Listen, I’m not a politician. Not by any stretch of the imagination. I am not even a registered party member anymore…changed my registration to “no party” in order to avoid the snooping that the federal government was trying to do, when it demanded that states turn over voter records.

I’m just a Rabbi. A Jewish educator. I vote Jewish. That is to say, I care about a wide range of issues and I look at them with a mindset that says: My Jewish values don’t dictate my vote, but they definitely inform it. Specifically, my Jewish lens includes:

• Personal integrity. Not perfection. Striving for good. Striving for ethical. Striving for moral [includes idea of teshuva, that a person can change and improve]
• Truth [a name of God]
• Peace and its pursuit [Shalom is another name of God]
• Responsibility [Ours is a religion of responsibility, not of rights]
• Consistent values
• Compassion [according to the rabbis, a litmus test of a Jewish person]
• Justice [as in: Justice, Justice you shall pursue]
• Strength [not power. Strength]
• Standing up for minorities [I’m a member of a minority religious group, so I notice] or for those historically disenfranchised
• Partnership with God [or with the Godly, if you prefer] in protecting creation
• Security and safety [“the wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them”]
• The security, safety and peace of Israel as the sole Jewish state in the world

So, when it comes to state-wide or national positions that are going to be on the ballot, I’ll be sending off my questionnaire to candidates and publishing those who answer these simple questions:

1. What are the five top values that guide you in life and in public service?
2. Are you respected by those of the other party/parties?
3. How do you “play in the sandbox” with those whose views you disagree strongly?
4. Are you respected by those in other branches of government?
5. How do you “play in the sandbox’ with those in other branches, especially when they oppose you?
6. How will you protect the right to bear arms?
7. How will you protect citizens from gun and other violence?
8. What do you think of scientific knowledge, such as global warming? Should our country be joining the rest of the world in environmental action? Is coal “clean” as a fuel, in your opinion?
9. Do your religious beliefs, or those of religious leaders you honor, promote the idea that Jews (or Moslems, or any other group) will “not be saved” or “are doomed to burn”because they haven’t accepted a particular religion?
10. What actions will you pursue to safeguard the security and promote peace in Israel?
11. What are the three special interest groups or corporations that contribute the most to your campaign/s?

How about you. What are YOUR questions for those who want your support as they pursue leadership roles?