Jordan Grossman, a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences, woke up at 4:30 this morning to start reminding Penn students to hit the booths. Emily Goldman left her non-politically-inclined friends voice messages explaining the basic platforms of the competing senators. Evan Richter sent out mass text messages to everyone on his phone book declaring, “VOTE and celebrate democracy!!!”
These three Jewish students are a few of over 200 volunteers for the non-partisan “Penn Leads the Vote” campaign swarmed campus, encouraging people to vote and directing them to polling locations. No effort was spared in the endeavor — Facebook advertisements were issued, balloons and signs were displayed across campus, and free food was distributed at voting booths.
The political affiliations of Penn’s Jewish community spans the gamut, but the predominant political issue among Orthodox students at Penn is the Israel factor; prove to them that a candidate is pro-Israel, and you’ve secured yourself a vote.
The Penn Israel Coalition is networking with campaign workers who may become staffers for the winning candidates on Capitol Hill, so that “they will remember that their candidate got elected because of the strong support from the pro-Israel community at Penn” (as stated in an e-mail sent to those on the PIC listserve.) PIC also sent the following statement in their e-mail:

As students who care about the future of Israel, we must help elect pro-Israel candidates to Congress. After a summer of war and as Iran continues its nuclear proliferation, electing a pro-Israel Congress is more important than ever.

The PIC campaign for pro-Israel candidates took place from 3:00 pm until 8:00 pm on Tuesday November 7. The students who showed up were split into Democrats and Republicans, and were sent to either the campaign offices of Lois Murphy or Curt Weldon.
Both candidates, PIC maintained, “are dedicated to a strong, secure, and prosperous
Israel.”