Jews in the Heart Land

I was still crying this morning over Rachel Goldberg-Polin and Jon Polin’s powerful, emotional speeches last night at the Democratic convention. There is a quote attributed to The Sages, “Words from the heart, enter the heart.” America, Israel and the world saw that in action when they spoke for nearly nine minutes.

Videos and articles on their apperance abound. It was an earth-shattering moment. Yet other than the thunderous applause, collective standing ovation throughout, and a convention hall filled with 50,000 Americans shouting “Bring Them Home! Bring Them Home!” – you could hear a pin drop, as Democratic delegates listened to their every word, often with tears streaming down their faces, too.

Apparently before the convention Rachel and Jon were warned to expect a hostile reaction. And after months of all the Jew-hatred and anti-Israel protests we’ve experienced on college campuses, on the streets, just outside the Chicago stadium – from the far left and the far right, no wonder that was the prevailing wisdom.

But their heartfelt words, images of their son Hersh, their absolute compassion for all those held captive and the anguish of all the hostage families – and also their utter empathy for innocent Gazans – for everyone suffering – touched every soul watching and listening.

One morning, a month ago today, I woke up with the thought, Rachel Goldberg-Polin and Jon Polin need to speak in primetime at the Democratic convention! I began contacting everyone I could think of… emailing Kamala Harris, her campaign team, messaging Doug Emhoff, DNC Chair Jaime Harrison, Convention Chair Minyon Moore, Illinois Governor Jay Pritzker, PA Governor Josh Shapiro, NY Representative Ritchie Torres, my NY Senators, major Democratic donors, various media outlets and social media pages and groups, including Bring Hersh Home. I posted and commented a lot about this imperative. I wrote dozens of letters. I championed the Goldberg-Polin family as natives of Chicago who had relentlessly served the Chicago communities.

Literally, I am no one. I was just one drop of water, a voice putting it out there in the universe. I received lots of positive – and negative – reponses on social media from American Jews. I just felt Americans needed to see this – American Jewish voters needed to see this. I needed to see this, to reclaim my space as an American Jew in this tumoltuous election year, to see America put the hostages first!

And even now, writing this, I am crying. I have been so effected by October 7th. Other than my own daughter, the hostages and victims have been foremost in my mind and heart for 321 days.

Not even the prospect of a long cherished dream – a feminist woman as President of the United States – mattered nearly as much to me. In point of fact, this election has tormented and troubled me. Will the political party that has been my home my entire life stand up for Jews and Israel? Can America truly fight off antisemitism?

Last night, the Goldberg-Polins made their impassioned, extraordinary case for the hostages, including American hostages, for peace in the Middle East, for a just end to this war. I hope Iran and Hamas are feeling the pressure of seeing that all unfold on the Democratic convention’s stage.

Then this morning I caught up on MSNBC’s Morning Joe – they, too, were absolutely wowed by Rachel and Jon, who they have come to know and love.

And something else caught my attention. Host Joe Scarborough and contributor Donny Deutsch were discussing PA Governor Josh Shapiro’s speech last night and how they both wanted Josh as VP pick, as did I. Then the conversation shocked even Donny when the producers put up screenshots of  Donald Trump’s social media rant from just after midnight:

“The highly overrated Jewish Governor of the Great Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Josh Shapiro, made a really bad and poorly delivered speech talking about freedom and fighting for Comrade Kamala Harris for President, yet she hates lsrael and will do nothing but make its journey through the complexities of survival as difficult as possible, hoping in the end that it will fail…

Yet Shapiro, for strictly political reasons, refused to acknowledge that I am the best friend that Israel, and the Jewish people, ever had. I have done more for Israel than any President, and frankly, I have done more for Israel than any person, and it’s not even close. Shapiro has done nothing for Israel, and never will.”

Let me explain this very clearly – it is entirely antisemitic when anyone delineates good Jews vs bad Jews. Those on the right do it. And those like the Protesters on the left do it – claiming that only anti-Zionists are acceptable Jews. (Which is less than 10% of all Jews, incidentally. )

And then there’s Donald Trump. Calling out JEWISH Governor Shapiro. Claiming he, Donald has done more for Israel than any other person! And that Josh Shapiro – who volunteer served in the IDF – has never done anything for Israel.

Take a good look. THIS is ANTISEMITISM.

And I suspect that even tough Golda, after listening to Rachel and Jon, wiped a tear from her grateful eye in heaven. She again pleaded with God to Let Them Go Now, Bring Them Home Now, Protect Our Children Now! Then she saw Trump’s social media, rolled over and spit on him.

God bless and protect Israel. God bless America. God bless the Goldberg-Polins and all the hostage and victim families.

Am Yisrael Chai.