Although pro-Trump voices currently dominate American Orthodox discourse, Jews and rabbis in all segments of American Orthodoxy actively support Vice President Biden for president, including Rabbis Menachem Genack and Moshe Lichtenstein. Prevented by professional considerations from expressing political views, many of my colleagues at the Rabbinical Council of America (RCA) and beyond are pleased that I am publishing this column. Of course, the views expressed are mine only. VOTING AS AMERICAN (ORTHODOX) JEWS Voting in a democracy is a great privilege and responsibility. To wisely cast our votes before God and fellow citizens, we must educate ourselves, balance competing concerns, and consider the future. Rarely do we agree with a candidate on everything — or even everything important to us. As members of a small, long-persecuted group, Jews rightly consider whether a given matter is “good for the Jews” or “good for Israel.” Yet, these are insufficient criteria for a believing Jew. Jeremiah long ago instructed diaspora Jews to seek the welfare of the nations where they live. This applies in nations that oppress us, and even more so in America. Rabbi Moshe Feinstein required each American Jew to vote due to “hakaras hatov”, “to show our appreciation” for “the democratic system which guards the freedoms we enjoy... and to... contribute to the continued security of our community.” His focus on our obligation as citizens contrasts strongly with the debased suggestion that Jews vote based upon “hakaras hatov” for a particular candidate as payback for specific actions seen as benefiting the Jewish people. Rema rules that one must vote regarding Jewish communal matters “for the sake of Heaven,” which Rabbi Eliezer Waldenburg defines as voting with the interest of the population as a whole in mind, not one’s personal or group interests. As Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik stated, this also applies to non-Jewish society: "The Jew ...is responsible for society.