Rabbis Reject Attempts at Dividing Communities Around the Georgia Runoff Election
By: Jewish Democratic Council Of America
Tags: Georgia, Election 2020, Rabbi, Jewish Democrats, Judaism

The following letter, which was circulated by the Jewish Democratic Council of America (JDCA), asks Rabbis, Cantors, and other Jewish faith leaders to reject attempts to divide the Black and Jewish communities, and to divide the Jewish community, by spreading falsehoods about candidate for U.S. Senate, Rev. Raphael Warnock.

This is not an endorsement letter, rather a rejection of the attempts at division. Those who sign are representing themselves and not the organizations they are affiliated with.

If you are a Rabbi or Jewish faith leader and would like to add your name to this letter, please visit https://forms.gle/e1KoR4aBariMFgiu6.

As rabbis and religious leaders, we recognize and respect the devotion to his Christian faith that underlies Rev. Raphael Warnock’s strong support for Israel and his partnership with the Jewish people. As the Senior Pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s church, Rev. Warnock is deeply involved in the interfaith community and works with rabbis and religious leaders of all faiths in recognition of our shared values. We stand with Rev. Warnock and reject the baseless claims and attacks targeting him amid this Senate election. We are also deeply concerned about the possibility that racial bias is driving these false accusations, which we reject in the strongest possible terms.

Rev. Warnock has stated that the histories of oppression shared by the Black and Jewish communities, which includes Black Jews living at the intersection of both communities, guide him in his embrace of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s declaration that “Israel’s right to exist as a state in security is incontestable.”

Rev. Warnock recognizes that being a true friend also means being a truth-teller who does not shy away from hard conversations, and he has made no secret of his strong reservations and concerns over Israeli settlement expansion, which may impede prospects for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

At the same time, Rev. Warnock is strongly opposed to the global boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement “and its anti-Semitic underpinnings, including its supporters’ refusal to acknowledge Israel’s right to exist.” He supports the unprecedented, ten-year, $38 billion aid package finalized with Israel by the Obama-Biden administration. He supports a two-state solution rooted in the protection and security of Israel’s borders, its identity as a Jewish, democratic state, and a commitment to improving the quality of life for both the Jewish and Palestinian people.

Rev. Warnock has made clear that claims that he believes Israel is an apartheid state are “patently false.” In his own words, “I do not believe that.” Rev. Warnock has made his views on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict clear. He has stated, “while I am deeply concerned about injustices impacting the Palestinian people…I know that no singular country’s actions are perfect, including Israel’s — and yet the country is a true friend and our strong, democratic ally in the region.”

We sign this letter not as an endorsement of a particular candidate, but a rejection of false and divisive slander entering our community.

All Americans, especially Jewish Americans, should reject attempts to divide the Black and Jewish communities, and to divide the Jewish community, by spreading falsehoods about Rev. Warnock. We abhor the politics of dividing traditionally marginalized communities in order to consolidate political power. The friendship between Jewish clergy and Black Christian clergy has stood strong for justice for generations, and cannot be so easily broken by bad faith actors who care little for our communities.

We stand with Rev. Raphael Warnock against these attacks, and implore other Jewish leaders to stand with us.

Sincerely,

Rabbi Ruth Abusch-Magder, Atlanta, GA

Rabbi Peter Berg, Atlanta, GA

Rabbi Joab Eichenberg-Eilon, Marietta, GA

Rabbi Brian Glusman, Atlanta, GA

Rabbi Ari Kaiman, Atlanta, GA

Rabbi Lauren Henderson, Atlanta, GA

Rabbi Steven Lebow, Rome, GA

Rabbi Joshua Lesser, Atlanta, GA

Rabbi Ellen Nemhauser, Atlanta, GA

Rabbi Laurence Rosenthal, Atlanta, GA

Rabbi Neil Sandler, Atlanta, GA

Rabba Melissa Scholten-Gutierrez, Atlanta, GA

Rabbi Larry Sernovitz, Marietta, GA

Rabbi Scott Sperling, Atlanta, GA

Darshanit Miriam Udel, Atlanta, GA

Rabbi Harvey J Winokur, Roswell, GA

Rabbi Michael S. Beals, Wilmington, DE

Rabbi Sharon Brous, Los Angeles, CA

Rabbi Denise L. Eger, West Hollywood, CA

Rabbi Amy Eilberg, Los Altos, CA Rabbi

Lauren Holtzblatt, Washington, DC

Rabbi Jill Jacobs, New York, NY

Rabbi Rachel Kahn-Troster, Teaneck, NJ

Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum, New York, NY

Rabbi Michael Adam Latz, Minneapolis, MN

Rabbi Sandra Lawson, Burlington, NC

Rabbi Ellen Lippmann, Brooklyn, NY

Rabbi Sally J. Priesand, Tinton Falls, NJ

Rabbi Dr. Bradley Shavit Artson Los Angeles, CA

Rabbi Joel Simonds, Los Angels, CA

Rabbi Toba Spitzer, Newton, MA

Rabbi Michael Strassfeld, New York, NY

Rabbi David A Teutsch, Philadelphia PA

Rabbi Rachel Timoner, Brooklyn, NY

Rabbi Aaron Alexander, Washington, DC

Rabbi Adina Allen, Berkley, CA

Rabbi Nelly Altenburger, Middletown, CT

Rabbi Renni S. Altman, Poughkeepsie, NY

Rabbi Guy Austrian, New York, NY

Rabbi Justus Baird, Princeton, NJ

Rabbi Henry Bamberger, Utica, NY

Rabbi Rachel Barenblat, North Adams, MA

Rabbi Ruven Barkan ,Tucson, AZ

Cantor Chanin Becker, Tarrytown, NY

Rabbi Phyllis Berman, Philadelphia, PA

Rabbi Edward Bernstein, FL

Rabbi Linda Bertenthal, Davenport, IA

Rabbi Ana Bonnheim, Charlotte, NC

Rabbi Erin Boxt, Knoxville, TN

Rabbi Julie Bressler, Needham, MA

Rabbi Joshua Brown, Akron, OH

Rabbi Geoffrey Claussen, Elon, NC

Rabbi Aryeh Cohen, Los Angeles, CA

Rabbi Ayelet S. Cohen, New York, NY

Rabbi Elli Cohn, Zurich, Switzerland

Rabbi Kimberly Cohen, Dallas TX

Rabbi Howard A. Cohen, Marshfield, MA

Rabbi Deborah Anne Cohen, Philadelphia, PA

Rabbi Tamara Cohen, Philadephia, PA

Cantor Richard Cohn, New York, NY

Rabbi Faith Joy Dantowitz, Morgan Hill, CA

Rabbi Beth D. Davidson, Manchester, NH

Cantor Susan Lisa, Deutsch, CA

Rabbi Doris Dyen, Pittsburgh, PA

Rabbi David Eber, Evanston, IL

Rabbi Ruth Ehrenstein Smith, Baltimore, MD

Rabbi Rebecca Einstein Schorr, Emmaus, PA

Rabbi Barat Ellman Brooklyn, NY

Rabbi Susan Falk, Brooklyn, NY

Rabbi Charles Feinberg, Washington, DC

Rabbi Nora Feinstein, Princeton, NJ

Rabbi Jen Feldman, Chapel Hill, NC

Rabbi Michael Fessler, Poughkeepsie, NY

Rabbi Zev-Hayyim Feyer, Pomona, CA

Rabbi Avi Fine, Seattle, WA

Rabbi Betsy Forester, Madison, WI

Rabbi Jeff Foust, Waltham, MA

Rabbi Laurie Franklin, Missoula, MT

Rabbi Sarah Freidson, Mahopac, NY

Rabbi Michael Friedland, South Bend IN

Cantor Kath Fromson Akron, OH

Rabbi Gordon Fuller, Columbia, MD

Rabbi Laura Geller, Beverly Hills, CA

Rabbi Jonah Geffen, New York, NY

Rabbi Kim S. Geringer, Hoboken NJ

Cantor Vicky Glikin, Dallas, TX

Rabbi Edwin Goldberg, Spring, TX

Rabbi Rachel Goldenberg, Jackson Heights, NY

Rabbi Samuel Gordon, Wilmette, IL

Rabbi Arthur Green, Newton, MA

Rabbi David Greenstein, Montclair, NJ

Rabbi Reuven Greenvald, New York, NY

Rabbi Suzanne Griffel, Michigan City, IN and Chicago, IL

Rabbi Susan Grossman, Columbia, MD

Rabbi David Gruber, Frisco, TX

Rabbi Moshe Raphael Halfon, Long Beach CA

Rabbi Arielle Hanien, Los Angeles, CA

Rabbi Lizzi Heydemann, Chicago, IL

Rabbi Mark Hurvitz, New York, NY

Rabbi Yitzhak Husbands-Hankin, Eugene, OR

Rabbi David Ingber, New York, NY

Ginger Jacobs, Los Angeles, CA

Rabbi Margie Jacobs Berkeley, CA

Rabbi Steven B. Jacobs, Sacramento, CA

Rabbi Daria Jacobs-Velde, Laurel, MD

Rabbi David Jaffe, Sharon, MA

Rabbi Ellen Jaffe-Gill, Virginia Beach, VA

Rabbi Marisa James, New York, NY

Rabbi Janine Jankovitz, Philadelphia, PA

Rabbi Dr. Rebecca Joseph, Berkley, CA

Rabbi Debra Newman Kamin, Northfield, IL

Rabbi Nancy Kasten, Dallas, TX

Rabbi Rory Katz, Baltimore, MD

Rabbi Emma Kippley-Ogman, St. Paul, MN

Rabbi Michael Klayman, Great Neck, NY

Rabbi Myriam Klotz, New York, NY

Rabbi Michael Knopf, Richmond, VA

Rabbi Jacqueline Koch Ellenson, New York, NY

Rabbi Cherie Koller-Fox, Newton, MA

Rabbi Debra Kolodny, Portland, OR

Rabbi Michael L. Kramer, Hockessin, DE

Rabbi Alex Kress, Los Angeles, CA

Rabbi Gabriel Kretzmer-Seed, Bronx, NY

Rabbi Karen Kriger Bogard, St. Louis, MO

Rabbi Gail Labovitz, Los Angeles, CA

Rabbi Howard Laibson, Seal Beach, CA

Cantor Allen Leider, Falls Church, VA

Rabbi Darby Leigh, Concord MA

Rabbi Benjamin Levy, Monroe Twp,

NJ Cantor Abbe Lyons, Ithaca,

NY Rabbi Marc Margolius, New York,

NY Rabbi Jeffrey Marker, Brooklyn NY

Rabbi Dr.Susan Marks, Sarssota, FL

Rabbi Lev Meirowitz Nelson, Brooklyn, NY Rabbi

Jessica Kate Meyer, San Francisco, CA

Rabbi Abby Michaleski, Vineland, NJ

Rabbi Heather Miller, Aliso Viejo, CA

Rabbi Diana Miller, Lambertville, NJ

Rabbi Joel Mosbacher, New York, NY

Rabbi Linda Motzkin, Saratoga Springs, NY

Cantor Sarah Myerson, Brooklyn, NY

Rabbi Elana Nemitoff-Bresler, Westport, CT

Rabbi David Novak, Palm Desert, CA

Rabbi Ephraim Pelcovits, Los Angeles, CA

Rabbi Scott Perlo, Brooklyn, NY

Rabbi Hara Person, Brooklyn, NY

Rabbi Daniel Polish, Poughkeepsie NY

Rabbi Amber Powers, Abington, PA

Rabbi Jonah Gabriel Rank, New Hope PA

Rabbi Ruti Regan, Somerville, MA

Rabbi Debra Robbins, Dallas TX

Rabbi Francine Roston, Whitefish, MT

Rabbi Michael Rothbaum, Acton MA

Rabbi Ruhi Sophia Rubenstein, Eugene, OR

Rabbi Jonathan L Rubenstein, Saratoga Springs, NY

Rabbi Regina Sandler-Phillips, New York

Rabbi Peter Schaktman, Utica, NY

Rabbi Jeremy Schwartz, Willimantic, CT

Rabbi David Seidenberg, Northampton, MA

Rabbi Dr. Elyse Seidner-Joseph, West Chester, PA

Rabbi Gerry Serotta, Chevy Chase, MD

Rabbi Drorah Setel, Rochester, NY

Rabbi Randy Sheinberg, New Hyde Park, NY

Rabbi Jeremy Sher, Oakland, CA

Rabbi Becky Ann Silverstein, Boston, MA

Rabbi Mia Simring, New York City, NY

Rabbi Jonathan Slater, New York, NY

Rabbi Ruth Ehrenstein Smith, Baltimore, MD

Rabbi Eric Solomon, Raleigh, NC

Rabbi Abby Stein New York, NY Rabbi Oren Steinitz Elmira, NY

Rabbi Eleanor Steinman, Los Angeles, CA

Rabbi Alana Suskin, Rockville, MD

Rabbi Michael Swarttz, Westborough, MA

Rabbi Andrew H. Terkel, Dallas, TX

Rabbi Josh Warshawsky, Columbus, OH

Rabbi Pamela Wax, Bronx NY

Rabbi Elyse Wechterman, Abington, PA

Rabbi Marley Weiner, Carlisle, PA

Rabbi Daniel A Weiner, Seattle, WA

Rabbi Rachel Weiss, Evanston, IL

Rabbi Alex Weissman, Providence, RI

Rabbi Nancy H. Wiener, New York, NY

Rabbi Joseph Wolf, Portland, OR

Rabbi Greg Wolfe, Davis, CA

Rabbi Michal Woll, Milwaukee, WI

Rabbi Lina Zerbarini, Huntington Station, NY

Rabbi Simcha Zevit, Narberth, PA

Rabbi Jill Zimmerman, Laguna Woods, CA

Rabbi Benjamin Zober, Reno, NV