Maury Litwack has one mission: to get Jews to use their collective voice. And in an era marked by rising antisemitism and deep political polarization, Litwack’s new nonpartisan organization is betting big on the power of the Jewish vote. In his second interview on The Jewish Link’s Pitch Meeting podcast, the longtime community advocate discussed Jewish Voters Unite, the voter mobilization body aimed at one of the most reliable and influential voting blocs in the country—the American Jewish community.

“We’re not telling Jews how to vote,” Litwack told Moshe Kinderlehrer and Elizabeth Kratz on the Pitch Meeting podcast. “We’re telling them to vote. That’s the mission.”

Litwack’s belief is that the Jewish community is uniquely positioned to wield significant electoral influence because of its deep-rooted culture of interconnection and activism. “Every one of us has the ability to pick up our phones, text our WhatsApp groups, and say: ‘This matters. We need to act,’” he explained. “And people respond.”

This very concept has already been proven on the ground. Litwack pointed to last year’s Democratic primary in New York’s 16th congressional district, where George Latimer defeated incumbent Jamaal Bowman—a member of the progressive “Squad” known for his controversial positions on Israel. Litwack’s team played a crucial role in mobilizing Jewish voters in Westchester, with turnout among some synagogue communities reportedly reaching 90%.

“That race was decided by about 12,000 votes… the Jewish community turned out about 14,000 votes. That’s what power looks like.”

According to Litwack, this is not just about numbers; rather it’s about organization and consistency. In this sense, local elections present enormous opportunities. “If you get 100 people to vote in those elections, you can absolutely shape the outcome,” he noted, recalling a 2019 Miami Beach election where Jewish turnout helped swing a local election by just two votes.

This past Sunday, right after the release of Litwack’s most recent podcast episode, Jewish Voters Unite celebrated its grand opening of a new voter engagement center in Englewood, joining other centers in Brooklyn, Queens and Manhattan’s Upper East and West Side. Like its counterparts, the new Englewood hub for Jewish Voters Unite will serve as a place for people to register to vote, learn how to vote and strategize on how to bring their networks along.

Since the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks on Israel, antisemitism has surged across the U.S., including in city halls and in Congress. Jewish Voters Unite was born in response to this moment.

“Antisemitism is on the ballot,” Litwack said. “It’s not just about how we feel. It’s about making sure the people in power are protecting us—not endangering us.”

Jewish Voters United is notably nonpartisan, recognizing the political diversity within the community. But the organization insists on one non-negotiable: turnout. “Most ills are solved if we just show up,” Litwack shared. “When politicians know you vote, they pay attention.”

The organization is actively engaging across linguistic and cultural lines, printing materials in Hebrew, Yiddish and Russian to reach as many Jews as possible. And, pairing humor with urgency, Jewish Voters Unite’s slogan is: “Don’t Kvetch—Vote.”

Since its official launch in December 2024, the organization has grown significantly, boasting nearly 600 active volunteers, and is holding major events across the tri-state area.

“One of the things I used to say a lot at Teach [Coalition, the Orthodox Union’s advocacy network for nonpublic schools] was: ‘If you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu.’ The table is set, and we need to make sure we’re there at the table by voting and getting candidates that we want elected. We are setting the table before anyone else even shows up.”

For Litwack, the mission is clear: “If we show up now, if we get loud now, the people who want to divide us or erase us won’t stand a chance.”

Listen to the full interview on our latest episode of The Jewish Link Pitch Meeting podcast, available wherever you get your podcasts or on our YouTube channel. To find out more about Jewish Voters Unite, visit https://jewishvotersunite.org/.

Channa Fischer is digital editor of The Jewish Link and the producer of the Pitch Meeting podcast. She resides in Washington Heights.