by Natasha Mozgovaya

A week before the U.S. presidential elections, superstorm Sandy brought to both parties’ campaigns this perfectly schizophrenic moment: Candidates canceled or hastily transformed campaign events, but headquarters continued to trickle messages to reporters and supporters with reactions to the rival’s ads. (The ads stopped only for TV viewers without electricity – probably the only positive aspect one could see in the damage inflicted by the storm.) Surrogates soon began “barnstorming” the swing states.

The American Jewish community, with large concentrations of its members on the East Coast, fell into the same dual preoccupation. Jewish Federations of North America, Bnai Brith and the Reform movement launched relief funds, Chabad set about helping elderly Jews left without electricity – but the political campaign also went on…more.