A Night at Binyanei Hauma: More Than Just Counting Votes
Four years ago, I worked as a
Mazkir Kalpi (poll secretary) in the previous Israeli election. (I wrote about that experience here: Counting and More Counting: A View from Inside.) When I saw a post inviting people to apply for the position again, I didn’t hesitate. One thing about me: I love a challenge, and I love being part of the process.
After passing the online exam, it was time for the interview. When I arrived for my scheduled interview, I was informed that I had received a “promotion” and would now be a Kolet.
What is a Kolet, you ask?
The Hebrew word קולט literally means “a receiver.” In Israel’s election system, a Kolet works with the Central Elections Committee, receiving election materials arriving from polling stations and making sure that the required documents are properly submitted and accounted for.
It sounded intriguing, so I decided to go for it. But wait! There was another training session and yet another test. I passed that one, too, and was ready for showtime!
I arrived at the Convention Center, Binyanei Hauma, at 7:30 Tuesday evening, along with hundreds of others. We were religious and secular, students, working people and retirees, all coming together to do our part in the democratic process. Yes, we get paid for our work, but there is also a strong sense of commitment. Everyone took their role very seriously.
We received another training session, and then we waited. And waited. And waited.
The polls closed at 10 p.m., but our work didn’t begin in earnest until around 1 a.m., when the first group of election materials arrived, including the חומר רגיש (sensitive material). Every document had to be carefully reviewed and accounted for.
The Mazkirei Kalpi (poll secretaries) had already worked an entire day at the polling stations. Yet, despite their exhaustion, each person worked patiently with us as we reviewed the paperwork. It was remarkable to watch the process unfold, with so many people taking their responsibilities so seriously in the early hours of the morning.
We have endured a lot, especially over the past three years. And that night, I could feel the commitment to this country and the love people have for Israel. People from different backgrounds, with different beliefs and perspectives, had come together to do their jobs and make sure the democratic process worked as it should.
I kept thinking about the words of the prophet Isaiah:
לְמַעַן צִיּוֹן לֹא אֶחֱשֶׁה וּלְמַעַן יְרוּשָׁלִַם לֹא אֶשְׁקוֹט
“For the sake of Zion I will not be silent, and for the sake of Jerusalem I will not be still.” (Isaiah 62:1)
Isaiah speaks of his determination to keep speaking and working for Zion and Jerusalem, even in the face of pain and hardship. He promises that the land will no longer be called Forsaken, nor the land Desolate. There is a future of renewal and hope.
Standing in Binyanei Hauma in the middle of the night, surrounded by hundreds of people doing their part, I felt a connection to those words. We have been through so much, and we know that the challenges are far from over. Yet there we were, showing up, taking responsibility, and working together for the sake of our country.
That Tuesday night, I felt that Isaiah’s words were alive around us. Our love for Israel is not expressed only in grand gestures. Sometimes it is expressed by showing up, doing the work, and refusing to give up on the country we love.
