Jewish future will be led by the bridge builders
The primary is over. Now comes the moment for reflection.
What happened in Illinois’ 9th Congressional District should serve as an important lesson, not only for the Jewish community, but for political organizations everywhere that believe authentic leadership and community trust can be engineered through money, pressure campaigns, or insider strategy alone. Spoiler alert, they cannot.
Behind the scenes, there was once a very different path forward in this race. There was a candidate with a genuine ability to build broad coalitions across communities and bring people together in a district that deeply needed bridge builders. Yet as often happens in politics, competing interests, organizational priorities, and internal dynamics narrowed the field long before many voters had the opportunity to fully realize what could have been possible.
Then came enormous outside spending. Reports estimate that nearly $9 million flowed into this race from AIPAC-affiliated and allied organizations. While those efforts were undoubtedly driven by sincere concern for the Jewish community and support for Israel, the results also exposed an uncomfortable reality that financial power alone cannot create authentic trust inside communities already struggling with polarization, fear, and political alienation.
And yet, Daniel Biss still won. And not because political machinery suddenly became effective at rebuilding trust, and not because spending solved deeper fractures. He won because for years, people on the ground were quietly doing the difficult and deeply human work of relationship-building.
Jews, Hindus, Persians, Assyrians, Christians, Black leaders, parents, organizers, and neighbors invested time getting to know one another beyond political labels as well as social media narratives. They built genuine relationships rooted in shared humanity, mutual respect, and common concerns for safety, stability, and the future of their families.
That work mattered. This election also revealed something larger happening across America and throughout much of the Western world, that many Jewish communities increasingly feel politically homeless. On one side, there is growing discomfort with segments of progressive movements that often minimize Jewish fears, dismiss rising antisemitism, or approach Israel through frameworks that leave little room for Jewish historical experience and trauma. On the other side, there is a temptation toward reactionary politics rooted more in anger and isolation than long term strategy. Neither path offers a sustainable future.
Jewish history has never been a story of isolation. Jewish survival has depended not only on strength and resilience within our own communities, but also on the ability to build relationships with others while remaining firmly grounded in our values and identity.
Coalition building is friendship building. It is not weakness for it is wisdom.
This does not mean abandoning convictions or ignoring real dangers. It means understanding that communities survive when they can protect themselves while also building trust, relationships, and shared purpose with those around them. That is not merely a political strategy. It is a deeply Jewish one.
As we move toward November, emotions will understandably remain high. But if Jewish organizations and communal leadership continue prioritizing access, control, donor politics, and internal power struggles over authentic community trust and human connection, the gap between institutions and the people they represent will only continue to grow. And when trust collapses, everyone loses. Our children lose. Our communities lose. And ultimately, our collective future becomes weaker.
The future belongs to bridge builders. To people capable of protecting their own communities while still recognizing the humanity of others. To leaders mature enough to understand that coexistence and coalition building are not naïve ideals, but necessary foundations for long term stability. To those willing to choose relationship over rage, strategy over performance, and light over division… I will build with you. For that is the only path forward I still believe in.
