The New Jewish Vote

For much of America, election night had the dread clarity of psychedelia, every passing minute sharpening every last visual or mental input to a point of unbearable acuteness. Existence itself was on the offensive; it was as if the entire nation were staring at smartphone or television screens layered in raw onion. Seemingly the only off-ramp from this hell led to an apartment on a quiet block in Crown Heights, alongside three Chabad Hasids who seemed blissfully detached from the whole thing. Between the hours of 11 p.m. and 1 a.m., Ohio went for Trump and Wisconsin went for no one and civil war broke out in Ethiopia. And yet there were more important things going on, even if the millions of people obsessing over the election had been tragically forgetful of this fact. Read Full Article »