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David-Seth Kirshner
Author of Streams of Shattered Consciousness

Mr. President, DON’T!

Mr. President:

A simple and heartfelt request.

If you choose to engage in racist and discriminatory tropes against Congressional leaders, and to double down your statements because “some agree with you,” do not use Israel and the Jewish State as a wedge to further your point. Doing so lumps Zionism into the wrong side of the arguments about racism.

Sadly, Jews are far too familiar with being categorized as “the other” and being told to “go back to the countries we came from.” These chants made us feel unwelcome, even when we held positions in government, paid equal taxes and wore the colors of our home country with pride. These words hurt our collective soul.

Jewish instincts demand of us to fuse the memory of our history and to love our neighbor, which forces a knee-jerk protest to your xenophobic statements. Categorizing these attacks with the litmus test of Zionism is an abomination to everything the Jewish State stands for. For shame!

Judaism and racism do not jibe and never should. Mr. President, do not weaponize us for your political expediency! It cheapens our rich history and our shared values.

Sincerely,

The Jewish People

About the Author
David-Seth Kirshner is the senior rabbi of Temple Emanu-El, a Conservative synagogue in Closter, New Jersey. He is the past President of the NY Board of Rabbis and the NJ Board of Rabbis and is a Senior Rabbinic Fellow at the Hartman Institute and serves on the Executive Committee of the JFNA. Rabbi Kirshner was appointed to the New Jersey/Israel Commission by Governors Christie and Murphy. Rabbi Kirshner is a National Council member of AIPAC and an adjunct faculty member at the Academy for Jewish Religion, (AJR). He is the author of Streams of Shattered Consciousness, featured in The NY Times Book Review (Feb '24) and has over 11,000 copies in circulation in its first three months since publication. He has spoken on his book and topics connected to Judaism and Zionism across the world.
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