," and if there had been, it could not be "bought."

When Jewish immigrants began to arrive in the US en masse between about 1880-1924, they leaned almost automatically toward the Democrats. Ever since the 1928 election, about 70% of Jews have voted Democrat.

And as of October 2020, a survey by the American Jewish Committee did not indicate any change in that voting pattern. According to the survey, 22% of US Jews planned to vote for President Donald Trump, and 75% planned to vote for Democratic candidate Joe Biden.

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Shlichim are Israelis who are sent by the Jewish Agency to a specific Jewish community abroad for a period of a year or two, providing assistance on a variety of subjects relating to Israel and often taking an active role in Jewish life year-round.

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The new program seeks to tap into the relations that are forged during this period through other means, mainly on the grass-root level. The new program is a collaboration between the Jewish Agency and the Ruderman Family Foundation.

"In groups on campus, some 20 returning shlichim will receive professional guidance and financial assistance to promote projects that deal with strengthening connections and deepening Israelis' understanding of Diaspora Jews in general, and the American Jewish community in particular," the organizations said in a statement on Sunday. "Others, who are no longer students, will have the opportunity to receive micro-grants to advance projects connecting their surroundings with the American Jewish community. The United States is home to the largest Jewish community outside of Israel, with around six million members."

"There is much ignorance in Israel about Jewish life overseas," Jewish Agency Chairman Isaac Herzog said. "The shlichim are a powerful tool for spreading the message about our sisters and brothers in the Diaspora. Jews around the world are a strategic asset for Israel, and the service of Jewish Agency shlichim is a central component in strengthening Israel's standing in Jewish communities around the world."

Ruderman Family Foundation Director Shira Ruderman said that "Israelis who were shlichim and then returned to Israel are a tremendous force. Together with them, we can create an army of social change, that will connect Israel to American Jews. With their help, I hope we will move the dialogue from a place of crisis to one of positivity and construction."

"Many thousands of Israelis from all over the country and from every social sector have undergone a meaningful experience as a shaliach [an emissary]," Ruderman continued. "We believe in their ability to connect Israeli society to overseas communities and to strengthen this strategic bond."

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